Hurricanes top Panthers 3-0 behind Nedeljkovic to take first place in Central Division

The Carolina Hurricanes played the Florida Panthers again Thursday, which means Vincent Trocheck scored again.

That’s the way it has gone this season. The Panthers traded Trocheck to the Canes last year, deeming him expendable, and the center has made his former team pay each time the teams have faced off this season in the Central Division — six games after Thursday.

Trocheck has scored in each game and did it again Thursday as the Canes topped the Panthers 3-0 to move into first place in the Central with 57 points, one point ahead of Florida and Tampa Bay. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic earned his ninth win of the season and his third shutout, finishing with 24 saves for the Canes (27-9-3).

Trocheck and Martin Necas each finished with a goal and assist, Trocheck setting up Sebastian Aho for a power-play blast in the first period that gave the Canes a 1-0 lead.

Trocheck then made it 2-0 in the second with a goal that had everyone at PNC Arena shaking their heads. Trocheck’s shot from a sharp angle glanced off the post, the puck bounding up in the air as the players tried to find it. It hit goalie Chris Driedger on the back as it fell, tumbling into the net.

Trocheck has mostly shrugged off his success this season against the Panthers, saying he simply has scored some “greasy” goals. This one, his 16th of the season, was definitely greasy.

It was another intense, tightly contested game between the Canes and Panthers (26-11-4), with open ice hard to find. Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, with the last change at home, had Jordan Staal’s line much of the night out against the Aleksander Barkov line — Barkov scored twice Tuesday in the Panthers’ 5-2 loss.

Panthers coach Joel Quenneville made a change in the third, moving Jonathan Huberdeau on to Barkov’s line, loading up, looking for more punch.

Nedeljkovic faced six shots in the first period and eight in the second as the Canes limited the Panthers’ chances. At a time when Brind’Amour is mulling over the use of three goalies — Nedeljkovic, Petr Mrazek and James Reimer — Nedeljkovic again was cool and steady in the net, even as Patric Hornqvist and others for the Panthers crowded the crease.

Second period: Trocheck scores

If the Canes are playing the Panthers, Vincent Trocheck is scoring. He did again Thursday, giving the Canes a 2-0 lead after the second period.

Talk about getting the bounces. Trocheck got off a tight-angle shot, the puck glancing off the post and bouncing up in the air. It landed on the shoulder and back of goalie Chris Driedger as a few players swatted at it and fell into the net at 6:35 of the period.

Trocheck, who assisted on a Sebastian Aho power-play goal in the first, now has scored six goals in six games this season against the team that traded him to Carolina last year. It was his 16th goal of the season as Martin Necas earned an assist for his first point in six games.

Canes goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has faced 14 shots in the first two periods. The Canes have 16.

First period: Aho gives Canes lead

Sebastian Aho’s power-play goal has given the Canes a 1-0 lead after the first period and given the center his 300th career point.

Aho scored at 14:31 of the first on a one-timer from the right circle on a setup pass from Vincent Trocheck, who continues to sting the team that traded him last year. That came after Jordan Staal began the power play by winning the draw. Total elapsed time: seven seconds.

Aho, who scored his 16th of the season, helped force the penalty on the Panthers with a rush into the zone. Jesper Fast followed Aho to the net and was hooked.

The Canes killed off a Brady Skjei hooking penalty earlier in the period and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic stopped a shorthanded shot by the Panthers on an earlier Canes power play.

The Panthers had six shots in the opening period and the Canes nine.

Game setup

After giving goalie Petr Mrazek two consecutive starts, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour will have a different starter Thursday against Florida — Alex Nedeljkovic.

Brind’Amour wanted to get Mrazek some quick work once the goalie was ruled ready to return from a thumb injury that had kept him out since late January. He made his first start against the Dallas Stars, coming away with a 1-0 shutout, and then was back in net Tuesday against the Panthers in a 5-2 win.

Then, the interesting part. With Mrazek back, the Canes have three goalies on the roster. Veteran James Reimer has played 19 games and has a 14-4-1 record this season and Nedeljkovic has played 14 games and has an 8-4-2 record.

So who would get the nod Thursday? Nedeljkovic was in the starter’s crease for the morning skate and Mrazek also on the ice. Reimer, who last played April 1 against Chicago, again will be a healthy scratch.

“How do you keep them sharp? I don’t know if rotating three keeps them all sharp,” Brind’Amour said Thursday morning. “You’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right things to win the games and keep sharp.

“Does that mean we have to double up one guy? That’s the conversation. How do we keep them sharp, who needs to start? We’ve got three guys that we obviously have faith in, and we’re going at it day by day.”

Brind’Amour has shown some irritation in recent days when asked how he would handle a three-goalie situation. His answer: The Canes have three good options.

The lineup

With forward Brock McGinn still sidelined with an upper-body injury, the Canes will have the same lineup from Tuesday, with no line or defensive changes.

The game against the Panthers will be the sixth this season — the Canes are 4-0-1 against a team they’re battling at the top of the Central Division along with Tampa Bay.

“The toughest now is that we’re playing almost every other day, and it’s about being mentally sharp for each game,” forward Warren Foegele said Thursday. “Especially with this last month of the season left, every point is crucial, so I think it’s preparing for every game and we need these points.”

Panthers trade

The Panthers had a trade Thursday with the Chicago Blackhawks and two players involved have Canes connections.

The Panthers acquired center Lucas Wallmark and defenseman Lucas Carlsson in exchange for defenseman Riley Stillman forward Brett Connolly, the restricted free agent rights to forward Henrik Borgstrom and a 2021 seventh-round draft pick.

Wallmark played for the Canes until traded last year at the deadline to the Panthers, who later sent him to Chicago. Stillman is the son of former Canes forward Cory Stillman, now an assistant coach at Arizona. Riley Stillman played Tuesday against the Canes.