Big second period lifts Blues past Panthers

Pavel Buchnevich scored twice in a three-point game while Jordan Kyrou netted one goal and one assist as the visiting St. Louis Blues rode a three-goal second period to a 4-1 victory over the struggling Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Alexey Toropchenko also scored for the Blues, who have won three of four games since Drew Bannister was named interim head coach following the firing of Craig Berube. Goaltender Joel Hofer made 37 saves, and Robert Thomas collected three assists.

Eetu Luostarinen replied for the Panthers, who have lost four of five games. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots.

Despite the Panthers holding a 15-6 edge in shots at the time, Kyrou opened the scoring at the 4:50 mark of the second period. Taking advantage of an odd-man rush, and sub-standard defending when the original opportunity went for naught, Kyrou eventually buried a chance for his seventh goal of the season.

Kyrou set up Buchnevich's short-handed goal three minutes later. During to another odd-man rush, Kyrou eventually sent a pass to Buchnevich in the slot and he took his time to pick his spot.

The assists gives Kyrou six points (two goals, four assists) in a four-game stretch.

Luostarinen benefited from a lucky-bounce power-play goal to put the Panthers on the board at 13:47 of the frame. He sent a puck off the side glass that was intended to go deep in the offensive zone, which Hofer left his net to play, but the puck ricocheted off a stanchion and bounced into the net for Luostarinen's fifth of the season.

However, Toropchenko restored the Blues' two-goal lead just under three minutes later. Toropchenko was at the net and deflected Marco Scandella's point shot for his sixth goal of the season.

Buchnevich rounded out the scoring with an empty-net goal with 3:09 remaining in regulation, his 12th goal of the campaign.