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 The Carolina Hurricanes had a chance to clinch the Southeast Division title. Instead, their loss relegated them to scoreboard watching this weekend, and enabled Philadelphia and Ottawa to secure playoff berths.
Nathan Horton and Radek Dvorak each had a goal and an assist and Florida got its first road victory against Carolina since 2002 with a 4-3 win Friday night. Jay Bouwmeester and Steve Montador scored in an 88-second span of the first period for the Panthers, who had lost 13 straight on the Hurricanes' home ice.
Carolina had a five-point division lead with six games left, but lost three of its last four. The Hurricanes would have clinched the division with a victory in their regular-season finale. Now, they need Florida to beat Washington in regulation on Saturday night. If the Capitals win or merely go to overtime, they will take the division title and the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.
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