Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Box Score on Mar 07, 2021

Sebastian Aho tallied a short-handed goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes won their fifth consecutive game with a 4-2 victory Sunday over the Florida Panthers in Raleigh, N.C.

Vincent Trocheck netted his team-leading 13th goal, and Nino Niederreiter and Warren Foegele each added markers for the Hurricanes, who are 12-2-2 against Florida since 2016-17. James Reimer (11-3-0) yielded two goals on 23 shots.

Carolina was victorious for the third time in four games (3-0-1) against its former Southeast Division foe, but Sunday was its first win in regulation.

The Hurricanes benefited from strong play on the special teams -- scoring on 1 of 5 power plays, killing all five penalties and getting Aho's shorty as well.

Jake Gardiner returned to Carolina's rear guard after missing five games. Following his return Thursday for one match after a seven-game absence, winger Teuvo Teravainen was out of the lineup again.

MacKenzie Weegar and Mason Marchment notched goals, and Chris Driedger stopped 22 of 26 shots for Florida, which played its third game in four days and lost for just the fifth time in regulation (15-5-4).

The NHL's current iron man with 890 consecutive games played, Florida defenseman Keith Yandle skated in his 1,000th career contest.

Facing Florida for the third time in nine days, Carolina took a lead when Trocheck -- traded by the Panthers to the Hurricanes last February -- scored just eight seconds into the home side's second power play at 15:55.

A seven-year veteran with the Panthers after being drafted by Florida in 2011, Trocheck tallied for the fourth time this season against his old team.

Martin Necas led a rush early in the second and fed a pass into the left circle to Niederreiter, and the Swiss winger popped in his 11th for a 2-0 lead at 4:52.

Midway through the frame, Florida's Noel Acciari, who notched his third career hat trick Saturday in Nashville, won a faceoff back to Weegar, who ripped his second goal to draw it to 2-1.

Reimer -- also a former Panther -- stuffed Jonathan Huberdeau from 12 feet away with four seconds left after a fluky bounce wound up on the left winger's stick by himself in front of the crease.

In the third period, Aho scored his ninth on Carolina's penalty kill, and Foegele added his fifth. Marchment added his second for the final margin.

--Field Level Media