Ekblad, Barkov lead Panthers to 4-2 win over Canucks
Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) stops a shot by Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
More
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Aleksander Barkov has put an extended scoring slump behind him, and that finally helped the Florida Panthers end a losing streak Saturday night.
Barkov had a goal and an assist and has 11 points in his last 12 games, including four goals in the past six. Earlier in the season, Barkov slogged through a drought of 21 games without a goal.
Those recent points hadn't done the Panthers much good, though, until the Canucks came to town. Aaron Ekblad gave Florida a three-goal lead early in the third period and the Panthers held on for a 4-2 victory over Vancouver to end a five-game slide.
''I couldn't score in (21) games, and then I scored finally. And now I'm feeling more confident,'' Barkov said.
The Panthers won their first home game under interim coach Tom Rowe. The win was the Panthers' first in regulation since a victory over Ottawa on Nov. 19, a span of 11 games.
''I love that. A bunch of teams in our division lost so we gain ground on everybody in front of us,'' Rowe said.
Vincent Trocheck scored his first goal in 18 games. Derek MacKenzie also scored for Florida. Roberto Luongo made 37 saves, and Jaromir Jagr recorded an assist and now has 1,883 points, four behind Mark Messier for second on the NHL career list.
The play of Barkov seemed to lift the Panthers offense, which hadn't scored four goals since the Ottawa game.
''He's playing the way we expected him to,'' Rowe said. ''He's being Barkov. It removes a lot of pressure from other guys.''
Stress had been building for the Panthers. They're still reeling from an unexpected coaching change, with Rowe replacing Gerard Gallant in late November.
''It feels like they're all must wins,'' Luongo said. ''Everybody's bunched up together. You want to look at it one game at a time.''
Daniel Sedin and Jack Skille scored in the third period for the Canucks. Jacob Markstrom stopped 38 shots.
With the Panthers clinging to a 3-2 lead, Trocheck scored an empty-net goal with 47.1 seconds left.
Trailing 3-0, the Canucks scored twice in the third.
Skille took a shot from low in the right circle that got past Luongo on the glove side at 8:06 of the third. Skille has three goals in two games.
A power-play goal by Sedin made the score 3-2. Troy Stecher shot from the point, and the puck hit Sedin's stick and was redirected into the net at 11:45 of the third.
''We had our chances for sure,'' Sedin said. ''Luongo was good. But it's still too late. Chasing being down 3-0, it's tough. We made it tough on ourselves.''
The Panthers had stretched their lead to 3-0 at 1:05 of the third. Jagr took a shot from above the right circle that was blocked by Markstrom. Ekblad backhanded the rebound and beat Markstrom on the stick side.
Barkov gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead 2:22 in. Seth Griffith passed from behind the net to Barkov in front, who poked the puck past Markstrom. Barkov has points in 11 of his past 12 games.
The Panthers went ahead 2-0 on MacKenzie's goal. MacKenzie corralled a bouncing puck and pushed it into the net at 9:35 of the second. Paul Thompson recorded his first NHL point with the first assist on the goal.
Canucks goalie Ryan Miller could return Sunday against the Capitals. He left Thursday's game with a lower-body injury.
''I won't know yet. Ryan will probably try to take some shots in the morning. We'll get a read on him in the morning and then we'll make our decision,'' Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said.
NOTES: Canucks D Erik Gudbranson, who was the first-round pick by the Panthers in 2010 and played for the Panthers for five years, received a video tribute and an ovation from the crowd in his first return since being traded to Vancouver last June. ''I definitely didn't expect that from them. I really appreciate it,'' Gudbranson said. ... G Thatcher Demko was called up from Utica of the AHL because Miller's injury. ... C Jayson Megna was born in nearby Fort Lauderdale. ... Panthers D Keith Yandle played his 580th consecutive game, tying Johnny Wilson for the ninth longest stretch in the NHL. ... Jim Craig, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won a gold medal, attended the game.
UP NEXT:
Canucks: Visit the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Panthers: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) stops a shot by Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
More
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Aleksander Barkov has put an extended scoring slump behind him, and that finally helped the Florida Panthers end a losing streak Saturday night.
Barkov had a goal and an assist and has 11 points in his last 12 games, including four goals in the past six. Earlier in the season, Barkov slogged through a drought of 21 games without a goal.
Those recent points hadn't done the Panthers much good, though, until the Canucks came to town. Aaron Ekblad gave Florida a three-goal lead early in the third period and the Panthers held on for a 4-2 victory over Vancouver to end a five-game slide.
''I couldn't score in (21) games, and then I scored finally. And now I'm feeling more confident,'' Barkov said.
The Panthers won their first home game under interim coach Tom Rowe. The win was the Panthers' first in regulation since a victory over Ottawa on Nov. 19, a span of 11 games.
''I love that. A bunch of teams in our division lost so we gain ground on everybody in front of us,'' Rowe said.
Vincent Trocheck scored his first goal in 18 games. Derek MacKenzie also scored for Florida. Roberto Luongo made 37 saves, and Jaromir Jagr recorded an assist and now has 1,883 points, four behind Mark Messier for second on the NHL career list.
The play of Barkov seemed to lift the Panthers offense, which hadn't scored four goals since the Ottawa game.
''He's playing the way we expected him to,'' Rowe said. ''He's being Barkov. It removes a lot of pressure from other guys.''
Stress had been building for the Panthers. They're still reeling from an unexpected coaching change, with Rowe replacing Gerard Gallant in late November.
''It feels like they're all must wins,'' Luongo said. ''Everybody's bunched up together. You want to look at it one game at a time.''
Daniel Sedin and Jack Skille scored in the third period for the Canucks. Jacob Markstrom stopped 38 shots.
With the Panthers clinging to a 3-2 lead, Trocheck scored an empty-net goal with 47.1 seconds left.
Trailing 3-0, the Canucks scored twice in the third.
Skille took a shot from low in the right circle that got past Luongo on the glove side at 8:06 of the third. Skille has three goals in two games.
A power-play goal by Sedin made the score 3-2. Troy Stecher shot from the point, and the puck hit Sedin's stick and was redirected into the net at 11:45 of the third.
''We had our chances for sure,'' Sedin said. ''Luongo was good. But it's still too late. Chasing being down 3-0, it's tough. We made it tough on ourselves.''
The Panthers had stretched their lead to 3-0 at 1:05 of the third. Jagr took a shot from above the right circle that was blocked by Markstrom. Ekblad backhanded the rebound and beat Markstrom on the stick side.
Barkov gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead 2:22 in. Seth Griffith passed from behind the net to Barkov in front, who poked the puck past Markstrom. Barkov has points in 11 of his past 12 games.
The Panthers went ahead 2-0 on MacKenzie's goal. MacKenzie corralled a bouncing puck and pushed it into the net at 9:35 of the second. Paul Thompson recorded his first NHL point with the first assist on the goal.
Canucks goalie Ryan Miller could return Sunday against the Capitals. He left Thursday's game with a lower-body injury.
''I won't know yet. Ryan will probably try to take some shots in the morning. We'll get a read on him in the morning and then we'll make our decision,'' Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said.
NOTES: Canucks D Erik Gudbranson, who was the first-round pick by the Panthers in 2010 and played for the Panthers for five years, received a video tribute and an ovation from the crowd in his first return since being traded to Vancouver last June. ''I definitely didn't expect that from them. I really appreciate it,'' Gudbranson said. ... G Thatcher Demko was called up from Utica of the AHL because Miller's injury. ... C Jayson Megna was born in nearby Fort Lauderdale. ... Panthers D Keith Yandle played his 580th consecutive game, tying Johnny Wilson for the ninth longest stretch in the NHL. ... Jim Craig, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won a gold medal, attended the game.
UP NEXT:
Canucks: Visit the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Panthers: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Today at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraqi banks are on the right track with financial transfers
Today at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Al-Khazali: The Turkish side is still imposing its conditions on Iraq
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Rights: We refuse to amend the bylaws of Parliament under political influence and desires
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Nechirvan Barzani: We want to address all problems with Iran and begin a new phase of relations
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Today, Iraq and Iran signed the minutes of a joint meeting related to trade
Today at 5:03 am by Rocky
» KPMG International begins auditing the revenues of telephone companies operating in Iraq
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Oil: The seventh batch of equipment for the gas manufacturing project in the Nasiriyah and Gharraf f
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani assures the French ambassador of Iraq’s openness to “fruitful” partnerships
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Government move to install gold screening devices at 4 airports
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Sudanese Advisor: The oil sector is witnessing a rapid renaissance
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Opening offices specialized in employing people with disabilities
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Infrastructure and investment projects for the water sector in Iraq
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Adopting the electronic system in the next census
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs the first meeting to restructure the government apparatus
Today at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Business Council: Efforts to open a branch of the Chinese Bank in Iraq
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Iraqi diplomacy is balanced openness
Today at 4:52 am by Rocky
» The head of the Integrity Commission told Al-Sabah: We are the people’s eyes on the government and s
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Baghdad Provincial Council: The capital is facing a new urban and service phase
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Customs, security and economic aspects
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Central Governor: We face “increasing challenges” in complying with international laws
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Payment of end-of-service benefits to employees referred to retirement for the month of May
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Billions “evaporated”.. What is the truth about closing the “theft of the century” file in Diyala?
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Labor approves the extinguishment of debts owed by transgressors from the families o
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» How did Washington comment on Nechirvan Barzani's visit to Tehran?
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» The honeymoon is over and the salary crisis continues. Baghdad and Erbil exchange accusations, but s
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Why has Iraq not submitted a file to stop burning gas over the past years?
Today at 4:39 am by Rocky
» A slight increase in the exchange rate...more than 146 thousand per 100 dollars
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Do Iraq's debts pose a threat to the economy? Parliament answers
Today at 4:37 am by Rocky
» Agriculture explains the mechanism of implementing the calendar program and its economic gains
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» President Masoud Barzani meets an Iraqi parliamentary delegation
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary criticism of the government’s delay in sending the budget schedules despite the approa
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» A report reveals the existence of an undeclared “Iraqi-British” agreement regarding asylum seekers
Today at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Alternative energy... advanced stages of the largest solar energy station in Iraq
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Its delay raised concerns... it is likely that the 2024 budget schedules will be approved today
Today at 4:30 am by Rocky
» The industry reveals the reasons why Russian companies stopped reconstructing 7 factories in Anbar
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Billions evaporated.. What is the truth about closing the theft of the century file in Diyala?
Today at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Nouri Al-Maliki to the Saudi Ambassador: Iraq is open to all countries of the world
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» An Iraqi generation that “does not fear” America and Iran.. Nadim Al-Jabri explains his expectations
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» After 9 years.. the third session of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between Iraq and A
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» “These are our goals.” The Turkish President talks about his visit to Iraq last month
Today at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Romanowski: The Iraqi judiciary is independent and the Federal Court seeks to consolidate democracy
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Deputy: The presidency of Parliament will remain vacant until the end of the current session
Today at 4:17 am by Rocky
» Political: The Iraqi economy is threatened by American hegemony because of the coordination administ
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» Politician: Salem Al-Issawi will not become Speaker of Parliament
Today at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Planning reveals the mechanism for examining gold in local markets
Today at 4:14 am by Rocky
» Including railway connectivity and water shares... Iraq and Iran are discussing a number of common i
Today at 4:12 am by Rocky
» Oil is preparing to export gas oil after achieving self-sufficiency
Today at 4:11 am by Rocky
» Trade is preparing to hold a number of specialized exhibitions in Baghdad and the provinces
Today at 4:09 am by Rocky
» Erdogan: Our goal is to raise the volume of trade with Iraq to more than 20 billion dollars
Today at 4:08 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani confirms Iraq's openness to fruitful partnerships with French companies
Today at 4:07 am by Rocky
» Determining the launch date for the activities of the 48th session of the Baghdad International Fair
Today at 4:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives a delegation from the Union of Arab Banks
Today at 4:05 am by Rocky
» utube 5/3/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar Update - Expectation - Implementation - Activation - New Exchange Rat
Yesterday at 7:30 am by Rocky
» utube 5/4/24 MM&C Iraq Dinar- IQD Update - No Float of Exchange Rate - Budget -2024 - Schedules -
Yesterday at 7:29 am by Rocky
» “Services” asks the Central Bank about billions of foreign banks in Iraq
Yesterday at 7:27 am by Rocky
» Central Bank: Iraqi banks still face challenges in complying with international laws and standards
Yesterday at 7:24 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary bloc: The Central Bank offers hard currency to “mafias” on a golden platter.. The Suda
Yesterday at 7:20 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Central Auction witnesses a rise in foreign remittances to $267 million
Yesterday at 7:19 am by Rocky
» Wednesday.. The session to elect the President of the Iraqi Parliament is heading towards “Al-Issawi
Yesterday at 7:14 am by Rocky
» The Union of Arab Banks proposes 4 “important” points for Iraqi banks to meet compliance standards
Yesterday at 7:12 am by Rocky
» In the document... the Central Bank decides to return the “Al-Mal” Bank to work... in this case
Yesterday at 7:08 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi-American agreements and cooperation were the most prominent topics of Al-Araji and Romanow
Yesterday at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim meets a joint delegation of resolve and sovereignty and renews the call to hold a session t
Yesterday at 7:05 am by Rocky
» Nearly one billion dinars were recovered and 3 million liters of fuel intended for smuggling in Iraq
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani and the European Union ambassador discuss issues of economic partnerships, civil aviation,
Yesterday at 6:59 am by Rocky
» More than 950 million dinars... petroleum products announced their recovery
Yesterday at 6:57 am by Rocky
» Forming a committee to follow up on stopping the sale of the dollar to travelers
Yesterday at 6:54 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Justice visits Al-Muthanna Governorate to discuss mechanisms for developing judicial
Yesterday at 6:52 am by Rocky
» Agriculture: Farmers who were affected by the recent rains will be compensated
Yesterday at 6:51 am by Rocky
» Al-Rasheed issues a warning regarding applying for advances and loans
Yesterday at 6:49 am by Rocky
» Al-Rafidain announces the implementation of the comprehensive banking system in its main branch
Yesterday at 5:24 am by Rocky
» Al-Rasheed warns of offices and pages claiming to promote the Salaf
Yesterday at 5:22 am by Rocky
» Adviser to the Prime Minister: There are no conflicts in the route of the Baghdad Metro
Yesterday at 5:19 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We are keen to develop the work of the TBI Bank and address the problems it faces
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» Agriculture explains the mechanism of implementing the calendar program and its economic gains
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» “The shocks have changed.” The Governor of the Central Bank explains the impact of the openness of I
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» The President of the Association of Private Banks sends an “important” invitation to the Central Ban
Yesterday at 5:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Alaq: The Iraqi banking sector has witnessed significant qualitative developments in response to
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» On behalf of Al-Sudani, the Minister of Planning sponsors the signing ceremony of a memorandum of un
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Travel Companies Association participates in the Arab Travel Market Exhibition
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» The start of the work of the Iraqi-Jordanian Economic Forum
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Integrity Commission at the Arab Anti-Corruption Convention Conference
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Election of the Speaker of Parliament between amendment and disruption
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Plans to increase the real estate bank's capital
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank sells more than $276 million in the currency auction
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Advisor to the Prime Minister: We are heading towards a complete transformation of the electronic pa
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Savings and financial inclusion
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Agriculture expects to market 6 million tons of wheat
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs the first meeting of the Supreme Committee for Restructuring the Government Apparat
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives an official invitation to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Confer
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» "Baghdad Today" in the southern refineries: The Azmara unit will reduce imported gasoline and hard c
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani stresses the importance of supporting the pillars of food security
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan is an important oasis for investment. Security and economic stability eliminates the housi
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Politician: Comparing Al-Halbousi to Al-Maliki is not up for discussion
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» The Kurdistan Democratic Party demands international supervision of the region's elections
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani heads to Italy next week on an official visit
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Warnings of challenges delaying budget approval, most notably the deficit
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» The Ministry of Oil sets the launch date for the fifth and sixth licensing rounds
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky