SUNRISE
Youth Mikko Koivu Jersey , Fla. (AP) The Florida Panthers preserved their playoff hopes thanks to much of their offense coming from unlikely
sources.Alexander Petrovic scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period to
lift the Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday
night.Evgenii Dadonov and MacKenzie Weegar also scored to help the Panthers snap
a three-game skid and pull five points behind idle New Jersey for the second
wild card in the Eastern Conference. Florida has four games remaining, one more
than the Devils. Roberto Luongo stopped 26 shots.Petrovic and Weegar entered the
game with one goal each on the season.”It doesn’t come too often, but everyone
chips in a certain way and tonight we just found a way to get the two points,”
Petrovic said. ”Just keeping this thing alive.”On the go-ahead goal, Petrovic
shot from the boards above the right circle and beat Darling with 7:58 left for
his first goal since Feb. 14 against Vancouver. His second goal of the season
couldn’t have come at a better time.The Panthers host the Nashville Predators on
Tuesday night.”We needed tonight’s win at all costs,” Luongo said. ”We got the
job done, now we’ve got to get some rest tonight and another big game
tomorrow.”Derek Ryan and Trevor van Riemsdyk scored for Carolina, and Scott
Darling finished with 32 saves.”They knew they needed two points tonight and
they were going for it,” van Riemsdyk said. ”They were desperate, and they found
a way.”Carolina had tied it 2-2 with 6:12 left in the second it caught Florida
on a line change
Ryan Suter Jersey , and Ryan backhanded the puck past Luongo for his 15th.The Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night and could have
played the spoiler role.”More than trying to ruin their season it’s us playing
for pride for each other. That’s more important for me,” Ryan said. ”They dug
deep when the pressure was on.”The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead on a goal by van
Riemsdyk 3:44 in. Luongo blocked a shot from in front by Brock McGinn but van
Riemsdyk slapped in the rebound for his third.The Panthers answered 19 seconds
later when Weegar’s shot from the right circle went over Darling’s glove for his
second of the season. Weegar’s last goal was on Oct. 20 against
Pittsburgh.”We’ve got to respond after they score, and we did just that. I’m
happy I could contribute. It’s been a long time,” Weegar said.Dadonov gave the
Panthers ahead 2-1 on a power-play goal with 9.1 seconds left in the first.
Aleksander Barkov passed over to Dadonov in the slot and he flipped the puck off
Darling’s leg for his 27th.NOTES: Barkov’s assist on Dadonov’s goal was his
50th, becoming the first Panthers player to hit that mark since Olli Jokinen had
52 in the 2006-07 season. … Panthers forwards Frank Vatrano and Denis Malgin
returned after missing the previous game with injuries.Carolina recalled D
Roland McKeown from AHL Charlotte on Sunday.UP NEXT:Hurricanes: At Philadelphia
on Thursday night.Panthers: Host Nashville on Tuesday night. Frustration over
losing is no excuse for refusing to wear a silver medal around your neck, the
International Ice Hockey Federation ruled Wednesday.The IIHF issued multi-game
suspensions for five players and three coaches of Sweden’s national team for
pocketing or tossing their silver medals into the stands during the closing
ceremony of the world junior championships in January. The actions occurred
immediately following Sweden’s 3-1 loss to Canada in the gold-medal game at the
10-nation tournament held in Buffalo, New York.”The players have, by their
actions, shown a lack of self-control,” the IIHF said. ”Taking off the silver
medals presented to the players shows not only the disrespect against the
spectators and the organizers of the championship
Tyler Ennis Jersey , but also the disrespect against their opponents and winners of the championship.”The Swedes violated an IIHF rule requiring players
and team officials to wear medals around their necks during the closing ceremony
and postgame media availabilities.Captain Lias Andersson faced the most severe
discipline in being issued a four-game ban from next year’s world juniors. Upon
being presented his medal, Andersson skated away and immediately tossed it over
the glass to a fan.”I didn’t want it. That guy in the stands wanted it more than
me,” Andersson said, noting he has another silver medal just like it back home
after losing the Under-18 championship.He said it made little difference the
medal was eventually returned to him.”I’m just going to have it at home in some
box or something,” Andersson said.Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, projected to be the
No. 1 pick in the NHL draft in June, was suspended from playing the first two
games of the Under-18 world championship next year. The ban does not apply to
any other league.Forwards Axel Jonsson and Jesper Boqvist and goalie Olle
Eriksson Ek were suspended from playing the first two games at the world juniors
next year.Head coach Tomas Monten was issued a three-game ban from next year’s
world juniors for putting the silver medal into his pocket during the ceremony.
Assistants Nizze Landen and Henrik Stridh were handed two-game
suspensions.”Losing a game is part of any competition and of the sport of ice
hockey, and does not excuse any unfair and unsportsmanlike behavior,” the IIHF
ruled. ”To be `frustrated’ by the loss of a game is not the right attitude.”The
players and coaches have three weeks to appeal the rulings.
