Predators Power By Huberdeau Hat Trick

     Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first career hat trick and compiled five points as the Florida Panthers were outscored by the Nashville Predators 6-5 in overtime on Thursday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers began a six-game homestand, their longest of the 2020-21 campaign. Both teams will meet again in Sunrise tomorrow night. 

     The Panthers extended their point streak to seven games since the beginning of the season. Sergei Bobrovsky made his 500th NHL start in net. 

     Florida(5-0-2) quickly got on the scoreboard at 1:28 of the first period to make it 1-0. Huberdeau raced down the ice into the offensive zone, through the slot area on a breakaway and placed a forehand shot by Juuse Saros for his second goal of the year. Huberdeau increased his point streak to three games. 

     Nashville(5-5-0) evened it up 1-1 on a power-play goal at the 9:02 mark. Filip Forsberg passed the puck from the right wing to Ryan Ellis on right point. He returned it and Forsberg put in a snap shot from the top right circle for his fifth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 9:51 left in the first period. Patric Hornqvist sent it from the end wall to the left circle. Markus Nutivaara powered a one-time slap shot and Huberdeau deflected the puck from the crease area.. 

      The Predators responded with 4:12 remaining to tie it 2-2. Forsberg brought the puck to the slot area, angled a pass to his left and Calle Jarnkrok scored from the low slot past Bobrovsky. 

     In the second period, the Cats went up 3-2 with the man advantage just 54 seconds in. Aleksander Barkov avoided a check in the low left circle and sent a cross-ice pass through the crease. Aaron Ekblad released a wrist shot from the right of the crease for his third tally of the campaign. 

     It was matched by Nashville at the 6:50 mark. Forsberg carried the puck into the right circle and passed it to his left. Matt Duchene tapped the puck into the cage from the low slot. 

     Florida scored their second power-play goal at 8:01 for a 4-3 lead. Keith Yandle was at the top of the zone and moved it to Huberdeau above the left circle. He connected a diagonal pass to Barkov in the low right circle and he roofed a snap shot. Barkov passed Scott Mellanby for second place in Panthers franchise history with his 158th goal. 

     The Panthers expanded their lead to 5-3 with 4:06 to go in the second. There was loose puck in the high slot area. Huberdeau sprinted in and fired a slap shot for the hat trick and fourth goal of the season. Hornqvist and MacKenzie Weegar were credited with assists on the play. Huberdeau tied Pavel Bure with his 152nd goal for fourth all-time in Panthers history. 

     The Preds kept it close in the third period by pulling their goalie with 2:32 left. Mattias Ekholm fed a short pass from the blue line and Roman Josi blasted a one-slap shot from the right point with 2:06 remaining to trail 5-4. 

     The Panthers were given a penalty for delay of game after questioning a high stick on the scoring play and Nashville had another power play. They again pulled the goalie for an extra attacker and tied it 5-5 with 56.8 seconds left. A shot went through traffic in the slot area which Bobrovsky saved, however Duchene put in the rebound from the right of the crease for his second goal of the game. 

     Nashville got the 6-5 victory with 1:00 to go in overtime. Forsberg poked the puck from Alexander Wennberg in the neutral zone, went on a breakaway and slipped in a wrist shot from close range. It was the first five-point for Forsberg in his NHL career.