Panthers stop Stars with dominant third period

PANTHERS

Aleksandr Barkov tallied two goals and an assist to lead the Florida Panthers to a wild 4-3 comeback win over the host Dallas Stars on Tuesday.

Dallas led 3-1 after two periods and the Panthers erupted for three goals within a 3:29 span in the final set. Barkov scored two power-play goals during that surge, with the forward’s deflected goal at 14:38 mark standing as the winner.

Sam Bennett scored the equalizer in between Barkov’s two tallies. Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour each had two assists.

The Panthers lead the NHL in overall points (94) and road points (50). Florida is 15-1-0 in its last 16 road games and 18-3-0 in its last 21 games overall.

Sergei Bobrovsky was often spectacular in stopping 27 of 30 Dallas shots. Bobrovsky’s highlight reel included robbing Logan Stankoven early in the first period and denying Matt Duchene during a Stars power play early in the third period.

Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Jake Oettinger stopped 26 of 30 shots.

The loss snapped the Stars’ five-game winning streak and their eight-game (6-0-2) points streak on home ice.

The Panthers were 3-for-4 on the power play and are 11-for-29 with the extra attacker over their last nine games. The Stars’ penalty kill has been going in the opposite direction, killing only 13 of 21 penalties in their last seven games.

Pavelski put Dallas ahead at 3:53 of the first period, as a defensive breakdown from the Panthers sprung Pavelski and Robertson for a two-on-none rush.

Robertson scored on a power play at 7:48 of the second period, and Johnston extended the Stars’ lead with a tip-in just 23 seconds later. Robertson has 10 points (four goals, six assists) over a seven-game points streak.

Sam Reinhart’s power-play marker at 12:52 of the second period got the Panthers on the board. 

–Field Level Media