Panthers Pull Off Three-Goal Comeback

Tomas Fleishmann got the winning goal from a right-corner feed by Stephen Weiss with 2:03 left in the game to cap off a three-goal comeback as the first-place Florida Panthers shocked the New Jersey Devils 4-3 Monday night at the Bank Atlantic Center. Florida failed with a five-on-three power play early in the first period, then the Devils followed with three goals in just over three minutes. Ilya Kovalchuk scored the first goal at 8:17 as he dropped a pass at the top of the Panthers zone to Henrik Tallinder, who put a shot on net, then Kovalchuk followed up in the crease with the rebound. Petr Sykora roofed in a backhand shot from the right edge of the crease at 9:26 after a slapshot from Adam Larson from the right point. Later on, a lead pass by Martin Brodeur went to Patrick Elias center ice. He skated through on a two-on-one breakaway, faked a shot and passed across to Dainius Zubrus who put a forehand into the open net from the right circle at 11:49. The second period went for Florida after they killed off a Devils power play. Dmitry Kulikov skated the puck through the right circle and placed it in the low slot off Weiss skate. Kris Versteeg pounced on the loose puck for the goal at 5:28. The Panthers pulled within one goal at 10:40 as Jason Garrison stopped the puck on the left point when the Devils tried to clear zone. His shot was stopped in front by traffic where Versteeg finished the play off with a wrist shot from the right of the crease. The Panthers tied the game in the third period as Weiss put in a shorthanded goal on a four-on-three situation with a wrist shot over Brodeur's left shoulder after a give-and-go play from Garrison. In a surprising piece of news, Florida came back from three goals down for only their second time in their 18-season franchise history. The Panthers host the New York Rangers on Wednesday.