Florida 2, Detroit 1
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 7, 2013
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Referees:
Eric Furlatt, Kelly Sutherland
Linesmen:
Greg Devorski, Brad Kovachik
Attendance:
20066
By SportsDirect Inc.
Panthers 2, Red Wings 1: Jonathan Huberdeau scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period as visiting Florida won back-to-back games for only the second time this season.
Jimmy Hayes scored for the second straight game and Tim Thomas turned aside 22 shots as the Panthers dropped Detroit to 5-6-6 at home. Shawn Matthias collected two assists for Florida, which will host the Red Wings on Tuesday.
Daniel Cleary scored and Jonas Gustavsson made 35 saves for Detroit, which suffered only its third regulation loss in 26 all-time meetings with the Panthers.
The Red Wings jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 4:06 into the contest, when Thomas yielded a juicy rebound off Justin Abdelkader's backhander and Cleary buried it into an open net. Florida tied it 2:59 into the second period as Gustavsson failed to control Matthias' sharp-angle shot from along the boards and Hayes poked the puck underneath him.
The Panthers dominated the middle session, outshooting Detroit 17-5, and their efforts finally paid off when Huberdeau collected a loose puck in the slot and slipped a backhander by Gustavsson at 3:29 of the third for a 2-1 edge. The Red Wings nearly got the equalizer, but Drew Miller hit the post with 4:45 to play.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cleary snapped a 23-game goalless drought with his first tally since Oct. 14. ... Matthias recorded his first multi-point effort since he notched two assists against Washington on April 6. ... Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk (concussion) sat out his seventh consecutive game but has been cleared to return to the lineup for Tuesday's rematch with the Panthers in Florida.
Top Game Performances
| Florida |
|
Detroit |
|
Shawn Matthias 2 |
Points |
Daniel Cleary 1 |
|
Jimmy Hayes 1 |
Goals |
Daniel Cleary 1 |
|
Shawn Matthias 2 |
Assists |
Justin Abdelkader 1 |
|
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Tim Thomas .957 |
Save Percentage |
Jonas Gustavsson .946 |
|
Tim Thomas 22 |
Saves |
Jonas Gustavsson 35 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Florida
|
37 |
2 |
0-2 |
3-3 |
6 |
21 |
| Detroit
|
23 |
1 |
0-3 |
2-2 |
4 |
32 |
Upcoming Games
-
Detroit will play their next game on the road against Florida. The Red Wings have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .375 after a loss.
-
Florida will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Panthers have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .286 after a loss.
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