Canes lose season-best four-game win streak with subpar third

WERE YOU THERE?

Did you attend this game? If so, start chronicling your sports memories today with ESPN's Sports Passport. Enter the games you attend, upload your photos and share your memories! I was there »

Game Information

Arena: BankAtlantic Center Location: Sunrise, Florida

Referees: Marc Joannette, Don Koharski Linesmen: Derek Amell, Brian Murphy

Attendance: 10,323 (53.6% full)

Team Stat Comparison
236	Goals	231
221	Goals Against	223
70	Power Play Goals	51
59	Power Play Goals Allowed	54
8	Shorthanded Goals	7
9	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	9
802	Penalty Minutes	900
10	Average Penalty Minutes	11

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			CAR	FLA
14:15		David Booth Assists: Richard Zednik, Jassen Cullimore	0	1
17:50		Anton Babchuk Assists: Matt Cullen, Scott Walker	1	1
2ND PERIOD			CAR	FLA
No scoring this period			1	1
3RD PERIOD			CAR	FLA
0:31		Jay Bouwmeester (Power Play) Assists: Cory Stillman, Stephen Weiss	1	2
3:26		Nathan Horton Assists: David Booth	1	3
15:15		Sergei Samsonov Assists: Eric Staal, Tuomo Ruutu	2	3
19:24		Gregory Campbell (Empty net) Assists: Ville Peltonen	2	4

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jay Bouwmeester found the perfect way to celebrate an All-Star selection.

Hours after being picked as a reserve for the Eastern Conference team, the defenseman broke a tie 31 seconds into the third period to help the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Thursday night.

Fast Facts

• After failing to get points in three of four games, the Panthers have now registered at least a point in four straight.

• Cam Ward lost for the third time since Dec. 13.

• Thomas Vokoun has now won two straight starts after losing five of his previous seven.

• Sergei Samsonov has seven points in his last five games.

-- ESPN research

"Nice way to finish off a pretty good day," Bouwmeester said.

Nathan Horton and David Booth also scored for the Panthers, who returned home from a four-game trip. Booth also had an assist and Gregory Campbell added an empty-net goal, snapping Carolina's winning streak at a season-high four games.

Booth has five goals and six assists during a career-best seven-game point streak.

"You never want to be satisfied with how you are playing," Booth said. "In this league, you have to keep getting stronger and working harder if you want to be successful."

Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun made 31 saves.

Anton Babchuk and Sergei Samsonov scored for the Hurricanes, who didn't allow more than two goals during their winning streak.

Cam Ward, making his seventh consecutive start for Carolina, stopped 27 shots.

"He's been good and solid all the way straight through," Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "We didn't give him a chance to be the difference in the game. I think we asked him too much tonight."

Bouwmeester's goal, his seventh of the season and first in 11 games, 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 he passed it across the crease to Bouwmeester, who one-timed it past Ward.

"We missed a guy," Maurice said. "Our guys have got to have him backdoor, but they still made a good play on it."

Horton increased the lead to 3-1 at 3:26, one-timing Booth's pass across the goalmouth.

"I wasn't sure how much gas was left in the tank in that third period, but the guys came out focused and found a way to get it done," Florida coach Pete DeBoer said. "I thought it was one of our most solid 20 minutes this season."

Samsonov pulled the Hurricanes to 3-2 at 15:15. He tipped in Eric Staal's pass across the crease into an open net.

"I don't think we were that bad," Staal said. "We kept it a close game for a while, but then we gave up the power-play goal and it built up momentum for them. We tried to battle back, but it wasn't quite enough."

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. It was the defenseman's third goal in his last six games.

"He's jumping in," Maurice said. "He's certainly got the confidence."

Neither team scored in the second period, but Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu hit the post with a wrist shot from the slot.

"It was an unusual game," Maurice said. "It was a really tightly played game, but it wasn't necessarily physically contested. It was a strange night at the rink."

Game 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. Maurice said Gleason likely would undergo an MRI on Friday. ... 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.