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.
For Colorado (31-3-7), 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) on Sunday.
Ekblad gave Florida a 2-1 lead in the middle frame, putting a slap shot past a screened Wedgewood. All three of Ekblad’s goals this season have been game-winners.
Gabriel Landeskog left the game with an upper-body injury 1:22 into the second period after catching a rut in the ice and crashing into the Panthers’ net hip-first.
Bennett opened the scoring at 6:27 of the first period, stripping Colorado defenseman Jesper Boqvist of the puck, driving the net, and jamming home his own rebound. The goal extends Bennett’s point streak to nine games (four goals, six assists).
The Avalanche responded at 11:51 of the first period as Artturi Lehkonen re-directed a Josh Manson point shot past Tarasov. Lehkonen has seven goals and four assists in 20 games against the Panthers.
Florida defenseman Seth Jones missed his first game after taking a puck up high in Friday’s Winter Classic loss to the New York Rangers. Jones is considered day-to-day.
Sunday marked the teams’ second and final regular-season meeting. Colorado thumped visiting Florida 6-2 on Dec. 11.
–Field Level Media
