Without injured center Aleksander Barkov, the Florida Panthers were forced to shuffle its forward lines and coach Gerard Gallant’s moves paid off in spades with a 6-2 win over the Dallas Stars.
The new top line of Nick Bjugstad, Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau combined for six points. Bjugstad and Jagr each had a goal and an assist and Huberdeau contributed two helpers.
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad notched his first of the season for the eventual game-winner. Dave Bolland, Reilly Smith and Quinton Howden were the other Panther scorers.
Jamie Benn lit the lamp twice for Dallas with Tyler Seguin picking up helpers on both goals.
Al Montoya posted his second win of the season, finishing with 33 saves to snap the Stars five-game winning streak.
With the big win, the Cats ended the three-game road trip with a 1-1-1 record. Considering the competition, a respectable result in my opinion. Agree? Disagree? The floor is yours.
Make sure to check back with us in the morning for the full recap.