TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — NHL points leader Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers in the season finale for two non-playoff teams on Saturday night.
St. Louis finished the year with 60 points, giving him the league lead pending the outcome of later games.
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Tomas Fleischmann scored his second goal of the game to give Florida a 4-3 lead at 13:53 of the third. Rookie Jonathan Huberdeau had three assists, while Marcel Goc added an empty net goal in the final minute of play.
St. Louis assisted on Matt Carle’s goal 5 minutes into the first period that made it 1-0, and scored from in-close to put Tampa Bay up 3-2 at 5:47 of the second. The right wing, with 912 points, moved past Gary Roberts in 95th place on the career list. Bobby Orr is 94th with 915 points.
Steven Stamkos got the second assist on St. Louis’ goal, giving him 57 points. Tampa Bay also got a goal from Ryan Malone.
Nick Bjugstad scored his first NHL goal for the Panthers. Scottie Upshall had the other Florida goal.
After Malone scored, Bjugstad cut the Florida deficit to 2-1 from the top of the right circle with 3:06 left in the first. Fleischmann tied it at 2 early in the second.
Upshall’s rebound goal at 5:30 of the third got Florida even at 3-all.
NOTES: Florida G Jacob Markstrom stopped Benoit Pouliot on a penalty shot 70 seconds into the game. … Malone stopped a personal 11-game goal drought. … Panthers LW Eric Selleck (concussion) returned after missing the previous 15 games. He assisted on Upshall’s goal for his first NHL point.
