Panthers Beat Sharks With Huberdeau OT Goal
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SAN JOSE (CBSMiami/AP) — Finally featuring a healthy lineup, the Florida Panthers are showing why they are the defending Atlantic Division champions.
Jonathan Huberdeau needed overtime to extend his scoring streak and help celebrate Jaromir Jagr's birthday on a night the 45-year-old veteran reached another milestone.
Huberdeau scored 1:38 into overtime after San Jose's Joe Pavelski scored twice late in the third period to tie it, and the Panthers beat the Sharks 6-5 on Wednesday night.
"It was a good offensive game," said Huberdeau, playing — and recording points — in his fourth game of the year for the Panthers. "We had a good forecheck down there and there were a lot of things open."
Jagr, second on the NHL's career points list behind Wayne Gretzky, had an assist for No. 1,900th. Sharks fans gave him a nice ovation.
Nick Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov each scored twice for the Panthers, who have won five of six games. Jussi Jokinen also scored.
"It was a crazy game, back and forth. A lot of goals scored, a fun game to be part of and Hubie came up big there at the end," Bjugstad said. "It's not necessarily the games you want to get into at this point in the season, but we found a way."
Brent Burns, Joel Ward and Marc-Edouard Vlasic also scored for the Sharks, who have lost five of six.
Roberto Luongo stopped 29 of 34 shots for Florida and had to leave the game after cramping up with 38 seconds left in the third period. He was replaced by James Reimer, who stopped two shots.
Martin Jones made 16 saves for San Jose.
"We gave up too much," San Jose's Logan Couture said. "They're a team that feeds off of turnovers. In that first period, three turnovers by us, and three basically tap-ins for them and Jones didn't have a chance on any of them. That's on us. Whether that's the forwards or the D-men, we've got to be a lot tighter defensively."
Pavelski scored first with 3:21 left in the third, then tied it with 37.4 seconds left by firing in a loose puck from the slot. Luongo was injured on the latter goal.
The teams combined to score five times in 11 minutes during the first period.
Jokinen put the Panthers on the board less than five minutes into the game off a nice pass from Reilly Smith, but the Sharks tied it 30 seconds later. Pavelski picked off a lazy pass in the Panthers' zone and fed it to Burns, who fired a long-distance shot past Luongo.
Bjugstad scored his first goal after taking a long pass from Erik Ekblad. Barkov added his first goal two minutes later.
The Sharks rallied from the 3-1 deficit with goals by Ward and Vlasic before Pavelski missed a penalty shot.
Bjugstad and Barkov each added goals in the third period before Pavelski's rally.
NOTES: Burns' goal was his 300th point with the Sharks. ... Ekblad ended a seven-game run without a point, which matched his season high. ... Barkov has a goal in each of his last three games and a point in the four games he's played since returning from injury. ... Bjugstad has goals in back-to-back games for the first time this season. ... Sharks' F Kevin Labanc has four assists in the three games he's played since returning from a short stint in the AHL. He had one assist Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Continue their road trip with a game at Anaheim on Friday night.
Sharks: Travel to Arizona for a game Saturday night.
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