Panthers 4 - 1 Avalanche
Final
  for this game

Thomas earns 200th win as Panthers down Avs

Nov 17, 2013 - 5:36 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Tim Thomas earned his 200th career win with 32 saves as the Florida Panthers beat the suddenly struggling Colorado Avalanche 4-1 at Pepsi Center.

Tom Gilbert collected three assists for the Panthers, who have won two of their last three games on the heels of an 0-5-4 slide. Florida snapped a nine- game road losing streak (0-8-1), winning as the visitor for the first time since its season-opener at Dallas.

"We didn't commit many turnovers and we kept the puck deep in their zone," Gilbert said.

Semyon Varlamov surrendered four goals on 33 shots for Colorado, which has dropped three straight and four of six following its 12-1-0 start.

"Effort is not a problem with this team. It was focus and we made poor decisions," said Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy.

The Panthers grabbed a 1-0 lead on by Brad Boyes' first-period goal, then Brian Campbell beat Varlamov on a power play with a slap shot from the top of the left circle 1:15 into the second period.

Ryan O'Reilly cut the Avalanche deficit in half when his shot deflected in off Gilbert at the 7:23 mark of the second. Tomas Kopecky restored Florida's two- goal cushion, slipping a backhander through the five-hole of Varlamov with 6:07 to play in the middle stanza.

Jonathan Huberdeau capped the scoring in the third period.

Game Notes

Colorado forward Matt Duchene suffered an oblique injury ...The Panthers posted their first win in Denver since Jan. 2, 2003, snapping a three-game losing streak ... Avalanche defenseman Andre Benoit missed the game with a wrist injury ... Colorado forward Alex Tanguay is now out indefinitely. He was initially expected to miss at least two weeks with a knee injury suffered Nov. 2.






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