RALEIGH, N.C. — For longer than they ever probably should have, the Carolina Hurricanes continued to squeak out wins at home, even after falling behind, even while running out of goalies.

Friday afternoon, the bill finally came due.

After comeback wins over the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers earlier this week, the home winning streak came to an end one game short of double digits at the hands of the Florida Panthers in a 6-3 loss, thanks to suspect goaltending and an even shakier power play.

“Goaltending and special teams” isn’t just the recipe for success in the playoffs. You have to at least be vaguely competent at both to win in the regular season.

Spencer Martin, pressed yet again into service with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov injured, was too easily beaten on three of the Panthers’ five goals and the Hurricanes not only failed to convert on a lengthy series of first-period power plays while down two goals but gave up a third-period short-handed goal that sealed the win for the Panthers.

The Hurricanes did fight back to tie the score 3-3 at even strength in the second period, only for Martin to give up an A.J. Greer goal from distance that left coach Rod Brind’Amour shaking his head on the bench.

“It’s been pretty incredible efforts this week coming from behind,” Martin said. “We did it again tonight, I just didn’t finish it in the third.”

It’s tough to win when the only path is scoring at least four and sometimes five or six a night. Friday, it would have taken seven.

Which isn’t to pin it all on Martin, since the Hurricanes had opportunities to score the six they would have needed to win, but three goals also would have been enough with an average performance in net. Martin’s done well enough holding the fort since Kochetkov suffered a concussion last weekend, and deserves credit for that.

It does beg the question of who plays in Saturday’s return game in Sunrise if Kochetkov isn’t ready to return, since it would be Martin’s fourth start in six days and that would be throwing Yaniv Perets into the deep end of the pool.

“I think (Kochetkov) is right there, but I’m going to say doubtful for tomorrow,” Brind’Amour said. “He needs a practice and we haven’t really practiced. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. We’d love to have him, but it doesn’t make sense. We don’t know for sure yet. We have to get the final word. But if (starting Martin) is what we have to do, that’s what we have to do. I don’t blame Spencer for this game. We didn’t come with what we needed to beat that team.”

“I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be tonight, so the best feeling is to get out there and play again,” Martin said. “Whether I’m playing again or not I’m not sure, but I’ll be ready to go.”

The Panthers needed less than three minutes to score, Jesper Boqvist beating Martin with an unobstructed shot from the left circle, and added two more in the first 12 minutes after a Seth Jarvis power-play goal got the Hurricanes on the board.

The Hurricanes were on the power play for four minutes late in the first but generated almost nothing, only to tie the score on goals by Sean Walker and Eric Robinson in the second period. That made it anyone’s game for the taking going into the third, and it didn’t take long for the Panthers to take it — Greer beating Martin and Anton Lundell scoring short-handed.

A very winnable game slipped away in that five-minute span, ending the Hurricanes’ home winning streak at nine games — Martin Necas was kept off the scoresheet for only the fourth time this season — and sending them to Florida for the rematch.

“We have to let go of this one pretty quick and focus on the same team,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “It’s a battle, always, against that team. They’re a good team. They play hard, they play smart and they don’t give you anything. So we’re going to have to work for our chances and come up with a big road win down in Florida.”

Still, in the big picture, the Hurricanes avoided disaster with Kochetkov out, and his return appears close at hand — if not Saturday, then Tuesday when Ron Francis’ Seattle Kraken come to town. They would have gladly taken four points from these four games under the circumstances, and they have those in hand already. Anything they got Friday would have been a bonus. Anything they get Saturday, barring a Kochetkov return, will be as well.

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