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BOX SCORE
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- It's big news when the Florida Panthers
blow a third-period lead. It's even bigger news when the Carolina
Hurricanes win an overtime game.
|  | | Nolan Pratt beats the Panthers with his first goal of the season. |
Nolan Pratt's first goal of the season 27 seconds into the extra period gave the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Panthers on
Sunday night.
The Southeast Division-leading Panthers lost for the first time
in 16 tries when leading after two periods, while the Hurricanes
snapped their three-game losing streak and won in OT for the first
time in almost a year.
"It was almost a light feeling on the bench tonight," said
coach Paul Maurice of his club, which had lost six of seven.
The Panthers had won 14 straight when leading after two periods, but squandered a 3-1 lead Wednesday against Atlanta for a 3-3 tie and then saw Pratt's goal beat them this time.
"The puck is finding its way into the net right now," Florida
coach Terry Murray said. "Whether it's breakdowns as the other
team attacks through the neutral zone, or down-low play. We're
going to have to tighten that thing up and play better and get
those points that are there."
Pratt, a defenseman, scored from in close after taking a pass
from Jeff O'Neill to give the Hurricanes their first overtime victory in 21 tries dating to Jan. 28.
"For a guy who doesn't get a whole lot of chances it's good to see him be a hero," Maurice said of Pratt, who had just one goal in 93 games entering this season.
Ray Whitney scored his 15th goal with 10:53 left on a perfect pass from Pavel Bure to tie it 3-3, but Carolina's win extended its
unbeaten streak to seven (3-0-4) against the Panthers.
A goal two minutes before Whitney's by Martin Gelinas gave the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead early in the third. But the dangerous Bure
broke in on goaltender Arturs Irbe, drew the defense, then slid a
pass over to a wide open Whitney, who buried the shot.
A pair of second-period goals six minutes apart by Mark Parrish had the Panthers on top before Ron Francis netted his ninth early
in the third to tie it at 2-2 and give the slumping Hurricanes some
momentum.
Carolina held the red-hot Bure without a goal, but couldn't shut
down Parrish, whose 10th goal of the season 7:18 into the second
period tied the score 1-1.
The second-year player then one-timed one past Irbe six minutes
later on a perfect cross-ice pass from Radek Dvorak for a 2-1 lead.
Carolina, tops in the NHL in home penalty killing, broke on top
1-0 when Tommy Westlund stripped Oleg Kvasha of the puck in the
neutral zone and scored his second of the season.
Irbe saved the game with two minutes left in regulation when he
raced 25 feet out of his net to stick the puck away from Bure, who
was on a breakaway.
"It has been tough for us and tough for me personally," said
Irbe, who has been mediocre during the team's recent slump. "The
win was big, it was huge. This is the first step in the right
direction, getting a win and making some big saves when we needed
them."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
Carolina Clubhouse
RECAPS
New Jersey 3
NY Rangers 3
Anaheim 1
San Jose 0
Carolina 4
Florida 3
Atlanta 6
Tampa Bay 3
Pittsburgh 4
Chicago 2
Nashville 3
St. Louis 2
Calgary 2
Vancouver 0
Phoenix 3
Los Angeles 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Nolan Pratt gets his first goal of the season in OT.
avi: 839 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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