News & Observer | newsobserver.com | 2008 NCAA Men's Bracket

SUNRISE, Fla. — With a certain college football game between the Florida Gators and Oklahoma going on just down the road Thursday night, not many locals took much interest in a hockey game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.

The local Panthers telecast was canceled — a why-bother kind of move. There were thousands of empty seats in the BankAtlantic Center.

What thousands missed was the Panthers using an early third-period surge to take a 4-2 victory, getting goals from Jay Bouwmeester and Nathan Horton in the opening 3 1-2 minutes of the period to put an end to Carolina's season-best four-game winning streak.

The Canes, playing the first of three road games, got a first-period goal from defenseman Anton Babchuk and another from Sergei Samsonov with 4:45 left in the game that made it a one-goal game. But Carolina couldn't force overtime, couldn't squeeze out a point as the Panthers added late empty-net goal from Gregory Campbell.

The Hurricanes also lost defenseman Tim Gleason in the third period with a leg injury. Gleason was hurt in a collision along the boards with Campbell with 12:56 left in the game and had to be helped from the ice. 

After the two teams went nearly two periods without a penalty, the Panthers took a 2-1 lead on the game's first power play. The Canes' Ray Whitney was called for hooking with 1:03 left in the second period, and Florida broke through 31 seconds into the third.

Bouwmeester got the goal but Cory Stillman, the former Hurricanes forward, did was he often did so well for Carolina — make the perfect setup pass. Stillman, controlled the puck to goalie Cam Ward's left, then found Bouwmeester slipping in backdoor.

Less than three minutes later, it was 3-1, Panthers. David Booth, who scored the Panthers' first goal and was an offensive threat much of the game, led a rush down the ice and zipped a pass through the crease to Nathan Horton on the backside for another goal. 

The Panthers appeared to be gliding to an easy victory until Samsonov beat Vokoun on a pass from Eric Staal, who earlier in the day was named to the Eastern Conference team for the All-Star Game.  

Neither team was particularly sharp in the first period, which ended in
a 1-1 tie. It was punch, counterpunch, but with not a lot on the
punches.

The Panthers, outshot most of the first, finally broke to a 1-0 lead
at 14:15 when Booth poked the puck past Ward, who was
making his seventh straight start. It was a team-leading 17th goal for
Booth.

But Babchuk, who had unloaded a few long blasts,
found a way to beat the Panthers' Tomas Vokoun. Pinching in and taking
a sharp circle-to-circle pass from Matt Cullen, he whipped in a quick
shot gloveside.

It was Babchuk's fourth goal of the season but his third in the last six games. He now has points in five of the six.

Maybe it was a lack of aggressiveness by each team, maybe it was
clean play, but there was not a penalty called until Whitney's hooking call.

The Panthers outshot the Canes 13-8 in the second period, but Carolina
nearly took the lead seven minutes into the period. Tuomo Ruutu, who
had the winning goal Tuesday in the 3-2 victory over the New Jersey
Devils, rattled the post with a hard shot.

The Canes no longer have a winning streak and their next game is in Boston, against the Bruins. For Carolina, it won't get any easier.

Turning point

Nathan Horton's goal at 3:26 of the third period, on a perfect pass from David Booth, gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead.

Burning question

The Hurricanes lost defenseman Tim Gleason to a leg injury in the third period. How serious is the injury?

Number to know

4. The number of goals scored by the Panthers. The Canes had allowed six in the four-game win streak. 

Three stars

1. David Booth, Florida. Goal and an assist for versatile forward.

2. Jay Bouwmeester, Florida. Goal and another solid defensive game for All-Star.

3. Sergei Samsonov, Carolina. Hard-working winger has four goals in last five games.