Devils 3 - 5 Panthers
Final
  for this game

Devils fade late, Panthers earn comeback victory

Mar 15, 2014 - 5:31 AM Sunrise, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Brad Boyes, Scottie Upshall and Vincent Trocheck lit the lamp in the third period, as Florida rallied from a two-goal deficit to down New Jersey, 5-3, on Friday.

Brian Campbell and Quinton Howden also tallied and Jonathan Huberdeau picked up a pair of assists for the Panthers, who ended a three-game slide.

Roberto Luongo stopped all 11 shots he faced in the final 20 minutes and recorded 28 saves for the contest.

"I came out in the third and wanted to shut the door for the boys and was happy I got rewarded there with a couple of good goals," Luongo said. "Guys don't quit. We got some fresh young legs, they skate hard."

Bryce Salvador, Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias scored for the Devils, who saw a two-game win streak conclude. Damien Brunner added two helpers, but Cory Schneider allowed four goals on just 21 shots in defeat.

Boyes lit the lamp at 4:24 of the third to even the game at 3-3. His team leading 18th goal of the season trickled between the pads of Schneider after picking off a cross-ice pass from Devils defenseman Andy Greene.

Upshall put the hosts ahead at the midway point of the period, sliding a low shot home from a sharp angle at the top of the right circle.

"I'm really not happy with that (Upshall) goal," Schneider said. "It deflates the team. I never like goals to go under me or through me."

Trocheck added the insurance empty netter with 32.5 seconds to play, during a 4-on-4 situation.

Campbell opened the scoring for the hosts one second shy of the midway point of the first period, poking home a Jimmy Hayes rebound from the left side. Jagr evened things for the visitors with 1:15 left before intermission with a power-play marker.

New Jersey led 2-1 just after the two-minute mark of the second on Salvador's wrister from the left point, and Elias upped the advantage to 3-1 at 13:13 when his wrister from the left circle beat Luongo through a screen.

Howden beat Schneider off a dish from Scott Gomez with 5 1/2 minutes left and the Panthers entered the final 20 minutes down by only one.

Game Notes

Florida improved to 3-0-1 over its last four home games against New Jersey ... Campbell and Tom Gilbert were a game-best plus-4, while Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky carried a game-worst minus-4 ... Despite his goal, Jagr was a minus-3.






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