Panthers back home after big road win
Jaromir Jagr wasn’t very happy after the Panthers beat Buffalo 3-2 on Oct. 15, calling his team “more lucky than good,” and adding he was worried that continued style would cost them.
Florida lost three straight after beating the Sabres.
On Saturday night, the Panthers put everything back together in an impressive 6-2 victory over Dallas, which had won five straight and beaten Tampa Bay twice in a week.
“We haven’t played very well since the Buffalo game, and even in the Buffalo game, I had a bad feeling,” Jagr said. “We didn’t cycle the puck much, didn’t have a puck possession game.
“(Saturday) looked like the first time in a while we made plays. (Dallas is) a risky team and we took advantage.”
With Al Montoya playing strong in place of Roberto Luongo and making 33 saves, the Panthers played perhaps their most complete game of the season, save for the 7-1 rout of the Flyers on opening night.
Florida got goals from its new-look top line as Nick Bjugstad replaced the injured Sasha Barkov, who is out indefinitely with a broken right hand.
Jagr gelled with the 20-year-old Barkov from the start last season.
It also appears he and Bjugstad will work fine together.
“I like playing with Barkov, everybody knows Avalanche at Panthers, 7:30 p.m., FSN
that, but an injury happened,” Jagr said. “It’s good to know I can play with Bjugstad.
“It’s not easy playing with me, trust me. He’s a big guy who can skate and has a long reach. He makes a lot of plays. Look at how tall he is. When he skates, with these rules, it’s hard to hold him down.”
The Panthers went 1-11 on their last road trip against playoff-quality teams in Pittsburgh, Chicago and Dallas.
They kick off a homestand tonight against Colorado, and then Boston and Washington this weekend — three big games before heading to California next week.
Meanwhile, the Panthers do not have a goalie controversy brewing, but instead feel fortunate to have such strong play in net.
Montoya, making his second start and appearance of the season, gave coach Gerard Gallant another reason to have faith in his abilities to spot start for Luongo after last year’s inconsistent season.
The Panthers are 2-0 with Montoya in net after he helped lead Florida to a 4-1 win at Carolina on Oct. 13.