Hoffman, Ekblad lead Panthers past Sharks 5-3

Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman scored, Aaron Ekblad had two assists and the slumping Florida Panthers beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 Monday. Colton Sceviour, Anton Stralman and Vincent Trocheck also scored for Florida, which had lost six of seven. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 shots, and the Panthers moved within two points of idle Toronto for third place in the Atlantic Division.

Dylan Gambrell, Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier each scored and Brent Burns had two assists for San Jose, which had won four of its previous five. Aaron Dell had 23 saves.

Hoffman scored his 22nd goal 11 minutes into the second period on a breakaway after intercepting Burns' pass near his own blue line. That put Florida up 2-1, and Sceviour made it 3-1 midway through the third.

Dadonov scored his 24th goal off a rebound on a wrist shot from five feet out for the game’s first goal early in the first. Gambrell countered with his fourth goal at 12:30 of the first.

The Sharks closed within 3-2 on Labanc's power-play goal, his 14th overall, with just over five minutes left in the third.

Stralman scored his fifth with just under three minutes left in the third to extend Florida’s lead to 4-2, and Meier and Trocheck traded goals late, with Trochek scoring into an empty net. Meier's goal was his 20th.Panthers: At Anaheim on Wednesday.