Panthers Topped By Predators

     The Florida Panthers played their first game in the last 11 days and were stopped by the Nashville Predators 4-1 at BB&T Center on Friday night. Florida traded away Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann earlier in the day. The Panthers began a stretch in which they will play 11 home games in the next 23 days.
     Florida(20-21-8) waited until 4:45 left in the second period and scored on a power play to take a 1-0 lead. Evgenii Dadonov passed the puck from the right wing to Keith Yandle on top of the zone. He angled a pass to his left and Jonathan Huberdeau snapped a shot by Juuse Saros from the top left circle. Huberdeau compiled his 13rd goal of the season.
     In the third period, Nashville (31-18-4) tied it 1-1 at the 5:29 mark. Ryan Johansen put the puck ahead, Filip Forsberg made a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Roman Josi snapped a shot from the left circle past Roberto Luongo. It was his ninth goal of the campaign.
     The Predators took their first lead of the contest at 7:44. Viktor Arvidsson powered in a slap shot from the right circle off a feed from Forsberg on the right wing. Arvidsson got his 20th goal of the season on that play which makes it the third straight season he has hit the 20-goal plateau.
     The Preds put the game away with 5:50 left in the third for a two-goal margin. Mike Matheson lost the puck at his own blue line. Kevin Fiala skated the puck through the slot, faked a shot, went to his left and scored on a forehand shot.
     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with three minutes to go. A clearing pass hit an official at the red line and Arvidsson swept in the puck into an empty net with 1:56 remaining.