Panthers hand Avs third straight loss
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs Florida Panthers.It looks like new coach Peter Horachek has breathed new life into the Florida Panthers, and the Colorado Avalanche have suddenly fallen on hard times.
The Panthers played a strong all-round game Saturday at Pepsi Center to defeat the slumping Avalanche 4-1 for their second win in the past three games and first road victory since a season-opening win Oct. 3 against the Dallas Stars.
Goalie Tim Thomas made 32 saves for his 200th NHL win, Brian Campbell had a goal and an assist, and Tom Gilbert chipped in with three assists for the Panthers, who have gone 2-3-0 since Horachek replaced Kevin Dineen as coach Nov. 8.
The Avalanche have lost three consecutive games and fallen into third place in the Central Division, behind the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. Chicago visits Pepsi Center on Tuesday.
The Panthers used second-period goals by Campbell and Tomas Kopecky to take a 3-1 lead into the third period, making it the second time this season they led after two periods.
Jonathan Huberdeau closed out the scoring at 12:16 of the third during a scramble in front of Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov.
Kopecky skated in alone on Varlamov and slid a backhand shot between his pads at 13:53 of the second to make it 3-1. Kopecky scored two seconds after the Panthers' fifth consecutive power play of the game expired.
Campbell gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 1:15 on the second half of a power play that started at 17:39 of the first period when the Avalanche's Nate Guenin was assessed a double minor for high sticking Huberdeau, who was cut near his mouth.
Campbell ripped a shot from the left point for his third goal of the season, all of them coming in the past four games.
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy changed his top three line combinations at 7:00 of the second period, and the move paid off when Ryan O'Reilly scored at 7:23, cutting the Panthers' lead to 2-1. O'Reilly, skating with John Mitchell and PA Parenteau, moved into the right circle and scored as Mitchell drove to the net.
The Avalanche had a couple of good chances after that, but Gabriel Landeskog shot wide from the slot and Thomas made a save against Nathan MacKinnon, who was moved to a line with Maxime Talbot and Matt Duchene.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead at 12:40 of the first period on goal by Brad Boyes, who was in tight on the right side when he accepted a pass from Scottie Upshall and shot the puck by Varlamov's glove.
The goal came eight seconds after the Avalanche finished killing off Parenteau's hooking penalty.
-- by NHL.com --
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17/11/2013 - 06:16
