SUNRISE, Fla. >> Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov played their first game of the season together and the chemistry that was so evident a year ago rekindled immediately.
The Ducks surely wished the two were reunited on another night. A connection on a second-period goal for Huberdeau in his season debut made the difference in a 2-1 win for the Florida Panthers on Friday night at BB&T Center.
A skate cut to his Achilles tendon in a preseason game kept Huberdeau out for the Panthers’ 51 contests. Florida also had to deal with Barkov missing the last 15 due to a back injury. But its two brightest offensive stars got together in the second for a successful connection.
Barkov brought the puck into the offensive zone and Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa tried to meet him with a check inside the blue line but didn’t stop his progress. Cam Fowler came over defender against Barkov but the big center threw a pass over to Huberdeau.
Huberdeau didn’t miss in quickly banging in a one-time shot into the top right corner over Ducks goalie John Gibson (35 saves) for a 2-1 lead. The goal was dispiriting for the Ducks (28-16-9), who dealt with penalty issues throughout the second.
Looking more and more like a high-level No. 1 goalie, Gibson was stellar throughout. Six saves were made during a penalty kill when the Ducks went down two men after Korbinian Holzer and Josh Manson took penalties five seconds apart. A golden chance by Vincent Trocheck in the third was turned away.
However, the Ducks never generated many good offensive chances beyond the first as they took seven minor penalties. Holzer had two of them and while Jaromir Jagr’s tripping penalty ended a Florida power play, the Panthers soon got their winning goal from Huberdeau.
Hampus Lindholm got the only Ducks goal in the first, giving them a lead that was all too brief. Reilly Smith tied it for Florida with a goal off his skate and a quick review determined that there was no distinct kicking motion.
The Ducks played the third period without defenseman Sami Vatanen, who did not return after suffering a lower-body injury in the second. Vatanen saved a potential goal by Jagr in the first when he got his stick to foil Jagr’s tuck-in try as Gibson was caught out of position.
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