Jagr moves into third place on NHL goals list as Panthers beat Jets 3-1

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Jaromir Jagr scored twice to move into third place on the NHL career goals list and help the Florida Panthers beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Saturday night.

Reilly Smith had the go-ahead power-play goal early in the third period for Florida and Roberto Luongo stopped 30 shots in his return after missing two games. The Panthers won for just the third time in eight games (3-3-2).

Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 14th of the season on a power play in the first period, and Michael Hutchinson finished with 25 saves for the Jets, losers of three straight (0-2-1).

Jagr's goal 4:53 into the second period tied Brett Hull for third with 741. Only Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801) had more goals.

Skating down the middle toward the goal, Jagr redirected a centring pass from Dmitry Kulikov and put the puck over Hutchinson's right shoulder to tie the score at 1.

Smith scored his 19th goal, at 3:58 of the third on a power play, to give Florida a 2-1 edge. The right wing fired a wrist shot from the right circle and the puck beat Hutchinson to the right side.

Jagr then scored his 20th of the season and No. 742 for his career on a wrist shot from close range with 4:23 left in the third period to make it 3-1.

Luongo played for the first time since allowing five goals on 28 shots in a 5-0 loss against Nashville a week earlier.

Panthers defenceman Michael Matheson, the team's first-round pick in 2012 out of Boston College, and centre Kyle Rau, the Panthers' third-round selection in 2011 out of the University of Minnesota, both made their NHL debuts.

NOTES: Panthers C Jonathan Huberdeau (upper body) left the game early in the first period and did not return. ... Winnipeg was without C Bryan Little, who was listed as day-to-day following a hit he took from Anton Stralman in Thursday's 6-5 shootout loss at Tampa Bay. ... The Panthers improved to 13-1-2 when Jagr scores a goal. ... Kulikov and Jussi Jokinen each had two assists.