Panthers Escape Kings

     The Florida Panthers got by the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 at BB&T Center on Thursday night. It was the final home game for the Florida Panthers prior to the NHL All-Star Game break. Their next home contest is in three weeks against the Vegas Golden Knights on February 6. The Kings played their fourth game of a five-game road trip.
     Florida(25-16-5) scored during their first power play at the 6:04 mark. Aleksander Barkov sent a cross-ice pass from the low right circle to Jonathan Huberdeau at the left-circle dot. He centered it and Evgenii Dadonov snapped a shot past Jack Campbell for his 20th goal of the season. It was his team-leading ninth power-play goal this year. Panthers goalie Chris Driedger was injured at 10:04 and Sam Montembeualt replaced him in net.
     In the second period, the Panthers made it 2-0 at 3:06. Dominic Toninato chased a puck into the left circle from Mike Hoffman at his own blue line. He passed back to the right circle where Frank Vatrano blasted a one-time slap shot for his 11th goal of the campaign. Hoffman was able to extend his point streak to seven games.
     Los Angeles(18-26-5) surrendered another power-play goal at 4:55 of the third period and trailed 3-0. Aaron Ekblad fed the puck from the top of the zone to Mike Matheson. He ripped a slap shot from the left point for his sixth goal.
     Florida increased it to a four-goal gap at the 7:06 mark. Trevor Lewis swept the puck away from Hoffman in the right circle. Former Kings player Brian Boyle followed with his eighth tally of the campaign on a wrist shot from the high slot. The Cats scored two goals in a 2:11 span.
     The Kings finally got on the scoreboard with 8:08 left in the third and they were down 4-1. Anze Kopitar won the faceoff in the right circle and drew it back to Drew Doughty on the right point. His shot was deflected in by Alex Iafallo in the slot area by Montembeault for his 10th goal of the season.
     Los Angeles cut it to 4-2 on the man advantage with 4:52 remaining in the period. Kopitar passed the puck from the right wing to Adrian Kempe at the blue line and he released a snap shot that was redirected in by Jeff Carter from the slot for his 14th goal.
     The Kings scored on another power-play opportunity with 2:40 to go to make it 4-3. Nikolai Prokhorkin carried the puck through the right circle and shot it from the right of the crease. It was saved and Kopitar poked in the rebound from the edge of the blue paint for his 17th goal of the season. Dustin Brown was credited with an assist on the play.