Panthers beat Jets 4-1 for 4th home win

[March 06, 2013]  SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Tomas Kopecky, Shawn Matthias and Mike Santorelli scored for Florida and Jonathan Huberdeau converted a penalty shot in the Panthers' 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 shots for his first win of the season for Florida, which won at home for just the fourth time this season. The Panthers have been plagued by injuries this season -- including Stephen Weiss' season-ending wrist injury.

Kyle Wellwood scored for Winnipeg and Ondrej Pavelec finished with 22 saves while falling to 8-11-1 this season.

After Wellwood tied the score early in the second period, Matthias put the Panthers ahead for good midway through the period with his fifth game-winning goal of the season.

Kopecky put the Panthers ahead 1-0 with a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot at 5:07 of the first period. It was Kopecky's ninth goal of the season and seventh in the last 10 games.

Wellwood scored his first goal at 1:42 of the second to tie the score.

Matthias put the Panthers ahead again at 9:55 of the second as he sent a one-handed backhand shot over the Pavelec's shoulder. Colby Robak had an assist on the play for his first career point.

Huberdeau got his 11th goal of the season 5:10 into the third, becoming the first Panthers player to score on two penalty shot goals in a season. The last rookie to score on two penalty shot goals in a season was Columbus' David Vyborny in 2000-01.

Santorelli capped the scoring with 3:43 left, getting his first goal since he scored twice against Toronto on Feb. 28, 2012.

NOTES: Florida D Tyson Strachan played in his 100th career NHL game. Strachan was on the ice for more than 20 minutes in his last three games played, marking the first times in his career he's skated more than 20 minutes in a game. ... RW Jonathan Rheault played his first game with the Panthers. Rheault is the fifth player to play in their first game for the Panthers this season. ... Jets D Dustin Byfuglien made it to Florida after missing team practice on Monday to take care of a family matter in Minnesota. There was some worry that Byfuglien might be detained by weather in joining the team. ... The teams will play the fourth of five games scheduled this season against each other on Friday in another home game for the Panthers.

[Associated Press]

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