Associated Press
The NHL roundup …
RALEIGH — After squandering a two-goal lead in an arena they’ve struggled to win in, the Florida Panthers had reason to brace for the worst.
Instead, the Panthers surprised themselves when Bryan Allen’s quick slap shot from the boards 1:16 into overtime eluded Cam Ward’s glove and gave Florida a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.
Florida improved to 6-25-2 all-time at the RBC Center, a fact that ran through at least some of the players’ minds after the Hurricanes roared back from a 3-1 deficit early in the third period.
“It’s tough,” Allen said. “Obviously our history (here) doesn’t help. We’ve got to try to change that. Little steps like tonight helps give us a little confidence.”
Cory Stillman, Chris Higgins and Dennis Wideman also had goals for Florida. Scott Clemmensen made 34 saves as the Panthers improved to 5-1-2 in their last eight games and 18-17-2 on the season.
Zac Dalpe, Zach Boychuk and Jay Harrison had the Hurricanes’ goals. Ward made 24 saves but couldn’t help Carolina win its fourth straight.
Bruins 2, Maple Leafs 1
TORONTO — Patience and persistence finally paid off for the Boston Bruins’ struggling top line.
Marc Savard scored the tiebreaking goal and Tuukka Rask stopped 36 shots to lead the Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nathan Horton also scored for Boston in the finale of 3-0-2 road trip.
Blackhawks 4, Kings 3
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jonathan Toews scored the winning goal off his own skate at 14:33 of the third period, giving the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night to end a three-game skid.
The defending Stanley Cup champions swept the Kings in four games.
CLASSIC RATINGS
NEW YORK — The Winter Classic’s television ratings were up from last year even though it was postponed because of rain.
The start of the NHL’s New Year’s Day game was delayed from 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday. The move to prime time meant more people were watching TV at that hour.