Florida Panthers: Huberdeau Joins Barkov in 80-Point Club

Last game, forward Jonathan Huberdeau joined the 80-point club, becoming the second Panther player to do that this year.

It really came as to no surprise seeing forward Jonathan Huberdeau reach the 80-point plateau for the first time in his young NHL career.

All year long, Huberdeau has produced, regardless of who he’s played with. But beside his partner in crime, Aleksander Barkov, the duo have absolutely torn up the show, becoming the first pair in franchise history to reach 80 points in a single season.

During their previous game against the Arizona Coyotes, Huberdeau was entering the match with 79 points. He needed a single point to reach that personal milestone and of course, he went above and beyond.

That night, Huberdeau (like Barkov) was the absolute star of the show, putting his team on his back in usual fashion, setting up three goals in the process.

In a game where the Panthers really struggled early on, it was their usual superheroes in Huberdeau and Barkov that they could count on to save the day.

Despite going down a goal early in the first while on the power play, Huberdeau and Barkov connected towards the end of the frame to escape the first twenty minutes with a tie.

Then, Huberdeau assisted the next two and Barkov added an empty-net goal to seal the coffin for a 4-2 victory. And, had MacKenzie Weegar’s second goal counted, Huberdeau would’ve been credited for an assist, upping his tally that night to four.

But regardless, Huberdeau was nothing short of a menace for the Coyotes to deal with, which ultimately showed on the scoreboard by the end.

Barkov, on the other hand, had quite the night himself, recording two goals and increasing his point tally to 87 points (34G & 53A) on the season.

With Huberdeau’s three-point night against Arizona, his point tally has risen to 82 points (23G & 59A). The Cats have eight games remaining, which should give Huby enough time to potentially reach the 90-point club.

Essentially, Barkov – who’s three points shy of hitting 90 – will absolutely hit that mark for the first time in his career, but may also have a chance to even reach 100 with a little luck on his side.

Unquestionably though, it was only a matter of time until these two hit these milestones in their respective careers, taking their games to a whole new level.

Hopefully, Dale can improve this roster in the summer and give his star forwards the tools for success. Because if they’re given what they need to win, the sky is only the limit for these two forces.