Panthers score four in first to defeat Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Alexander Petrovic and Nick Bjugstad scored the last of four Florida Panthers goals 1:11 apart late in the first period of a 4-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.
"I didn't really aim it; maybe that's what I should do more often," said Bjugstad, who ended a 19-game goal drought. "Obviously it had been a while. Thankfully it squeaked in. … I've got to keep going and we've got to get the momentum from here."

Evgenii Dadonov and Jamie McGinn scored, and James Reimer made 34 saves for the Panthers (25-23-6), who have won six of their past seven games (6-1-0). Florida is seven points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
WATCH: [All Panthers vs. Canucks highlights]
A moment of silence was held prior to face-off
for the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which is 10 miles north of the Panthers arena in Sunrise.
"I don't know if it was one of our best games but you give credit to the guys given the circumstances today," Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie said. "I thought we had a bit of a sluggish start, probably for a lot of reasons, and then kind of settled in and tried to control emotions and came up with two points."

Bo Horvat had a goal and two assists, and Michael Del Zotto and Brock Boeser scored for the Canucks (22-29-6), who have lost five of their past six games (1-5-0).
Jacob Markstrom was pulled after facing 14 shots in the first period. Anders Nilsson made 20 saves in relief.
"Not good enough," Canucks coach Travis Green said. "We did some good things. They are a really fast team. If you are going to beat a fast team you have to be able to pass the puck, you have to be able to handle the puck, your details have to be good and you have to win puck battles. At times we did that. At times we didn't, especially in the first period."
Del Zotto made it 1-0 37 seconds into the first period after Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad knocked a rebound out of the air into his net.
Dadonov tied it 1-1 on a partial breakaway at 7:36. Horvat scored 34 seconds later, beating Reimer from the low slot after a turnover behind the Florida net for a 2-1 lead.
The Panthers tied it 2-2 on a power play at 13:01 after Ekblad chipped a loose puck at the side of the net over Markstrom that bounced in off McGinn's shoulder.

"It was a bunch of fluke goals," Horvat said. "You can't make any excuses. You have to come to play a full 60 minutes. It was fluky goals tonight but that's the way it bounces sometimes."
Petrovic scored from the slot after a turnover in the corner at 17:25 for a 3-2 lead, and Bjugstad made it 4-2 at 18:36 with a wrist shot under Markstrom's blocker from above the left dot after Aleksander Barkov won an offensive-zone face-off.
"It was probably one of his best games of the year," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said of Bjugstad, who also had an assist. "He's just got a lot of power with the puck right now, and he's using that big body of his and he's creating scoring chances for himself and he's playing against top lines."

Boeser scored his NHL rookie-leading 27th goal two seconds into a nine-second 5-on-3 at 13:16 of the second period on a wrist shot from between the hash marks to make it 4-3.
After being beaten twice on the first five shots, Reimer stopped 31 of the final 32.
"He was great in the third period, there were some chances late, a one-timer in the slot that we can't give up, but he came up with a huge save," McGinn said. "That's what we need from him."

Goal of the game

Bjugstad's goal with 1:24 left in the first period.

Save of the game

Reimer stopped Sven Baertschi with 4:50 left in the third period.

Highlight of the game

Boeser's goal at 13:16 of the second period.

They said it

"We're scoring goals, which is nice, we're finding ways to put pucks in the net and [James Reimer] made some big saves at the end of the game as well." -- Panthers coach Bob Boughner
"He let in four goals. I thought I would put [Anders Nilsson] in. I'm not going to sit here and blame him on the goals. I know the kind of guy [Jacob Markstrom] is. He is going to expect to save more." -- Canucks coach Travis Green on pulling Markstrom after the first period
"We talked about getting two points and kind of dedicating this win to everybody back home, and what can I say? It's a sad day. -- Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie

Need to know

Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo was activated off injured reserve Wednesday and backed up Reimer. Luongo, who has missed 26 games with a groin injury sustained Dec. 4, is expected to start against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. … Panthers forward Radim Vrbata returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for six games. … Vancouver was 1-for-6 on the power play.

What's next

Panthers: At the Calgary Flames on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CITY, SNW, FS-F, NHL.TV)
Canucks: At the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SNP, NHL.TV)