Aaron Ekblad scored the eventual game-winner at 18:12 of the second period as the Florida Panthers edged Colorado 2-1 on Sunday in Sunrise, Fla., to end the Avalanche’s 10-game winning streak and send the NHL’s top team to only its third regulation loss of the season.
Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers, who avoided a third straight loss and won for the second time in five outings (2-2-1). Florida improved to 14-9-3 on home ice this season. Goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves for Florida.
Artturi Lehkonen scored Colorado’s lone goal, redirecting a Josh Manson point shot past Tarasov. Lehkonen has seven goals and four assists in 21 games against the Panthers.
For Colorado, all three regulation losses have come with the team trailing entering the third period. Scott Wedgewood stopped 23 shots in just his second regulation loss of the season (18-2-4).
Canadiens 4, Stars 3 (OT)
Lane Hutson scored at 3:40 of overtime as Montreal recovered for a win against host Dallas after blowing a third-period lead.
Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who have won four of their last six. Samuel Montembeault made 24 saves.
Wyatt Johnston scored twice — including the third-period equalizer — and Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars, who have lost a season-high five straight (0-2-3).
Hurricanes 3, Devils 1
Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist to help Carolina end a three-game losing streak with a win against New Jersey in Newark, N.J.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven also scored, and Brandon Bussi made 28 saves for the Hurricanes after surrendering a season-high six goals in his previous outing, a 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Dawson Mercer ended a 16-game goalless drought and Jake Allen made 27 saves for the Devils, who were trying to win three in a row for the first time since Nov. 24-28.
Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 4 (OT)
Rickard Rakell scored the tying goal with 14 seconds left in regulation, and Sidney Crosby came through with the game-winner 2:22 into the overtime, as visiting Pittsburgh overcame a three-goal deficit to beat Columbus.
Pittsburgh trailed 4-1 early in the second period, but worked its way back and Rakell later converted from the low slot to force overtime. In the extra session, Crosby, who assisted on Rakell’s goal, came off the bench, took a pass from Erik Karlsson, broke free, then went forehand-backhand to beat Greaves for Pittsburgh’s season-high fifth straight win.
Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko each had a goal with an assist for Columbus, which had won four of five.
Blackhawks 3, Knights 2 (OT)
Tyler Bertuzzi registered a hat trick, including the game-winning goal 1:18 into overtime, to lift host Chicago to a victory over Vegas.
Bertuzzi entered the night tied with the injured Connor Bedard (shoulder) for the team lead with 19 goals this season. He ended the game with his 22nd goal and fifth career hat trick. Chicago extended its winning streak to three games.
Brandon Saad and Mark Stone scored for the Golden Knights, who took their fifth straight defeat and eighth in nine games. Stone has a goal in four straight games, matching a career high.
–Field Level Media
