Panthers are back in the playoff picture after 5-0 trip
Senators manage victory over Devils
SUNRISE, Fla. — The plan for the Florida Panthers over the last few weeks was about as basic as possible. Hang around the periphery of the playoff race until injured stars Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov healed, then try to make a run.
Huberdeau is back. Barkov is back.
Voila! The Panthers are back in the postseason mix.
Winners in eight of their last nine games — and coming off the first 5-0-0 road trip in franchise history — a Florida team that came into the season talking about the Stanley Cup is finally looking like a team that may contend for hockey’s top prize. The Panthers, whose playoff hopes looked dim just a couple weeks ago, are not only back in the postseason fray but have climbed within striking distance of Montreal in the race for the Atlantic Division title.
“Everybody deserves it,” Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said. “It’s been a long season, it’s been a hard season and now everything’s starting to come together. But again, we’ve still got a long way to go. It’s going to be a dogfight right to the end of the season.”
This just-completed five-game trip had a little of everything for Florida. The Panthers won two wide-open games — 7-4 in Nashville, and 6-5 in overtime in San Jose to start the swing. They then gave up just four goals the rest of the way, winning 4-1 at Anaheim, 3-2 at Los Angeles and finally 2-1 in St. Louis when Vincent Trocheck scored with 4.6 seconds remaining.
Florida hadn’t won in Los Angeles since 2002. To put that in some perspective: the ageless Jaromir Jagr was only 30 then, and he’s worn the uniform of seven different NHL teams since.
“When we’re lucky enough to pull off a bunch of wins like this, I think it’s just everybody chips in when they can,” Panthers goalie James Reimer said. “Some days it’s your power play, some days it’s the penalty kill, some days it’s forwards, defensemen, you name it.”
SENATORS 2, DEVILS 1: In Newark, N.J., Craig Anderson made 29 saves and Ottawa beat New Jersey despite playing without three of their top forwards.
Ottawa was without Mark Stone (22 goals), Mike Hoffman (19 goals) and Bobby Ryan (12 goals) after all three were injured over the weekend. Ryan will miss four to six weeks with a broken finger, while Stone (neck) and Hoffman (groin) are day to day. PENGUINS 3, HURRICANES 1: In Raleigh, N.C., Sidney Crosby scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection in the second period, and Pittsburgh beat Carolina.
Evgeni Malkin and Scott Wilson also scored to help the reigning Stanley Cup champions
bounce back from their only loss since the All-Star break.
KINGS 2, AVALANCHE 1: In Denver, Trevor Lewis scored the go-ahead goal with a slick move in the second period, Peter Budaj stopped 24 shots and Los Angeles beat Colorado as Darryl Sutter moved into a tie for most wins as coach of the Kings. ISLANDERS 3, RED WINGS 1: In Detroit, Calvin de Haan was credited with a go-ahead goal that caromed off an opponent late in the second period and the Islanders went on to beat the Red Wings. CANADIENS 3, RANGERS 2
(SO): In New York, Paul Byron scored in the fifth round of the shootout and Montreal beat the Rangers to give coach Claude Julien his first win in his second stint with the Canadiens. LIGHTNING 4, OILERS 1: In Tampa, Fla., Ondrej Palat scored twice and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists to lead Tampa Bay. BLACKHAWKS 5, WILD 3: In St. Paul, Minn., Jonathan Toews had three goals and two assists and Chicago earned its second win over the Western Conference-leading Wild in less than two weeks. FLAMES 6, PREDATORS 5: In Nashville, Tenn., Mark Giordano scored 43 seconds into overtime, and Calgary edged the Predators in a crucial game between teams holding the Western Conference’s wild cards. MAPLE LEAFS 5, JETS 4
(OT): In Toronto, Jake Gardiner scored at 2:29 of overtime to lift the Maple Leafs.