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 The Panthers have notched 17 goals in their last four games, one
more than the 16 they netted in their 11 previous contests.
"Pucks are starting to go in, we were a little snakebit at the start
of the year," center Shawn Thornton said.
Sunday, center Nick Bjugstad and right winger Brad Boyes scored two
goals apiece, leading the Panthers to a commanding 6-2 victory over
the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
"It was one of those games where everything was kind of clicking for
everyone," Bjugstad said. "Everyone was working hard and doing the
little things; that was the difference."
Bjugstad added two assists, and Boyes had one. Left winger Jonathan
Huberdeau contributed a goal and an assist for Florida (6-4-5).
Center Vincent Trocheck scored, while left winger Jussi Jokinen and
defenseman Brian Campbell each racked up two assists.
 Florida started backup goaltender Al Montoya, who turned aside 33 of
35 shots he faced. Defenseman Hampus Lindholm and right winger Andrew Cogliano scored
for the Ducks (11-4-4).
For the second time in three games, Anaheim pulled starter Frederik
Andersen and brought Jason LaBarbera into the game. The Ducks later
reinserted Andersen. The duo combined to save 23 of 29 shots. Coach
Bruce Boudreau and his players were quick to spread the blame across
the entire roster after the game.
"That's just embarrassing to play like that in our building,"
Anaheim center and captain Ryan Getzlaf said.
Florida opened the scoring off the rush 4:40 into the game when
right winger Tomas Kopecky made a cross-ice pass to Trocheck for his
first goal of the season.
Moments later, another two-on-one chance was erased when Bjugstad's
wrist shot hit the left post.
"We had four 2-on-1s against us in the first 21 minutes. I don't
know if we've had two in any of the previous 18 games," Boudreau
said. "It was a complete effort as far as not being very good."
Anaheim failed to score on the opening period's only power play but
gained considerable momentum at even strength. The Ducks tied the
game off sustained pressure when Lindholm's shot from the point
ricocheted off a Florida defender and into the net at 12:16.
The Panthers regained the lead 83 seconds into the second period
when a tic-tac-toe play culminated in the puck going in off Boyes'
left skate for his third goal of the campaign.
Bjugstad beat defenseman Sami Vatanen to the outside and then sent a
wrist shot high to the short side of Andersen, chasing the Ducks'
starting goalie from the game 4:11 into the second period.
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Huberdeau extended the Panthers' lead to 4-1 midway through the
game, as he redirected in a soft, 60-foot wrist shot from defenseman
Aaron Ekblad at 10:02. Ekblad, the top overall pick in this year's
draft, has eight points in his past seven games. Huberdeau, a former
Calder Trophy winner, doubled his point production for the season
with two points Sunday.
Boyes scored on the power play on an innocuous shot that found its
way between LaBarbera's pads 17:19 into the second period. It was
Boyes' second goal of the night and his fourth of season.
"They were just shooting the puck and going to the net," Panthers
coach Gerard Gallant said. "They pounded some pucks tonight and they
competed."
Andersen returned to the Ducks net for the third period, but the
Ducks' second goaltending change was no more effective than their
first as the team continued to lose ground.
Bjugstad rifled a snap shot high to the short side, beating Andersen
and making it 6-1 at 4:55. The towering center had two goals and one
assist in 14 games heading into Sunday's four-point performance.
The Ducks scored an academic goal on a wrist shot by Cogliano with
1:45 remaining in the game.
NOTES: Ducks RW Kyle Palmieri (ankle) was activated from injured
reserve and made his season debut after a pair of rehab games with
the team's AHL affiliate in Norfolk, Va. ... Anaheim RW Corey Perry
was also activated and returned to the lineup after missing seven
games, reportedly with the mumps. ... Ducks LW Devante Smith-Pelly
(shoulder) missed his second straight game and was placed on IR. ...
Anaheim RW Tim Jackman (illness), LW Dany Heatley (groin), D Ben
Lovejoy (finger), D Francois Beauchemin (illness), D Mark Fistric
(back) and G Josh Gibson were all out of action. ... Panthers C
Brandon Pirri (concussion), C Dave Bolland (groin), D Dmitry Kulikov
(knee) and LW Sean Bergenheim (lower body) were unavailable Sunday.
... Panthers captain D Willie Mitchell returned to Southern
California for the first time after playing four seasons and winning
two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings. ... The game drew a
crowd of 16,128.
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