Ehlers' hat trick leads an offensive masterpiece as the Hurricanes handle the Cats

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers collided for the third and final time this season at the Lenovo Center. The Canes blew multi-goal leads in both previous games, allowing eight combined goals in a pair of third periods. The group enters on a two-game losing streak after being shut out by the Blues on Tuesday night.

The lineup saw a few big omissions, with William Carrier and Shayne Gostisbehere both out with injuries. Brandon Bussi was back between the pipes after taking the loss in St. Louis. The Panthers were also without a few big names. Matthew Tkachuk still wasn't ready to go, while Brad Marchand and Seth Jones were also out. Sergei Bobrovsky was manning the net for the Cats.

After Florida got a few early chances, the Hurricanes assumed control of a fast-moving opening frame. The Staal line was the team's best, generating a ton of beautiful chances. Eventually, they got one to go. The captain won a battle along the boards and made a sweet pass to Nikolaj Ehlers as he skated through the slot. Ehlers didn't miss, staking the Canes to an early 1-0 lead.

The Panthers tied it up early in the second when Uvis Balinskis stepped into one. However, the Canes responded nicely. Mark Jankowski won a draw and got to the front of the net, putting him in a perfect spot to deposit a rebound past Bobrovsky. Late in the frame, on the power play, Alexander Nikishin stepped into one that the netminder never saw, extending the lead to two after 40.

The third period was absolutely insane. The path to the penalty box was getting worn. Early in the frame, Andrei Svechnikov recorded his 400th point, popping out to score on the power play. The Canes kept growing the lead on the man advantage. Ehlers and Taylor Hall scored 21 seconds apart on a 5-on-3 and 5-on-4, respectively, to put the game away.

However, the Hurricanes had plenty they needed to get off their chest. Ehlers finished his sixth career hat trick with a one-timer to kick the extra point, making it 7-1. That still wasn't enough. Hall buried one alone with Bobrovsky, and Eric Robinson joined the fun 12 seconds later, making it nine goals in a lopsided romp. The Canes let out some frustration tonight, winning 9-1.

This was a statement by the Carolina Hurricanes

The Panthers were playing without a ton of regulars because of injuries. Listen to me when I tell you that I do not care. This was complete and utter domination by the Carolina Hurricanes, and I mean that in every sense of the word. They doubled Florida's shot total. They scored nine of the game's ten goals. Eight of them were unanswered after Florida tied the game. This was a big-time performance.

All 12 forwards on the ice recorded a point. Eight of them had multiple points, and Alexander Nikishin made nine. Nikolaj Ehlers led the way with four, three of which were goals. Mark Jankowski had three. Nikishin, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Taylor Hall, Andrei Svechnikov, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven all had two each.

I do not doubt that the Hurricanes knew where they were at the end of the second period, especially when the Panthers tried to muck it up at the horn. They didn't fall into the trap. The Canes were physical when they needed to be, and they laid some thunderous hits. They played their game, and they never let up. This was a fun one to watch.

The special teams get it done on both ends

If you need a better indication of just how dominant the Canes were tonight, look no further than the special teams' battle. Each team had five chances on the power play. Florida didn't score. Carolina scored four times. Three of them came in the third period in just over seven minutes, putting the game out of reach, but Nikishin's goal late in the second was arguably the biggest.

When the penalties started to control the game in the third period, the penalty kill stepped its game up, too. They never gave the Panthers good looks to do anything dangerous. The kill was a perfect 3-for-3 over the final 20 minutes. Jaccob Slavin was a big part of it, standing up the Panthers at the blue line and showing us all why his presence was sorely missed.

Additional Thoughts

Brandon Bussi feels like a complete afterthought in all of this, but he played an integral role in this game's outcome. Shortly after the Panthers tied it in the second, Bussi robbed Carter Verhaeghe. It easily could've been 2-1 there. Instead, the game remained knotted at one, allowing the Canes to take over. Bussi finished with 15 stops on 16 shots, earning his 17th win of the season.

This win might not seem like a big deal, but it really was. The Hurricanes needed this one to prove to everyone that they have what it takes. Sure, Florida was playing without some of its most impactful players. That might discredit it a little, but they not only matched Florida's desperation. They far exceeded it. They refused to be satisfied with where the game was. That's why they won, 9-1.

Up Next: The Carolina Hurricanes will be right back at it tomorrow night, flying to New Jersey to face another team on the outside of the playoff picture. It's their second trip to Newark in 13 days. Next week, the Canes welcome the red-hot Buffalo Sabres to town for an MLK Jr. Day afternoon tilt. After another two-day break, they'll host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.