Panthers answer Carolina’s 71-second rally with a decisive second-period burst in 6-3 win

Florida changed the night in the middle 20

The game began as a tidy back-and-forth and then broke open. Carolina struck first at 6:04 of the first period when Dominik Badinka scored on a backhand, with Gleb Trikozov picking up the assist. Florida answered before intermission, and the equalizer already hinted at how much offense would eventually come from the Panthers’ top end: Brady Tkachuk tied it at 12:02 on a wrist shot, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov.

From there, the second period became Florida’s best stretch. Barkov put the Panthers ahead 2-1 at 2:30, finishing a play set up by Brady Tkachuk and Niko Mikkola. Just 1:36 later, Cole Reinhardt made it 3-1 with Jack Devine and Radko Gudas collecting assists. By the end of the night, Florida had built a 34-24 edge in shots, won the faceoff battle 39-27 and more than doubled Carolina in hits, 27-13. Those numbers do not explain every finish, but they do sketch the broader shape of the evening: more Florida puck starts, more Florida contact and more Florida attempts.

Carolina did not disappear. In fact, the Hurricanes produced the game’s most dramatic push. Justin Robidas cut the deficit to 3-2 at 9:34 of the second, taking assists from Charlie Cerrato and Felix Unger Sorum. Then Bradly Nadeau tied it 3-3 at 10:45, with Robidas and Joel Nystrom on the setup. In a span of 71 seconds, a Panthers game that looked ready to tilt sharply had been pulled back to level.

The tie lasted 85 seconds

That was the hinge point, and Florida handled it better. Rather than letting the tie reshape the rest of the night, the Panthers reclaimed the lead at 12:10 of the second when Reinhardt scored his second goal, this one a tip-in created by Mikkola. It was the kind of immediate answer that changes how a comeback feels. Carolina had done the hard work to get even; Florida made sure it did not stay that way for long.

The Panthers added an important late-period cushion at 19:07, when Mikkola scored on a wrist shot with assists from Sandis Vilmanis and Eetu Luostarinen. That made it 5-3 and forced Carolina to chase again in the third. The final margin arrived at 17:45 of the third period on Brady Tkachuk’s second goal of the night, an unassisted finish that closed the scoring at 6-3.

The individual stat lines match the flow of the game. Brady Tkachuk finished with two goals and an assist. Barkov had a goal and an assist. Reinhardt scored twice. Mikkola delivered one goal and two assists from the back end. For Carolina, Robidas stood out with a goal and an assist, while Nadeau and Badinka added the other goals. Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 shots for Florida, and Pyotr Kochetkov made 28 saves on 33 credited shots for Carolina.

Our take: Florida owned the margins that usually matter

The Panthers’ most convincing work was not just on the scoreboard. They won more draws, generated more shots and were cleaner with the puck, committing six giveaways to Carolina’s 13. Put those together and Florida gave itself more possessions and fewer self-inflicted problems. When a game turns volatile in the second period, that kind of control matters. It is a big reason the Panthers could absorb Carolina’s rally without losing the rest of the night.

For the Hurricanes, the encouraging part is obvious: they found a way back from 3-1 and got meaningful offense from Robidas and Nadeau. The concern is just as clear. Carolina lost the faceoff battle badly at 40.9 percent, finished with 10 fewer shots and gave the puck away more than twice as often as Florida. If there is a practical place to start improving from this result, it is there. Cleaner exits and stronger work on draws would give a team like Carolina more chances to spend time attacking instead of recovering.

Florida still has a few loose edges inside a good result. A team that leads 3-1 and then allows two goals in 71 seconds has something to clean up, even after scoring six. The Panthers also took six penalties, the same total as Carolina, and each side converted once on four power-play chances. So this was not a flawless night. But it was a persuasive one. Florida had more contributors, won more of the little battles reflected in the stat sheet and, most importantly, answered the game’s turning point faster and harder than Carolina did. That is what made the 6-3 final feel earned rather than accidental.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 6:04

   Dominik Badinka Goal (1) Backhand, assists: Gleb Trikozov (1)

2. 1st · 12:02

   Brady Tkachuk Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Matthew Tkachuk (1), Aleksander Barkov (1)

3. 2nd · 2:30

   Aleksander Barkov Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Brady Tkachuk (1), Niko Mikkola (1)

4. 2nd · 4:06

   Cole Reinhardt Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Jack Devine (1), Radko Gudas (1)

5. 2nd · 9:34

   Justin Robidas Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Charlie Cerrato (1), Felix Unger Sorum (1)

6. 2nd · 10:45

   Bradly Nadeau Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Justin Robidas (1), Joel Nystrom (1)

7. 2nd · 12:10

   Cole Reinhardt Goal (2) Tip-In, assists: Niko Mikkola (2)

8. 2nd · 19:07

   Niko Mikkola Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Sandis Vilmanis (1), Eetu Luostarinen (1)

9. 3rd · 17:45

   Brady Tkachuk Goal (2) Wrist Shot, assists: none