Panthers Beat Stars 6-2
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DALLAS (AP) — Nick Bjugstad had a goal and an assist after moving up to the top line, and the Florida Panthers beat the Dallas Stars 6-2 on Saturday night.
Bjugstad centered a line with Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau because a hand injury sidelined Aleksander Barkov. He put the Panthers ahead to stay at 2-1 in the first period.
Jagr also had a goal and an assist, and Huberdeau assisted on Florida's first two goals.
Al Montoya made 33 saves to improve to 2-0-0.
Jamie Benn scored both Dallas goals, increasing his total to an NHL-leading eight.
The Stars had a five-game winning streak snapped that had included a sweep of four road games.
Florida's Aaron Ekblad and Dave Bolland each scored their first goal this season in the second period.
After Ekblad's goal, Dallas coach Lindy Ruff replaced starting goalie Kari Lehtonen with Antti Niemi.
Lehtonen stopped eight of 11 shots; Niemi had 16 saves.
Dallas scored first at 1:59 of the first period, just 8 seconds into the game's first power play. Benn, who entered the game tied for the league lead, scored his seventh by tipping in Tyler Seguin's drive from the top of the left faceoff circle.
The Stars had another power play 15 seconds later, but it lasted for just 3 seconds before Jason Spezza went off for interference.
Lehtonen stopped Vincent Trocheck's shot from just in front of him 8 ½ minutes into the game, but at 11:03 the goalie couldn't stop Jagr's low-angle shot over the goalie's shoulder into the upper right corner of the net.
Florida took a 2-1 lead after Dallas' Patrick Sharp was stopped first by Montoya and then by a goalpost. Huberdeau took away the puck in the neutral zone. He passed to Bjugstad, whose shot from the high slot went in off Lehtonen at 13:18.
Ruff replaced Lehtonen at 1:22 of the second, after Ekblad's shot from the slot went in under the goalie's glove.
Bolland tipped Dmitry Kulikov's shot past Niemi for a 4-1 lead at 14:59. Video replay confirmed that Bolland did not tip it in with a high stick.
Benn's second goal pulled Dallas within two goals at 4:01 of the third, but the Panthers' Reilly Smith and Quinton Howden scored third-period goals.
Seguin and Florida's Jussi Jokinen each had two assists.
NOTES: Dallas entered the game 2-0-0 at home and 5-0-0 against the East this season. Lehtonen had been 3-0-0. . Benn's power-play goal was the seventh allowed by Florida in the past five games. . The Stars played without D Jason Demers, serving the first game of a two-game suspension for elbowing Pittsburgh's Nick Bonino on Thursday. ... During the Stars' winning streak, they allowed only nine goals in five games. . The teams completed their season series with one win apiece, only eight games into the schedule.
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