Red Wings 1 - 3 Panthers
Final
  for this game

Jagr passes Esposito, Panthers beat Red Wings

Mar 20, 2015 - 5:43 AM Sunrise, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Jaromir Jagr passed Phil Esposito for fifth place on the NHL's all-time goals list with No. 718 and the Florida Panthers beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Thursday night.

Brandon Pirri and Scottie Upshall also scored and Roberto Luongo returned from a six-game absence to make 25 saves for the Panthers, who are fighting to join the Red Wings in playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Luongo made his first appearance since a March 3 loss to Toronto, when he left the game between the first and second periods but was forced back into action after backup Al Montoya was also injured.

His return saw the Panthers, seven points out of a playoff spot when the day began, snap a two-game losing streak.

"We kept putting pucks on net, guys (went) to the net hard and we got rewarded," said Luongo. "We have to carry that over to the next game."

Erik Cole scored for Detroit and Petr Mrazek gave up three goals on 32 shots.

The Red Wings fell to 1-2 on a four-game road trip that also includes a 5-1 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday and a 7-2 loss in Philadelphia on Saturday.

"You've got to find ways to win games," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.

They were without star forward Pavel Datsyuk because of a lower-body injury but got Darren Helm back after he missed seven games with a strained oblique.

Jagr followed the puck into the zone and scored his 13th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the right circle to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead 10:55 into the second period.

He scored his 718th goal in his 1,539th game. Esposito had 717 goals in 1,282 games for the Blackhawks, Bruins and Rangers between 1963-81.

Jagr and Pirri were both near the net on Florida's second goal, which came after Aaron Ekblad's shot from the left side got through Mrazek. Jagr poked at the puck but Pirri slapped it before it went over the line and was credited with his 17th goal of the season at 14:42.

Upshall gave Florida a 3-0 lead 6:50 into the third period with a shot from the left circle that beat Mrazek over the shoulder on the far side.

Cole scored Detroit's lone goal at 10:07 of the third on a one-timer off Tomas Tatar's pass from behind the goal line.

Game Notes

Upshall scored his eighth goal of the season ... Cole got his 20th ... Detroit finishes its road trip on Friday against Tampa Bay ... Florida ends a three- game homestand on Saturday against Boston.






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