Huberdeau, Dreidger lift Panthers to 4-2 win over Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist in the third period, Chris Dreidger stopped 42 shots, and the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 Saturday night.

Brian Boyle, Evgenii Dadanov, and Noel Acciari also scored for the Panthers, who won their third straight. Driedger won for the second time in three starts this season.

Nino Niederreiter and Lucas Wallmark scored for Carolina, which lost in regulation for the first time in eight games. Petr Mrazek finished with 18 saves.

Boyle tipped in Aaron Ekblad’s shot on a power play with 8:26 left in the second period to extend the Panthers’ lead to 2-0.

He set up Dadanov at 7:07 in the first period for the Panthers’ first goal after a turnover by Carolina defenseman Jake Gardiner led to a breakaway.

The Hurricanes returned home after a 5-0-1 road trip against Western Conference teams. They had 13 goals in the past three games.

Carolina swarmed Driedger in the opening minutes of the game but the Panthers’ backup goalie stopped all 13 shots he faced in the opening period, including a key save on Warren Foegele.

The Panthers were on the road for the first time since Nov. 27. They went 5-4-0 during a franchise-record nine-game homestand.

Huberdeau scored 26 seconds into the third period to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Niederreiter tipped in a shot to cut Florida’s lead to 3-1 at 9:16 of the third but Acciari, with an assist from Huberdeau, answered 1:25 later.

The Hurricanes pulled within two again on a power-play goal by Wallmark, assisted by Niederreiter, with 7:01 left.

NOTES: Hurricanes C Erik Haula returned to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 16. He had missed 19 of the previous 21 games with a knee injury. Haula opened the season with seven goals in the first nine games but only has one since. … The win snaps a five-game losing streak to the Hurricanes for the Panthers. Carolina has a 9-2-1 record against the Panthers in the past 12 meetings. … Acciari has seven goals in the past three games for the Panthers.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: At Toronto on Monday night.

Panthers: At Tampa Bay on Monday night.