Huberdeau Scores Twice As Panthers Top Wild 4-2
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau scored two goals, James Reimer made 29 saves and the Florida Panthers beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Friday night.
Vincent Trocheck and Connor Brickley also scored for Florida, and Aleksander Barkov had two assists. It was the Panthers' first win over the Wild since a 2-1 victory on Jan. 3, 2016.
Minnesota dropped to 1-2 on its four-game trip. Ryan Suter and Daniel Winnik scored for the Wild, and Alex Stalock stopped 30 shots.
Minnesota led 2-1 after two, but Florida rallied in the third.
Huberdeau tied it at 2 with some nifty stickwork 2 minutes in the period. He scored his 10th goal of the season by sending a backhand past Stalock.
Brickley then slammed home a rebound after Stalock stopped Keith Yandle's shot from the point, putting the Panthers in front at 11:14. Huberdeau added an empty-netter with just under six seconds left.
The Wild and Panthers exchanged goals in the first.
After playing short-handed for most of the first six minutes, the Wild capitalized on their first power-play opportunity. Suter converted a tip-in for his fifth at 8:09.
Matt Dumba, who had an assist on the play, extended his point streak to four games. He has three goals and two assists over that stretch.
Trocheck tied at 16:53 when his wrist shot from the top of the circle deflected off Stalock's left pad on the short side. It was Trocheck's team-leading 14th goal and gave him 12 points over his last 11 games.
Winnik put Minnesota in front midway through the second period when he knocked in his own rebound. Winnik took possession at his own blue line and skated past two Florida defenders on his way to his third goal this season.
Reimer, who was playing in his eighth consecutive game since Roberto Luongo suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 4, made the initial save, but Winnik was able to beat him under his glove on the rebound chance.
NOTES: Wild C Matt Cullen played in his 1,400th career game, making him only the 38th player in NHL history and fourth American to achieve that feat. ...
Panthers F Denis Malgin continues to impress since being called up from the minors on Nov. 27. He has seven points after assisting on Trocheck's goal. ...
Mikael Granlund's assist on Suter's goal gives him 18 points in his last 21games. ... Trocheck leads Florida with 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists).
UP NEXT
Wild: Visit Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
Panthers: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.
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