Panthers forward Dryden Hunt jumped a little. He left the ice again, just barely. And then a third leap, bigger this time, before he turned and got a bear hug from veteran Troy Brouwer.
The occasion was Sunday’s 6-1 Panthers win over the visiting Detroit Red Wings, a game that belonged to Florida’s rookies.
Hunt and defenseman Josh Brown each got their first NHL goal, and netminder Sam Montembeault – who didn’t have a win in this league just a couple of days ago – earned his second straight victory.
“It’s exciting,” said Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who had one goal and one assist.