It’s probably not a coincidence.
Vincent Trocheck is back, and the Florida Panthers’ seven-game losing streak is over, ending on Friday night with a 3-1 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.
Trocheck, playing for the first time since he fractured his right ankle on Nov. 19, earned the primary assist on Mike Matheson’s game-winning goal to end Florida’s longest losing streak since it dropped nine straight from Oct. 22 to Nov. 10, 2013.
A 2017 All-Star who scored a total of 54 goals the past two seasons, Trocheck missed 28 games with the ankle injury.