Flames Slam Panthers

     The Florida Panthers played their fifth game of a six-game road trip and lost to the Calgary Flames 6-0 at Scotiabank Saddledome. The Panthers are winless in their last two games after they were victorious in their prior 12 games and snapped a 13-game point streak for the club.
     Things started on the wrong foot for Florida as Calgary scored 56 seconds into the contest. Jiri Hudler brought the puck from the end wall to the left wing. He backhanded it to the inner left circle and Sam Bennett blasted a one-time slapshot past Roberto Luongo.
     The Flames expanded their lead to 2-0 at 5:52 of the stanza. Johnny Gaudreau streaked through the right side and passed to the low slot. It was knocked away by Jonathan Huberdeau, however Gaudreau got the puck and scored his 19th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the right of the crease.
     Calgary moved out to a three-goal margin with 7:59 left in the first period. Mikael Backlund carried the puck into the Panthers zone and made a drop pass in the high slot. Bennett drove through the slot area. fanned on a soft shot from the low slot and the puck scooted by Luongo.
     Bennett completed a hat trick as he scored his third goal of the game with 2:59 remaining. The Flames had a two-on-one breakaway and Deryk Engelland snapped a shot from the right-circle dot. Luongo made the save but Bennett lifted a backhand shot from the crease area into the top of the Panthers cage. Al Montoya replaced Lunogo in net for the Panthers to begin the second period.
     Florida fell behind 5-0 with 6:40 to go in the second. Mark Giordano whacked the puck around the boards from the neutral zone to David Jones on the right wing. His shot was tipped in by Mason Raymond at the top of the crease.
     Bennett added his fourth goal of the game with 24.2 seconds left in the third period. Steven Kampfer gave the puck away at the top of their zone to Hudler. He made a square pass to Bennett on his right and he skated to the slot then released a backhand shot.