Donald Audette scored two power-play goals to reach 500 career points Friday as the Florida Panthers beat Washington 4-1, just hours after the Capitals traded star Jaromir Jagr to the New York Rangers.
"I really wasn't thinking about it," Audette said. "It wasn't on my mind, but it is nice to finally have it over with."
The Capitals and Rangers completed the deal before the game, with Jagr going to New York in exchange for Anson Carter.
PHOTO: AP
"It's never a nice situation when someone gets traded," Washington center Robert Lang said. "We're losing a friend and a great player. It's tough on everybody."
The Panthers snapped a two-game losing skid, both at home, and won for only the second time in their last six, while Washington has dropped two straight overall and five in a row on the road.
Audette, signed as an unrestricted free agent on Jan. 16, scored his first two goals for the Panthers. He has 256 goals and 244 assists in his 15-year career.
Juraj Kolnik also scored on a power play, and Byron Ritchie added a goal for Florida. Roberto Luongo, selected to the All-Star game Thursday, had 28 saves, allowing only Joel Kwiatkowski's power-play goal early in the third period.
Devils 2, Canadiens 0
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Martin Brodeur made 21 saves over Montreal for his 10th shutout, matching the New Jersey star's career high.
Brodeur is just five shy of the NHL modern-era record of 15 shutouts set by Chicago's Tony Esposito in 1969-1970. Patrik Elias scored a short-handed goal and set up a power-play tally by Grant Marshall for the Devils.
Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore had 22 saves, including a third-period stop on a penalty shot by Marshall.
Islanders 3, Hurricanes 2
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Trent Hunter had a goal and two assists, and Rick DiPietro made 25 saves for New York over Carolina in the Islanders' first game against former coach Peter Laviolette.
Michael Peca and Justin Papineau also scored to help the Islanders to their first road win in January.
Sean Hill had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Justin Williams, acquired from Philadelphia on Tuesday, added a power-play goal in the third period. Ron Francis assisted on Williams' goal and played in his 1,700th NHL game.
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