Florida Panthers top Avalanche 4-1 but lose Jaromir Jagr to injury

On Monday, the Panthers learned first-line center Sasha Barkov would be out perhaps a month with a broken bone in his hand.

They sure hope Jaromir Jagr isn’t out that long.

Jagr, 43, left Florida’s 4-1 win over visiting Colorado on Tuesday late in the first period and didn’t return.

The Panthers didn’t offer much information on Jagr’s injury, but stressed it didn’t appear to be serious.

“I think it’s just a groin or hip, hopefully minor and I think it’s slight. It has been bothering him for a week,’’ coach Gerard Gallant said of Jagr, who played three full shifts in the first but left the ice after just six seconds on his fourth.

“Hopefully after a maintenence day [Wednesday] he’ll be fine.’’

Without Jagr, the team’s leading scorer with 10 points, the Panthers’ offense found the Avs hard to navigate.

Florida’s first two goals came on 40-foot wristers from Vincent Trocheck and both came on the power play.

Trocheck, 22, gave Florida a 1-0 lead with 19.7 seconds left in the first period — minutes after Jagr headed into the trainer’s room — by snapping a wrist shot past Reto Berra.

On Florida’s second power play, which didn’t come until early in the third period, Trocheck cashed in again, this time drilling a Dmitry Kulikov offering beyond the reach of Berra.

“Good teams have players step up when another goes down,’’ said Trocheck, who scored a career-high seven goals in 50 games last year and has four in nine this season.

“We have probably our two best players on the team out right now and the second-tier guys are stepping up in a big way. It was nice to get a few.’’

Midway through the third, Florida got its third power play chance of the night and, yes, the Panthers scored once more.

Reilly Smith, who hadn’t scored in Sunrise since the season opener on Oct. 10, beat Berra off a Jussi Jokinen pass to make it 3-0.

Defenseman Brian Campbell had assists on Trocheck’s two goals then capped his strong night by scoring on a shorthanded chance — he said it was his first — with 5:58 left.

“I’ve felt good lately, have been snakebitten a little, but feel good out there,’’ Campbell said. “Finally, tonight, I got things going.”

Goalie Roberto Luongo was strong throughout and made 31 saves for the win. Luongo was in line for his first shutout sine Jan. 2 before Gabriel Landeskog scored with 56.7 seconds left.

“Our goaltending had been great all season,’’ Gallant said. “They’ve been our best players for sure.’’

▪  With Barkov out and Jagr’s status for Friday’s game against Boston unknown, the Panthers will likely recall a forward from their AHL team in Portland, Maine.

Barkov will need to be placed on the injured list to get below the 23-man roster limit, but with him being out at least two weeks, that’s only a formality.

Greg McKegg and Shane Harper — who had a terrific training camp and was one of the final players cut — lead the Pirates with five points a piece.

Kyle Rau, Bjugstad’s former teammate at Minnesota, has three goals and an assist.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 12:29 AM with the headline "Florida Panthers top Avalanche 4-1 but lose Jaromir Jagr to injury."