5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 3, Hurricanes 0

Spencer Knight was dialed in from the start.
Stopping all 40 shots he faced, the 21-year-old looked unbeatable while backstopping the Panthers to an impressive 3-0 win over the Hurricanes at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday.
"Stronger as the game went on, and required to be stronger as the game went on," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said when asked about Knight's stellar performance between the pipes.
With the Panthers improving to 8-5-1, Maurice also earned his 783rd win as a head coach to overtake Islanders legend Al Arbour (782) for sole possession of sixth place in NHL history.
"That's the hockey I grew up on," Maurice said. "Those are legends and mentors for me."
For a quick recap of the game, click
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To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below

1. KNIGHT SHINES

"It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning's winning."
While that quote in particular came from Dominic Toretto in Fast & Furious, Knight exuded the same kind of energy during his post-game media availability after shutting out the Hurricanes.
"There are a lot of games where I try not to look at how many goals I give up," Knight said. "I think it's overrated, sometimes, getting shutouts. I think just finding a way to win is the biggest thing. I feel confident when we win 5-4, but sometimes you win 3-0. It was a good team effort."
Turning aside all 40 shots that came his way, Knight looked unbeatable from the moment the puck dropped. After stopping 22 shots during the first two periods, he made 18 saves over the final 20 minutes of regulation to shut down any possible comeback attempt for the Hurricanes.
Making 16 high-danger saves, Knight's blank sheet is made even more impressive by the fact that the Hurricanes finished with 4.36 goals expected goals, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
Still just 21 years old, Knight, who the Panthers selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, is just the fifth goaltender in NHL history to post a 40-save shutout before turning 22.
"He looked really solid," forward Nick Cousins said. "He looked calm. He's got a really bright future in this league. He plays with so much poise. It doesn't seem like he's so young. It looks like he's been in the league 5-10 years. He looks good back there and we're lucky to have him."
Just 42 games into his NHL career, Knight owns a 13-3-0 record at home.

2. COUSINS BREAKS THE ICE

The Panthers couldn't have asked for a better start.
Avoiding the pitfalls that can often plague teams in their first game back home after returning from a long road trip, the Panthers broke the ice against the Hurricanes when Cousins crashed the net after a shot from Brandon Montour and cashed in on the rebound to make it 1-0 at 9:21.

"I was just fortunate to be on the right end of my linemates' hard work," Cousins said when asked about the sequence. "I think they get in on the forecheck, they get it back to Monty, who makes a good play to get it on the net, and I was just fortunate to be there at the right time."
Inking a two-year contract with the Panthers this past summer, Cousins has recently teamed up with Eetu Luostarinen and Sam Bennett to form an aggressive forechecking line. Over the 9:12 they spent together at 5-on-5 in the win, the Hurricanes were limited to just three shots on goal.
In the first period, every line was running at full steam.
"It might have been the best 10 minutes of our season," Cousins said. "All four lines were rolling over the boards, getting on the forecheck and making it hard on the other team. That's a big statement win. I think it's a step in the right direction for the way we have to play."

3. SAUCE ON THE SIDE

Who doesn't love a good sauce?
Doubling the lead for the Panthers, Aleksander Barkov made the Hurricanes pay on the power play when he dashed down the slot and deposited a slick saucer pass from Carter Verhaeghe into the net from right outside the crease to make it 2-0 at 10:20 of the third period.

The 65th power-play goal of his NHL career, Barkov has now moved into a tie with Olli Jokinen for second place in franchise history. Scott Mellanby is first with 66. Fourth on the Panthers in scoring with 11 points this season, all three of Barkov's goals have come with the extra attacker.
"He does a lot of heavy things under pucks - battle things - that skill players don't necessarily have to do, and he's done them," Maurice said of Barkov's incredible work ethic on the ice. "It's all well and good that he's playing that game, but he needs to get the payoff, too. He needs to be the guy that scores the big goals because he's earned the right to. I'm happy for him."
In November, the Panthers have been operating at 23.5% on the power play.
"We have the right mindset," Barkov said of the improvement on the man advantage. "We're trying to get pucks to the net. We recognize that [the Hurricanes] have a really good penalty kill and they pressure us really hard, so there's not going to be too many clean plays. You just have to find your chances and put more pucks to the net and create chances from that."

4. MONTOUR CLIMBS THE LIST

More points for Montour!
Refusing to slow down, he dished out three assists against the Hurricanes to increases his point total 15, which stands as the most-ever by a defenseman through 12 games in franchise history.
By racking up seven points (one goal, six assists) over his last two games, Montour has also climbed up into third place among NHL defensemen in scoring. As it stands now, his 15 points place him behind only Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin (16) and San Jose's Erik Karlsson (19).

"He always had that type of game in him," Barkov said. "He can lead that way and he can put up points. He's always on the right side of the puck. He's not cheating at all. He's making the right plays - easy plays, simple plays. Then, of course, he has enough skill to create chances."
In the win, Montour also finished with a Corsi For above 50% for the 10th time in 12 games.

5. STAAL'S MILESTONE

It was a night to celebrate for Eric Staal.
In addition to helping the Panthers pick up two points, the 38-year-old veteran became just the 64th player in NHL history to skate in 1,300 regular-season games. Making the night even more special, Staal was able to share the historic moment with two of his brothers, Marc and Jordan.
Marc is currently on the Panthers with Eric, while Jordan suited up for the Hurricanes.
A six-time NHL All-Star, Eric, who inked a one-year contract with Florida on Oct. 21, ranks sixth among active NHL players with 1,034 points (441 goals, 593 assists). Taken by the Hurricanes with the No. 2 selection in the 2003 NHL Draft, he won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006.
"It just seems like everything goes fast," Staal said. "In the blink of an eye is what I heard when I started in the league. But it really feels that way when you're at that number."
On the opening draw, Eric got the better of Jordan.