Trocheck leads balanced Panthers attack over Predators
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Florida Panthers picked an unlikely place and opponent to notch their season high for goals.
Six players scored goals and four of them tallied in a crazy second period Saturday as Florida dumped the Nashville Predators 6-4 at Bridgestone Arena.
Vincent Trocheck picked up two goals and an assist for the Panthers (24-20-10), while 44-year-old Jaromir Jagr started the outburst with his 10th goal of the season and the 1,899th point of his legendary career.
It was just the fourth time that Florida's potted five or more goals in a game this season.
The first four came against Pekka Rinne (21-15-6), who was pulled after Trocheck's breakaway goal at 7:53 of the second period made it 4-2 Panthers. Rinne entered the game with a 1.83 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage since Jan. 3, but stopped only 12 of 16 shots.
Juuse Saros saved 18 of 20 shots for Nashville (26-21-8), which lost for the fourth time in six games and permitted its most goals in a game this season.
Jagr's deflection of Keith Yandle's point shot at 4:24 of the first period initiated the scoring. Roman Josi equalized for the Predators at 9:19 with a slapper from the point that appeared to hit off the stick of Florida defenseman Jason Demers and fluttered past Roberto Luongo.
Jussi Jokinen made it 2-1 Florida at 5:52 of the second with a power-play tally from the right faceoff circle. Viktor Arvidsson tied it for Nashville at 6:56 with the first of his three goals, a wrister from the point that appeared to strike a Panthers' defender and elude Luongo.
But Nick Bjugstad gave Florida the lead for good 28 seconds later with a backhander to the top left corner, followed 29 seconds later by Trocheck's 19th goal of the season.
Saros came in but was beaten on the first shot he faced, Aleksander Barkov maneuvering in front and beating him with a wrister on the power play at 9:53.
Arvidsson drew the Predators within 5-3 with a one-timer at 17:01 with teammate Filip Forsberg in the box for boarding, his third shorthanded goal of the season.
Huberdeau's wrister to the top left corner of the net at 2:30 of the third period made it 6-3, and Arvidsson bagged his first career hat trick with a deflection of Yannick Weber's slapper at 18:48. Trocheck capped the scoring with an empty-netter at 19:22.
Luongo (15-14-6) stopped 26 of 30 shots for the Panthers, who started a five-game road trip.
NOTES: Coming into Saturday's game, Florida hasn't outshot Nashville in each of its 12 visits. The Predators have recorded more shots in the prior 11 games after matching the Panthers' 26 shots in their first-ever home game in October 1998. ... Nashville D P.K. Subban needs two points to reach 300 in his career. ... Florida scratched C Greg McKegg and D Jakub Kindl. ... Predators scratches were D Anthony Bitetto, C Colton Sissons and D Brad Hunt.