Hurricanes Unleash Offensive Barrage, Ehlers Nets Hat Trick in 9-1 Rout of Panthers
If there was any lingering frustration from their previous two meetings with Florida, the Carolina Hurricanes let it all out on home ice. In a game that started with a slow burn and ended in a full-on offensive explosion, the Canes delivered their most lopsided win of the season - a 9-1 dismantling of the Panthers - with left wing Nikolaj Ehlers leading the charge with a hat trick.
This was the third matchup of the season between Carolina and Florida, and the stakes felt personal. The Hurricanes had dropped the first two contests despite holding multi-goal leads in both.
On this night at Lenovo Center, they weren’t about to let history repeat itself. Instead, they flipped the script - and then some.
A Measured Start, Then the Floodgates Open
The first period was a chess match for nearly 19 minutes. Both teams were feeling each other out, trading chances but keeping things tight.
That changed when captain Jordan Staal threaded a pass through traffic in front of the net, setting up Ehlers for the opening goal. It was a textbook finish - Ehlers crashing the crease and cashing in - and it set the tone for what was to come.
Florida responded quickly in the second. Just a minute in, the Panthers capitalized on a Canes line change, catching Carolina off guard and pushing the puck in transition. Defenseman Uvis Balinskis finished the rush, with assists from Mackie Samoskevich and Sandis Vilmanis, knotting the game at 1-1.
But Carolina didn’t blink. Mark Jankowski regained the lead with a slick wraparound goal, thanks to some clean puck movement from Alexander Nikishin and Mike Reilly.
Then Nikishin decided to take matters into his own hands - literally. On the power play, he fired a low laser from the right side that zipped past three Panthers and beat Sergei Bobrovsky clean.
Just like that, it was 3-1, and the Canes were rolling.
“We always work together and just stick to each other and played a physical night tonight,” Nikishin said postgame. “If you had an opportunity, we would score.” And score they did.
Tempers Flare, Hurricanes Keep Scoring
As the second period came to a close, tensions boiled over. Jalen Chatfield and Sam Bennett got tangled up behind the play, trading shots and words. Both were hit with two-minute minors, but Bennett also picked up a 10-minute misconduct - a reflection of the growing frustration on Florida’s bench.
That chippy energy spilled into the third. Just two minutes in, Jordan Martinook took a stick to the face, drawing a penalty.
Carolina wasted no time making it count. On the ensuing power play, Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Seth Jarvis formed a tight triangle near the crease, working the puck with surgical precision before Svechnikov buried it to make it 4-1.
The Panthers tried to push back, but nothing was going their way. Midway through the period, Eetu Luostarinen tried to jam one past Canes goalie Brandon Bussi, who stood tall.
What followed was a bizarre sequence - Luostarinen, clearly frustrated, skated into Bussi and yanked his stick away, tossing it behind him hard enough to knock the netminder off his skates. The referees quickly diffused the situation, but not before the home crowd erupted with chants of “Bussi!
Bussi!” in support of their goalie.
Ehlers Steals the Spotlight
From that point on, it was the Ehlers Show. On yet another power play, with Florida down to three skaters, Ehlers unleashed a rocket from the right side that found twine for his second goal of the night. The Canes were now up 5-1, and the rout was officially on.
Just two minutes later, Ehlers completed his hat trick - the sixth of his career, but his first in a Hurricanes sweater. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake created the turnover and fed Ehlers, who buried it with authority. The Lenovo Center crowd responded in kind, showering the ice with hats in celebration.
But Carolina wasn’t done.
Hall, Robinson Add the Finishing Touches
Taylor Hall added two goals of his own, joining Ehlers as a multi-goal scorer on the night. And Eric Robinson put the final stamp on the evening, scoring the ninth and final goal to cap off a dominant performance.
This wasn’t just a win - it was a statement. After letting two earlier games against Florida slip away, the Hurricanes sent a clear message: they’re not just a team that can build leads - they can bury you with them.
From the top line to the bottom pairing, from special teams to goaltending, this was as complete a performance as Carolina has put together all season. And with the way the offense clicked - especially on the power play - it’s the kind of showing that could spark a serious second-half surge.
For now, though, the Canes will enjoy this one. A nine-goal night, a hat trick from a rising star, and a home crowd that never stopped roaring - this was Carolina hockey at its finest.