Panthers rally to beat Blue Jackets 5-4 in OT
SUNRISE - Nick Cousins pulled Florida into a tie in the final minute of regulation, Carter Verhaeghe scored 1:26 into overtime and the Panthers got a wild 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.
Florida led 3-0 barely 6 minutes into the contest, gave up the next four goals and then needed the late heroics from Cousins and Verhaeghe.
Ryan Lomberg, Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves.
Sean Kuraly, Boone Jenner, Alexandre Texier and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin made 35 saves in relief of Elvis Merzlinkins, who allowed three goals on 11 shots in the first 6:09.
Lomberg opened the scoring with a bank shot off of Merzlinkins' back 2:19 into the game. Forsling added a goal 50 seconds later that quickly gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Barkov scored a backhand goal while falling on a rebound to put Florida up 3-0, prompting Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent to swap out his goaltenders.
The Panthers outshot Columbus 20-0 from the 1:19 mark of the first period until the Blue Jackets got their first goal of the game with 4:19 to go in the first.
Kuraly picked up an Erik Gudbranson rebound and stuffed it past Bobrovsky to break the streak. Boone Jenner added a second goal with 1:09 to go in the opening frame with a quick wrist shot off the rush.
Marchenko tied the game with a power-play goal 10:02 into the second period.
Texier stuffed in a loose puck sitting in front of a wide-open Florida net to put the Blue Jackets ahead 4-3 with 7:30 left in regulation. But Cousins got the tying goal off a turnover late, then Verhaeghe won it.
Florida defenseman Mike Reilly made his Panthers debut after being a healthy scratch in the team's first 10 games. Columbus defenseman Andrew Peeke — a native of nearby Parkland, Florida — drew into his first game since the team's season opener on Oct. 12.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
Panthers: At Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
