SUNRISE, Fla. — Jay Bouwmeester and Nathan Horton scored early in the third period to break a tie, and the Florida Panthers beat Carolina 4-2 on Thursday night to snap the Hurricanes’ winning streak at a season-high four games.
David Booth had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, playing at home for the first time after a four-game trip. Gregory Campbell added an empty-net goal.
Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves.
Anton Babchuk and Sergei Samsonov scored for the Hurricanes, who hadn’t allowed more than two goals during their winning streak. Cam Ward, making his seventh consecutive start for Carolina, stopped 26 shots.
Bouwmeester, selected Thursday as a reserve for the NHL All-Star game, broke a 1-1 tie 31 seconds into the third period with his seventh goal of the season — and first in 11 games. His goal came as the result of some beautiful passing by the Panthers. Stephen Weiss fed the puck down low to Cory Stillman at the side of the net and Stillman passed it across the crease to Bouwmeester, who one-timed it past Ward.
Horton scored at 3:26, one-timing Booth’s pass across the goalmouth.
Samsonov pulled the Hurricanes to 3-2 at 15:15. He tipped in Eric Staal’s pass across the crease into an open net.
Booth opened the scoring at 14:15 of the first period with his fifth goal in his last seven games. After Ward stopped Jassen Cullimore’s wrist shot from the point, Booth put home the rebound with a backhander.
Babchuk tied it at 17:50, beating Vokoun with a wrist shot to the blocker side.
Neither team scored in the second period, but Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu hit the post with a wrist shot from the slot.
Notes: Carolina D Tim Gleason left the ice midway through the
third period with an injury to his lower-left leg. He was injured when he was checked into the boards by Campbell. … With his goal, Booth extended his career-high points streak to seven games. … Florida didn t get a shot on goal in the first 5 minutes of the game. … Babchuk’s goal was the career-high fourth of the season for the four-year veteran. … The teams have split their four meetings so far this season, with the home team winning every time.
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