Panthers 2, Hurricanes 0
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Defenseman Willie Mitchell's first goal of the season broke a scoreless tie in the third period and the Florida Panthers went on to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Friday night at PNC Arena.
Goalie Roberto Luongo stopped 24 shots, recording his 70th career shutout and his second against Carolina.
Right winger Reilly Smith's empty-net goal came with 21 seconds to play, giving him a team-leading 11 goals for the season.
The Panthers (17-12-4) are 8-2-0 in their last 10 road games and won their third in a row overall.
Goalie Cam Ward made 16 saves for the Hurricanes (12-15-5).
Mitchell hadn't scored since last April 2, also against Carolina. He has played in all 33 Florida games this season.
Centers Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov assisted on the goal. Mitchell received a pass from Huberdeau and seemed to surprise Ward with the shot just 4:09 into the third period.
It was Florida's second shutout of the season. Luongo blanked Tampa Bay on Nov. 16.
The Hurricanes were shut out for the third time this season, but for the first time at home. They were coming off a four-game road trip when they posted 18 goals.
The game was scoreless through two periods without many scoring chances. Both teams had five shots on goal in the first period. It took the Panthers nearly five minutes into the second period before they registered another shot.
NOTES: With three goals in two of the previous three games, Hurricanes C Jeff Skinner was tied for the NHL lead with two hat tricks. ... The Hurricanes were coming off a 2-1-1 road trip. ... Florida rookie LW Connor Brickley, who scored his only career NHL goal in this building on Oct. 13, was back in the lineup after a one-game absence. ... Panthers LW Jussi Jokinen, a former Carolina player, entered the game with a team-leading 11 points on the road this season. ... The teams won't meet again until April 9 in Florida for their third and final matchup of the season. ... The Panthers wrapped up a four-game road stretch. They begin a six-game homestand on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks. ... The Hurricanes play their lone road game during a four-game stretch on Saturday at Pittsburgh.