Jose Theodore makes 34 saves for 3rd shutout of season, Panthers beat Hurricanes 2-0

SUNRISE, Fla. - Jose Theodore made 34 saves for his third shutout of the season and the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Sunday to maintain the Southwest Division lead.

Tomas Fleischmann scored in the second period, and Marcel Goc added an empty-net goal.

The Panthers, a point ahead of Washington in the division race, won for the second time in their past six games, and have beaten the Hurricanes in all four meetings this season.

Cam Ward stopped 31 shots for Carolina. The Hurricanes were shut out for the first time since Nov. 18 in a 1-0 loss to Buffalo.

Fleischmann scored at 3:22 of the second. Stephen Weiss brought the puck off the side boards, then passed back to Fleischmann. His snap shot from above the left circle went between Ward's pads. It was Fleischmann's 22nd goal of the season, tying him with Kris Versteeg for the team lead.

Goc added an empty-net goal with 1:32 left.

Florida had a goal disallowed after a video review with 3 minutes left after Jerred Smithson kicked in a loose puck during a scrum in front of the Carolina net. A shot by Weiss was blocked, and the puck went off Smithson's skate and into the net.

NOTES: Carolina forward Jiri Tlusty missed the game because of an upper-body injury. ... Florida RW Jack Skille was scratched because of a lower-body injury.