Huberdeau, Panthers top Flyers to remain undefeated

PHILADELPHIA -- The Florida Panthers won their fifth straight game to start the season, 4-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first two goals of the season and had an assist for Florida (5-0-0), and Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves.
Dating to last season, the Panthers have won 11 consecutive regular-season games.
"Obviously, every day we want to win, and especially we know the start is really important," Huberdeau said. "Having five wins now, it's huge for us, and I think really good start, we've played some good teams. Was a big test and I think we got over that hump, and it's nice to have this start."
Claude Giroux and Cam Atkinson scored for Philadelphia, which lost in regulation for the first time (2-1-1). Carter Hart made 27 saves.
"I thought the whole game we competed well," Giroux said. "We played a good game there. They're a pretty good team, and it was a good test to see where we stand. They're rolling pretty good right now, but that game was there for us to win."
Huberdeau scored shorthanded at 7:53 of the third period to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead. Sam Bennett jumped on a loose puck in the Florida end and as he entered the Philadelphia zone found Huberdeau cutting through the slot. Hart made the save on the first shot, but Huberdeau banked in the rebound off the goalie from below the goal line.
"He made a big toe save on me on my backhand," Huberdeau said. "The puck just came to be behind the net, and I saw his paddle was there and I just tried to bank it off his paddle, and it worked out. Was a huge goal for us. Sometimes you get some bounces, and that was one."
Huberdeau gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 17:00 of the first period.
"It's always good to get your first one out of the way," he said. "It was good. I think I had a good game and needed that for our team."
Giroux tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal at 4:23 of the second period.

Atkinson put the Flyers ahead 2-1 when he scored at 10:53 on a shorthanded breakaway.
Philadelphia went 6-for-7 on the penalty kill.
"You give those guys a lot of power plays, they capitalize," Atkinson said. "They're going to gain momentum, and it kind of messes up rolling the lines and guys get out of sync."
Owen Tippett finished a 3-on-2 rush for his first goal of the season to tie it 2-2 with 27 seconds remaining in the second period.

"We played pretty strong throughout even when we got behind there 2-1 giving up the shorty," Florida coach Joel Quenneville said. "That could have turned the complexion of the game. Thought we finished that period well, got the break on the goal, now it's anybody's game and obviously getting the shorty back right at them, that's the break of the night."
Huberdeau said there was no sag on the bench after the Panthers fell behind.
"We have confidence in each other, and it shows, 1-0 to 2-1, we don't panic on the bench," he said. "We know what we can do, we can come back, and that's what we did. Huge goal at the end of the second by 'Tip,' and after that the third period we just play our game, and it worked out."
Sam Reinhart scored an empty-net goal to make it 4-2 with 1:12 remaining.
NOTES: The Panthers scored first for their fifth straight game. Four teams in the previous 15 seasons had a longer streak to start a season: the Nashville Predators in 2015-16 (seven games), Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07 (seven), Montreal Canadiens in 2008-09 (six) and Detroit Red Wings in 2007-08 (six). ... Atkinson (four goals, one assist) and Giroux (three goals, one assist) each extended his season-opening point streak to four games. ... Atkinson's shorthanded goal was the Flyers' first of the season and came in their fourth game; last season, they scored their only shorthanded goal in their 50th game. ... Giroux's power-play goal was his 82nd, tying Eric Lindros for eighth in Philadelphia history. ... Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle was minus-2 with two shots on goal in 18:05. He played the previous five seasons for Florida before signing a one-year contract with Philadelphia on July 28.