The Florida Panthers got a little help from the Carolina Hurricanes last night. Jordan Staal’s hat trick propelled the unlovable Bunch of Jerks to a 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs at Lenovo Center.
That positive decision leaves the Panthers four points behind Toronto (56-52) with a game in hand.
In other results from the Atlantic Division, the Tampa Bay Lightning moved up to third place by beating the Boston Bruins 4-1 at Amalie Arena, dropping the Bruins to fourth, and the Buffalo Sabres blanked the Ottawa Senators by a 4-0 count.
Friday in the Atlantic (Standings/Panthers Playoff Chances)
- Chicago (14-25-2 30P) at DETROIT (18-18-4 40P) 7 p.m.
- MONTREAL (19-17-4 41P) at Washington (27-10-4 58P) 7 p.m.
Idle: TOR (56P), FLA (52), TBL (46P), BOS (45P), OTT (41P), BUF (37P)
The Charlotte Checkers will kick off a six-game homestand when they host the Hershey Bears tonight for the first of a weekend back-to-back at Bojangles Coliseum. Charlotte is currently four points behind the Bears, who the lead the AHL’s Atlantic Division.