The Florida Panthers extended the Toronto Maple Leafs’ losing streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday.
Florida’s Bryan Allen, Steven Reinprecht, Shawn Matthias and Michael Frolik each scored to put the Maple Leafs in a 4-0 hole with about seven minutes remaining.
Tomas Vokoun made 32 saves but had his shutout bid spoiled when a Mikhail Grabovski slapshot with about six minutes to play found the back of the Florida net.
The consolation goal kept Toronto from being shut out for the fourth time in seven games.
For Toronto (5-7-3), whose last win came against Florida (6-7-0) on Oct. 26, their current losing skid is their longest since opening last season 0-6-1.
The Panthers opened the scoring at 7:42 in the first on the unassisted score from Allen.
After notching a power-play conversion in the second, Florida twice beat goaltender Jonas Gustavsson in the third to put the game away. Gustavsson finished with 24 saves.
“I thought we played a good game. We were opportunistic,” Panthers coach Peter DeBoer said. “We got some scoring from some people we needed to.”
Blue Jackets 8, Blues 1
The Columbus Blue Jackets recorded the biggest winning margin in franchise history with an 8-1 thrashing of the previously in-form St Louis Blues in Columbus, Ohio.
St Louis came into the game on a seven-game winning streak but that came to a shuddering end as Columbus also equalled its highest ever score.
Jake Voracek scored on two breakaways to chase Columbus’ red-hot goalie Jaroslav Halak as the Blue Jackets scored early and often.
They had previously been the only team in the NHL this season that had not scored more than three goals.
The rout also was a rare collapse by the Blues, who had allowed just four goals in their previous six games.
Chris Clark also had two goals and Rick Nash, R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette each added a goal and an assist for Columbus.
Bruins 7, Penguins 4
In Pittsburgh, Boston piled on five goals in the third period to cap a comeback win over Pittsburgh.
Boston entered the third period facing a 4-2 deficit, but Nathan Horton and Slovakian Zdeno Chara scored 15 seconds apart to tie it.
Shawn Thornton scored the go-ahead goal, Blake Wheeler added insurance and Milan Lucic put in an empty-netter.
Mark Recchi and Brad Marchand scored the earlier goals for the Bruins.
Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, while Chris Kunitz, Aaron Asham and Brooks Orpik also scored.
Coyotes 2, Blackhawks 1
In Chicago, Kyle Turris and Eric Belanger scored 35 seconds apart in the second period to lift Phoenix past Chicago.
Backup goalie Jason LaBarbera made 35 saves for Phoenix.
Previously winless this season in three appearances, he won for the fourth time in four career games against Chicago. He faced 26 shots in the first two periods, but only 10 in the third.
Ducks 1, Islanders 0
In Anaheim, the hosts notched a fifth straight win by edging New York.
Curtis McElhinney made 27 saves and Saku Koivu scored early in the third period.
The Ducks managed just 14 shots and appeared exhausted for long stretches of their fourth game in six nights, failing even to get a shot in the first 18 minutes. Yet Anaheim still managed to send the Islanders to an eighth straight loss.
Sabres 5, Devils 4, SO
In Newark, Buffalo won in Lindy Ruff’s 1,000th game as the Sabres’ coach, defeating New Jersey.
Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek scored shootout goals. Roy, Jason Pominville, Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis scored in regulation for the Sabres.
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