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12/19 21:13 CST Panthers, down 3-0 in the third, stun Hurricanes and win in
shootout, 4-3
Panthers, down 3-0 in the third, stun Hurricanes and win in shootout, 4-3
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) --- Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored extra-attacker goals
in the final minutes to lead a furious comeback, Evan Rodrigues got the winning
goal in the shootout and the Florida Panthers stunned the Carolina Hurricanes
with a 4-3 victory on Friday night.
Brad Marchand also scored for Florida, which trailed 3-0 midway through the
third and still was down 3-1 with less than five minutes left.
But with the teams playing 4-on-4, Panthers coach Paul Maurice pulled Sergei
Bobrovsky for an extra skater. Bennett scored soon after to make it 3-2, and
Reinhart connected with 41.8 seconds left to knot the game at 3-3.
It was Florida's second three-goal comeback in less than two weeks. The
Panthers also rallied from three down to top Columbus 7-6 on Dec. 6.
Sebastian Aho scored two third-period goals for the second consecutive game for
the Hurricanes, whose five-game winning streak was snapped. Jordan Staal also
scored for Carolina.
Goaltender Brandon Bussi --- who was in camp with the Panthers this fall before
being claimed by the Hurricanes --- had 38 saves and lost for just the second
time in 13 starts this season.
Marchand's goal was his 20th of the season for Florida, making him the
third-oldest player to reach that number with the Panthers. Jaromir Jagr did it
at 43, Joe Nieuwendyk did it at 39. Marchand, in his first full season with
Florida, is 37.
Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for Florida, which now has won seven of its last
eight games.
Staal scored at 11:53 of the first put Carolina up 1-0, and it stayed that way
until Aho scored on a breakout early in the third. Aho struck again on the
power play with 12:26 left, about a minute after Marchand was called for
cross-checking --- a play that left the Panthers bench in disbelief.
Marchand scored midway through the third, and the rally was on.
Up next Hurricanes: Visit Tampa Bay on Saturday. Panthers: Host St. Louis on Saturday. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl |
