ST. LOUIS _ Not since Thelma and Louise has there been a more memorable road trip.
In a much happier ending, the Panthers, led by red-hot goalie James Reimer and a last-second goal by Vincent Trocheck, completed the franchise's first 5-0 road trip with a 2-1 gem over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night at Scottrade Center.
Reimer notched 26 saves and is 8-1-2 in his last 12 appearances (1 no-decision).
The Panthers, winners of eight of nine, topped their 4-0 trek from Nov. 29-Dec. 4, 2015. The Blues and Predators were also victims on that trip. But that sweep couldn't compare in degree of difficulty as after their 7-4 defat of the Predators, the Panthers had success in California, knocking off the Sharks (6-5), Ducks (4-1) and Kings (3-2) in succession for the first time ever in a single season. No other NHL team has pulled off the West Coast trifecta this season.
In the bunched-up Atlantic Division, the Panthers leapfrogged over the idle Leafs and Bruins into third place, before starting a 4-game homestand on Wednesday against Connor McDavid and resurgent Edmonton Oilers.
Trailing 1-0 after two periods and coming off a 3-shot frame, Blues' coach Mike Yeo fired up his charges. They stormed Reimer until Kyle Brodziak whipped in a rebound of Scottie Upshall's backhander from the slot to make it 1-1 at 2:54.
The Jaromir Jagr, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau line put on a dazzling display of puck control for a 1:29 shift while peppering Jake Allen with six Grade-A scoring chances only to be denied. After scoring 11 goals and 21 points in the six games they had been reunited, the trio was kept off the scoresheet for the first time.
Then the second-line trio of Trocheck, Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith controlled the puck in the final minute until Trocheck fired a straightaway slapper past Allen with 4.6 seconds left in regulation for his 21st goal. Not settling for a gritty one-point effort, the Panthers outshot the Blues 18-11 in the final period.
The Blues, knowing they were looking at their five-game bye break, came out strong, but Reimer held them at bay until Nick Bjugstad stripped the puck from defenseman Kevin Shettenkirk behind St. Louis' net. He whipped a behind-the-back pass to an alert Jonathan Marchessault, who somehow snuck the puck off the post and squeezed it in for a 1-0 lead at 10:40.
Marchessault's billiard shot was his 17th goal of the season and it came in his 100th NHL game. Bjugstad has five points (2-3) in his last six games.
"It's been a good road trip for us to kind of realize what we have," Bjugstad said. "I think we have a little bit more than we thought a month ago, so it's good that guys are getting more confidence and we're coming together. We got to keep playing this hard-body type style we've been playing and good things will come.
"We can't let this trip make our heads too big. We've got to take the positives and keep moving on. There's still plenty of work to be done as far as the points column and win column, so it's going to be a fun little month and a half."
When things are going good, teams get the breaks and the Panthers got one when Colton Parayko's wrister cleanly beat Reimer only to clang off the crossbar, allowing the Panthers to maintain a 1-0 lead after one.
As early in the second another Blues' blast caromed off the end boards and nearly went in off the stick of an unaware Reimer.
The Panthers' third-ranked penalty kill, led by Derek MacKenzie and Colton Sceviour, smothered the Blues' sixth-ranked power play, allowing just two benign shots on two extra-man opportunities.
Clogging up the neutral zone all night, the Panthers held the Blues to three paltry shots in the scoreless second period. Florida had nine takeaways and just one turnover through the first 40 minutes.
