In a thrilling comeback, the Florida Panthers stormed back in the third period to secure a 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in their last matchup before the holiday break. This victory showcased the Panthers’ resilience, as they rallied from a two-goal deficit to dominate the final frame.
The scoring began with Carolina taking an early lead. Eric Robinson netted the first goal during a fast break, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Joel Nystrom. The Hurricanes extended their lead in the second period when Andrei Svechnikov, emerging from the penalty box, capitalized on a pass from Jordan Staal and slipped the puck between Sergei Bobrovsky’s legs, putting Carolina ahead by two goals as they entered the third period.
Despite managing only eight shots on goal in the first two periods, the Panthers unleashed a remarkable offensive surge in the third, launching 14 shots at Carolina's goalie Frederik Andersen and finding the back of the net five times, while limiting the Hurricanes to just three attempts on Bobrovsky.
The Panthers' comeback kicked off just moments after a spectacular save by Andersen on Anton Lundell. Following the rebound that floated into the slot, Sam Reinhart deftly backhanded the puck to Eetu Luostarinen, who then set up Niko Mikkola. The towering defenseman unleashed a slap shot that deflected off Alexander Nikishin's skate, marking Mikkola's first goal of the 2025-26 season at the 3:53 mark of the third period.
Just 2:24 later, a brilliant play by Aaron Ekblad kept the Panthers in the offensive zone, leading to the equalizing goal. Ekblad fired a shot that was initially blocked by Andersen, but the puck rebounded to Luke Kunin, who swept it through Andersen’s five-hole from the left circle, scoring his second goal of the season.
Florida then took the lead after a mere 53 seconds. Reinhart collected another rebound from Luostarinen’s shot and set up Lundell for a precise snap shot from the left circle, pushing the Panthers ahead.
At 9:57, Sam Bennett added another goal, further sealing Carolina’s fate. A.J. Greer sent in a high dump into the Hurricanes' zone, where the puck took an unexpected bounce into the slot. Bennett outmaneuvered Robinson to gain possession and quickly fired the puck past Andersen for an insurance goal.
The scoring was capped off by Seth Jones, who found the net on a power play at 15:39, easily beating Andersen after receiving the puck from a series of passes between Reinhart and Brad Marchand.
After what could be described as a lackluster performance in the first two periods, the Panthers were undoubtedly energized by head coach Paul Maurice's halftime pep talk. They managed an impressive four goals within just 6 minutes and 4 seconds, marking their second comeback victory against Carolina in less than a week. With this win, Florida improved their road record to 8-7 and celebrated their 20th victory of the season. As they head into the holiday festivities, they are riding a strong wave of success with an 8-2 record, placing them firmly in Wild Card 2 position in the competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Five Hole
* Sam Reinhart had a standout game with three assists, achieving this milestone for the second time this season and the fifth time as a Panther. Over December, he has contributed six goals and nine assists in just 12 games.
* Although it came late in the game, Brad Marchand's secondary assist on Jones’ goal extended his point streak to six games, accumulating ten points (four goals and six assists) during this run after being held scoreless in three consecutive matches.
* Defenseman Seth Jones leads the Panthers’ blue line with an impressive tally of six goals, 15 assists, and a total of 21 points, with five of those goals coming on the power play—second only to Reinhart's six.
* Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves in the match, including a crucial stop against Jordan Staal in the second period, marking his 16th win of the season. He is tied with several other goalies for the most wins in the NHL this year and has reached a career total of 445 wins, tying him with Terry Sawchuk for the eighth-most all-time.
* In addition to Reinhart, both Eetu Luostarinen and Aaron Ekblad also shined with multi-point performances, each finishing the game with two assists.
