Jordan Martinook scored a hat trick for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-1 victory against visiting Florida on Friday night in Raleigh, N.C., in a game marred by an injury to Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo.
Luongo, a veteran goalie in his ninth game of the season, exited with an apparent injury to his left leg. The team later announced he had a lower-body injury and wouldn't return.
Carolina goalie Curtis McElhinney made 34 saves. The Hurricanes, who won their third game in a row, wrapped up a six-game homestand with a 4-1-1 record.
Teuvo Teravainen scored on a third-period power play. Martinook's final goal was an empty-netter with two minutes remaining. Lucas Wallmark assisted on all three Martinook goals, and rookie Andrei Svechnikov added two assists.
Martintook's first goal with 38 seconds left in the opening period also spelled the end of Luongo's outing.
James Reimer replaced Luongo, making 26 saves across the final two-plus periods.
Florida finished a six-game road swing with a 2-4-0 mark despite Troy Brouwer's third-period goal with 5:56 to play.
McElhinney, who was making his third consecutive start after a few weeks of near-inactivity, was denied his first shutout since joining the Hurricanes last month as a waiver pickup from Toronto when Brouwer scored.
Still, McElhinney notched his team-best sixth victory of the season.
Wallmark received the primary assist on Martinook's first goal. Wallmark's shot off a rebound was blocked by Luongo, but Martinook was there to deliver the puck into the net.
Wallmark and Svechnikov set up the second tally for Martinook, who now has seven this season, at the 7:31 mark of the third. Teravainen's power-play goal made it 3-0 just 61 seconds later.
The Hurricanes have entered the second period with a lead for three games in a row.
--Field Level Media
Florida | Carolina | |
Troy Brouwer 1 | Points | Jordan Martinook 3 |
Troy Brouwer 1 | Goals | Jordan Martinook 3 |
Mike Matheson 1 | Assists | Lucas Wallmark 3 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Teuvo Teravainen 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
James Reimer .929 | Save Percentage | Curtis McElhinney .971 |
James Reimer 26 | Saves | Curtis McElhinney 34 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Florida | 35 | 1 | 0-1 | 2-3 | 8 | 27 |
Carolina | 39 | 4 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 4 | 29 |