Panthers Coast By Ducks

     The Florida Panthers finished a four-game west coast trip as they triumphed against the Anaheim Ducks 5-3 at Honda Center on Sunday night. Panthers Matthew Tkachuk was unavailable as he began to serve a two-game suspension from the National Hockey League. The Panthers will begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday versus the Carolina Hurricanes. 

     Florida(7-5-1) moved out to a 1-0 lead with 8:29 left in the first period. Aleksander Barkov sent a cross-ice pass from the left wing and Anton Lundell fed a backhand pass from the top right circle. Former Ducks player Brandon Montour blasted a slap shot from the top of the zone and Carter Verhaeghe redirected it in from the low slot for his eighth goal of the season. It was Verhaeghe's sixth goal in the last five contests. 

     In the second period, the Panthers expanded their lead to 2-0 at the 2:51 mark. Montour skated back to the left point and snapped a shot by John Gibson for his fourth goal of the year. 

     Anaheim(4-8-1) picked up two goals in a 27-second span to tie the game 2-2. John Klingberg forwarded the puck from his defensive zone to center ice. Adam Henrique entered the Panthers zone and dropped it off. Ryan Strome snapped a high shot from the left point past Spencer Knight. Klingberg increased his point streak up to four games. 

     Seconds later, Troy Terry pushed the puck from the right-circle dot and Kevin Shattenkirk connected a square pass across the low slot. Strome released a shot from the low left circle at the 8:27 mark for his second tally of the game and fifth goal this season. Terry extended his point streak to five games.      

     The Cats regained the lead 3-2 at 2:55 of the third period. Marc Staal took a one-time slap shot from the right point and Ryan Lomberg poked the puck from the top of the crease. Sam Reinhart shoveled in a shot from the right of the crease for his first goal of the campaign. 

     It became 4-2 for Florida when they scored during a 4-on-4 situation at the 8:10 mark. Montour blasted a slap shot from the blue line that went off the end wall. Eetu Luostarinen passed the puck from the low left circle and Sam Bennett swept in a shot from the blue paint for his second goal of the season. 

     The Ducks cut it to 4-3 while they were shorthanded with 1:14 remaining in the third. Isac Lundestrom was awarded a penalty shot and he scored his first goal of the year on a backhand shot. Reinhart added an empty-het, power-play goal for the Panthers with less than one second left for a two-goal margin.