Panthers Take Out Jets

     The Florida Panthers finished a season-long sevcn-game homestand with a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night at BB&T Center.  The Cats, who played their first game in the last five days, stay six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and completed the homestand with a 4-2-1 record.
     Florida(30-23-14) scored the only goal in the first period with 3:28 left. Dave Bolland had the puck at the right point and send a no-look backhand pass to the slot area. Derek Mackenzie dove and put in a forehand shot in one motion over the right shoulder of Michael Hutchinson.
     Winnipeg(33-23-12) evened it up midway through the second period at 9:14. Mark Scheifele carried the puck into the Panthers zone and snapped a shot from the top right circle by the left arm of Dan Ellis.
     The Panthers retook the lead on their second power-play opportunity with 2:53 to go in the second. After a close-range shot by Jaromir Jagr was saved, Jonathan Huberdeau centered the puck from the left circle. Brad Boyes shot from the top of the crease went off the leg of Adam Pardy and then he accidentally put it into his own cage in an attempt to clear it from the blue paint. It was the 12th goal this season for Boyes and the seventh point in the last five games for Huberdeau.
     The Jets once again tied the contest up at 6:13 of the third period. The puck was lobbed into the low slot by former Panther Michael Frolik and Drew Stafford scored from the top crease for his fourth goal in a Winnipeg uniform.
     The game-winning goal was scored by Aleksander Barkov with 3:53 remaining in the third period. Jagr backhanded a pass prior to the Jets blue line which was touched by Huberdeau. Barkov skated into the offensive zone and he took a wrist shot from the top slot that hit the top left corner of the net for his 11th goal. Huberdeau, who extended his point streak to five games, collected his 100th career point on the play. Nick Bjugstad scored his 24th goal from the blue line into an empty net with 45.4 seconds left for a two-goal margin.