"'Twas the Game Before Christmas 2": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 36: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers

With Christmas quickly approaching, the Carolina Hurricanes sought revenge against the Panthers once more. Last Friday night, it was about avenging their conference finals loss from May. This time, they're trying to get the Panthers back for some blatantly dirty plays from that game as they erased a 3-0 deficit to beat the Canes in a shootout and halt their winning streak. The change of venue should bring a change in atmosphere for the group, getting the Caniacs on their side for this pre-Christmas bout. Santa Clause might want to avert his eyes because there was certain to be some naughty behavior on the ice in Raleigh tonight.

Scoring Summary
1st Period
CAR (4:11)- Eric Robinson (8) (Sebastian Aho (19) & Joel Nystrom (5))
2nd Period
CAR (1:58)- Andrei Svechnikov (9) (Jordan Staal (6))
3rd Period
FLA (3:53)- Niko Mikkola (1) (Eetu Luostarinen (11) & Sam Reinhart (17)) 
FLA (6:17)- Luke Kunin (2) (Noah Gregor (2) & Aaron Ekblad (11))
FLA (7:00)- Anton Lundell (12) (Sam Reinhart (18) & Eetu Luostarinen (12))
FLA (9:57)- Sam Bennett (13) (AJ Greer (8) & Aaron Ekblad (12))
FLA (15:21-PP)- Seth Jones (6) (Sam Reinhart (19) & Brad Marchand (21))

My Thoughts
'Twas the game before Christmas, and all through the crowd
The fans inside Lenovo were ready to be loud
The Canes took the ice hoping for a change in luck
For their last two outcomes had us all saying "yuck"

In Sunrise and Tampa, the team couldn't hold leads
Doubt was creeping in as the Panthers planted seeds
But, back home in Raleigh, their fortunes could change
So long as they played well, and nothing was strange

Their start was on time, like a team on a mission
Robby got one through on a goal in transition
He's been on a heater in his last three games
With points in all three, as he hits where he aims

It was otherwise tame, which I hadn't expected
The Canes led by one, so I wasn't dejected
They had a nice edge without being unruly
They stayed even keel and played off it most coolly

To start the second, the Canes killed an infraction
Then, out of the box, one man lept into action
Svech left from the bench, and he gathered some speed
He shot through Bob's five hole to double the lead

The fans were on Cloud 9, up by two after two
The good times were rolling, but this feeling we knew
Meanwhile, the Cats, who were no doubt unhappy
Thought of ways to make our third get all crappy

It started with a bounce off Nikishin's poor skate
Before they could stop it, it was sadly too late
The Panthers had life as the comeback begun
The speed at which goals came, the fans' heads had spun

In the blink of an eye, the Panthers had four more
The building was silent, as jaws laid on the floor
The Canes lost 5-2, without any blood drawn
Why couldn't they hold it? Where had the team gone? 

It continues to bug me, this trend that we've seen
They made these last three games hard to watch on our screen
Their multi-goal leads have all been disappearing
It creates a bad feeling, one we're all fearing

A lead should feel safe, without fear that they'll lose it
The Panthers made it seem like the Canes had all quit
The seas had all parted, the goals all came easy
The waves of attacking made all of us queasy

I felt bad for Freddie, who I thought played okay
With the way it began, I hoped this was his day
All of his skaters forgot what their jobs were
The lead they had built up was gone in a blur

It's hard to take refuge in the work they have done
After 40 great minutes, we were having fun
Instead, the last frame brought the fun to an end
Their recent mistakes are a concerning trend

Both teams had key players not dressed for these contests
It didn't help that some of ours help fight off pests
It's hardly a reason and is no excuse
The Canes played the third like they didn't have juice

It is what it is and complaining won't help us
Though it's sure to leave fans with plenty to discuss
Until then, we all should enjoy Christmas bliss
Merry Christmas and thanks for stopping to read this

Next Up: The Canes return on Saturday night with the start of another stretch of three games in four nights. They'll start with the Detroit Red Wings at the Lenovo Center before welcoming the New York Rangers next Monday night. Their back-to-back ends with the Pittsburgh Penguins up north on Tuesday night. It'll be a quick trip because the Canes will be back at home on New Year's Day against the Montreal Canadiens. 

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