Carter Verhaeghe Hat Trick Stops Stars

     Carter Verhaeghe compiled a hat trick as the Florida Panthers jumped by the Dallas Stars 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night at American Airlines Center. The Cats were able to snap a three-game losing streak. 

     It was the first of the four games the Panthers will play at Dallas in the next 18 days. Keith Yandle played in his 900th consecutive NHL game. He became only the third NHL player to reach that mark. 

     Florida(21-9-4) struck fast just 24 seconds into the contest. Noel Acciari blocked a shot in his own  zone and he gathered it at the Stars blue line. He sent a diagonal pass to the left circle and Carter Verhaegje lifted a snap shot from the left circle by Anton Khudobin for his 13th goal of the season. It was the first goal for Verhaeghe in the last four games. 

     Dallas(11-11-9) evened it up 1-1 at the 8:01 mark. Jamie Benn had the puck behind the Panthers cage and centered it. Denis Gurianov put in a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his sixth goal this year. It was the first tally for Gurianov in the past eight contests. 

     The Stars pulled ahead at 9:57 to make it 2-1. Radek Faksa connected a pass from the end wall to Esa Lindell at the blue line. He angled a pass to his left and John Klingberg blasted a one-time slap shot from the top left circle by Sergei Bobrovsky. Klingberg found the net for the first time in nine games. 

     The Panthers tied it up 2-2 on the power play with three minutes remaining in the first. Owen Tippett released a shot toward the net which was saved. Acciari tipped it in the low slot and Verhaeghe swept in a backhand shot from the top of the crease for his second tally of the game.

     In the second period, the Cats regained the lead on a shorthanded goal with 2:20 left in the frame. Verhaeghe sailed a high wrist shot from the left-circle dot for his third goal of the game and 15th goal of the campaign. 

     It became a 3-3 game three minutes into the third period. Joel L'Espance was able to nail his first NHL goal. 

     Florida won the contest in overtime with 9.3 seconds remaining. Jonathan Huberdeau sent a cross-ice pass from above the left circle and Aaron Ekblad scored on a backhand shot from the top of the crease for his 11th goal of the year. Verhaeghe had the second assist on the play for his first four-point game of his NHL career.