Panthers 5, Flyers 2: Rookie Jonathan Huberdeau benefited from a spectacular effort on a penalty shot to highlight his two-goal, two-assist performance as visiting Florida snapped a five-game winless streak.
Peter Mueller scored twice, Tomas Kopecky added a goal and Scott Clemmensen turned aside 32 shots as the Panthers won for the first time since recording a 3-2 shootout victory over the Flyers on Feb. 7.
Mueller opened the scoring at 8:15 of the first period, accepting Huberdeau's centering pass in the slot before beating Ilya Bryzgalov. After Kopecky scored on a partial breakaway, Huberdeau gave Florida a 3-0 advantage by converting his penalty shot. The rookie briefly turned his back as he skated in before backhanding the puck between Bryzgalov's pads.
Huberdeau scored again midway through the second period to give the Panthers their first four-goal lead since a 5-1 season-opening win versus Carolina. That was it for Bryzgalov, who yielded four goals on 15 shots as the Flyers saw their modest two-game winning streak end with a thud.
Clemmensen's bid for his eighth career shutout came to an end with 6:11 remaining in the third period. Defenseman Luke Schenn's blast from the point beat Clemmensen, who overcame a rocky final period to notch his first win this season and improve to 5-1-1 lifetime versus Philadelphia.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Flyers C Matt Read, who leads the team with seven goals, will be sidelined for the next six weeks with torn muscles in his rib cage. Read suffered the injury during Wednesday's 6-5 victory over Pittsburgh. ... Florida's last successful penalty shot came on Oct. 30, 2010. David Booth provided the honors by scoring on Montreal's Carey Price. ... C Sean Couturier nearly put Philadelphia on the scoreboard early in the second period, but his shot on a breakaway sailed past Clemmensen and wide of the net.
Florida | Philadelphia | |
Jonathan Huberdeau 4 | Points | Luke Schenn 1 |
Jonathan Huberdeau 2 | Goals | Luke Schenn 1 |
Jonathan Huberdeau 2 | Assists | Daniel Briere 1 |
Jonathan Huberdeau 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Scott Clemmensen .941 | Save Percentage | Brian Boucher .909 |
Scott Clemmensen 32 | Saves | Ilya Bryzgalov 11 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Florida | 26 | 5 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 9 | 31 |
Philadelphia | 34 | 2 | 0-2 | 2-3 | 11 | 32 |