NHL Recaps: John Gibson new Ducks’ saves leader, and Panthers win in OT
The Daily Goal Horn
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NHL Recaps: March 10, 2023
There were only two games on the NHL docket for Friday night but Anaheim Ducks’ fans, who haven’t had much to cheer about this season, watched John Gibson make some franchise history.
NHL Recaps: John Gibson Ducks’ saves leader
Ducks 3 vs Flames 1
Max Comtois and Derek Grant each collected a goal and an assist and John Gibson became Anaheim’s all-time saves leader as the visiting Ducks claimed a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday.
Brett Leason also scored for the Ducks, who are near the bottom of the standings but are enjoying a 5-1-2 run.
Gibson, who surpassed Guy Hebert for the Ducks’ record with a first period stop in a 34-save performance, was under siege especially in the third period. On top of holding strong amidst a handful of flurries, he made a clutch save on Tyler Toffoli with less than seven minutes in regulation.
Gibson ended the night with 11,835 saves, topping the old mark of 11,813 set by Hebert from 1993-94 to 2000-01.
“I just found out after the game,” said Gibson, who leads the NHL this season with 1,518 saves and has won four of his past six starts. “It’s cool to be in the same category as those guys, some of the greats that have been here. It’s an honor, and hopefully [I] just keep going with it.”
NHL.com
Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames, who saw their playoff hopes take a big hit as their two-game winning streak ended. Goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 15 shots.
Calgary remains four points out of a playoff position with 16 games remaining. The Flames are the league’s lone team without a victory when trailing after two periods, falling to 0-16-3.
NHL Recaps: Panthers win in OT
Panthers 4 vs Blackhawks 3 (OT)
Brandon Montour scored with 2:17 left in overtime as the Florida Panthers rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-3, on Friday night in Sunrise, Fla.
Montour swatted a bouncing puck with a backhander, getting the puck past Petr Mrazek’s pads. Aleksander Barkov got the primary assist.
The Panthers were held scoreless for 48-plus minutes until Matthew Tkachuk assisted on three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead.
“Let’s be real here, that’s a team ranked 30th in the League,” Tkachuk said via NHL.com. “We needed the win more than they did… It was not the start we wanted, but we did a good job in the third. We heard some boos there, but turned it around at the end and heard some cheers.”
However, Chicago removed Mrazek for an extra attacker and scored on Cole Gutttman’s goal with 45 seconds left, forcing overtime.
Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen also scored for the Panthers, who won their third straight game for the first time since Feb. 9, matching their longest winning streak of the season.
Chicago, which also got goals from Caleb Jones and Boris Katchouk, went 0-for-6 on its power play as the Blackhawks lost for the sixth time in their past seven games.
Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves, improving his record to 21-17-2.
Mrazek, who appeared to be on track for his first shutout since he played for the Carolina Hurricanes nearly two years ago (April 4, 2021), made 39 saves. Instead, he has lost four straight games.
Chicago, which has 50 points, tied for the worst in the Western Conference, led 2-0 after the first period.
–Field Level Media