NHL: Jonathan Huberdo scores 5 points to lead the Panthers 9-3 on lightning

Sunrise, fla. –Anthony Duclair scored twice, Jonathan Huberdo scored a goal and four assists, and the Florida Panthers beat Tampa Bay Lightning 9-3 on Thursday night.

The Panthers have scored three goals each season against defending Stlanley Cup champions, ending their four-game winning streak.

“We gave a lot of scoring opportunities to a very good team that really wanted to beat us,” said Lightning head coach Joan Cooper after being sidelined by Kovid-19.

“We beat them in the playoffs and they did not forget. I can not forget this match.”

Other scorers for the Panthers were Frank Vatrano, Itu Lustarinen, Maxim Mamin, Anton Lundel, Aaron Ekblad and Alexander Barkov. Spencer Knight made 39 saves.

The Panthers have not scored more goals in a single game this season. The 10 goals team record was set on November 26, 1997 against the Boston Bruins.

“We have a lot of depth in our team. When we’re all healthy, it shows, ”said Huberdo, whose fourth career was a five-point game.

Steven Stamkos, Jack Bogosian and Braden Point provided the answer to the lightning that lost just the second game in 11 games this month. Quebec goaltender Maxim Lagas made 21 off 27 shots, replacing Hugo Alnefelt in the third period.

Lagos played his first game of the season in a lightning victory over the Montreal Canadians on Tuesday night. As for Alnefelt, the 20-year-old made his debut in the Sweden, NHL.

The Panthers’ 16th home win of the season is NHL-highest.

“It’s always nice to have spectators behind us and their support has been phenomenal all season. We love to play here (in Florida). We’re so happy with every home win, we want to continue,” Barkov said.

Lightning will play its final game on Friday night when it hosts the New York Rangers in 2021. The Panthers begin the new year by welcoming Canadians to Florida on Saturday afternoon.

The line can escape from it, but not the jackets

Laughing after a failure from Patrick Lane, the Columbus Blue Jackets recorded a shootout victory 4-3 ahead of the Nashville Predators.

Gustav Nyquist gave the Jackets the lead in the fifth round of the shootout and Ely Tolwanen then failed to hit the target, which gave the Blue Jackets the victory.

Sent as a second shooter for the Blue Jackets, the forward Patrick Line knocked down the puck while trying to execute his fin, which made his team bench laugh a few times. Line was even more successful in control by scoring his fourth goal of the season.

Alexandre Texier and Boone Jenner also invented the net behind the Blue Jackets. Texier still dazzled in the shootout. He slipped the disc with one hand between the David Ritchie pads to score.

Michael McCarron scored his first goal in a Predators uniform in the first period. He presented himself in front of Elvis Merzlikins who failed with a good throw. This is the 15th game of his career with Prides.

Merzelikins left two more times to complete the game with 31 saves.

Flames return to action and success

Mark Giordano found the net against his former teammate, but the Calgary Flames finally laughed off a 6-4 victory over Seattle Kraken.

The former Flames defenseman started the scoring with a pitch that beat Jacob Markstrom in the sixth minute of the game.

Johnny Goudrow answered the Flames with his team’s first two goals of the game. Milan Lusic increased the score to 3-2 for the Alberta Troops before retiring to the locker room after the second period.

Yanni Gourde equalized the score, with both teams scoring in the space of 30 seconds. Just 13 seconds after Jared McConnell’s 4-4 tie-breaking goal, Matthew Tkachuk accepted Goudru’s handover in the slot and his pitch beat Chris Dryder to put the Flames ahead.

Noah Hanifin completed the score on blank net for Calgary, which is the first game since December 11th. The group is battling the spread of COVID-19.

Islanders can easily master the Sabers

Matthew Berzel had a superb three-point lead in the New York Islanders’ 4-1 victory over Buffalo Sabers.

This was Barry Trotz’s ninth victory in their 27th game.

From the first third, Barcel showed his colors by firing five times on Malcolm Subban’s net. One of those shots gave him his sixth goal of the year to open the scoring.

No. 13 des Isles became a partner on the net of his trio partner Anders Lee and Noah Dobson. He hit a total of eight shots in the game.

Another net for the New Yorkers was scored by keeper Belos.

Only former islander Kyle Opcoso was able to beat Semyon Verlamov, making 36 saves in his second win of the campaign.

As for the Sabers, it was their second defeat in two nights as they lost to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.

A sandstorm is brewing in the backhand

Thomas Hertl spoiled Felix Sandstorm’s NHL debut 3-2 for the San Jose Sharks in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sandstorm got off to a good start with 43 runs in 45 throws for the flyers on the Betman circuit. He could do nothing in overtime, but when defender Eric Carlson put Hertley back in the slot, he pushed the disc back into the net.

Morgan Frost and Joel Farabie left damage to Philly, while Logan Couture and Brent Burns lit the red light on the Sharks.

James Reimer ended his night with 23 runs on the net for the Sharks.