Panthers Blow Lead To Blackhawks

     The Florida Panthers returned from a six-game road trip and lost the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 on Saturday night at BB&T Center. It was the beginning of an eight-game homestand for the Panthers. They have fell in five of their last six games.
     Florida(8-9-4) scored during their first power play at 5:48. Jonathan Huberdeau moved the puck from the left wing to Keith Yandle at the top of the zone. He passed to the top right circle where Mike Hoffman blasted a one-time slapshot past Cam Ward. Hoffman now has a point in 17 of his last 18 games.
     The Panthers made it 2-0 with 6:20 left in the first. Colton Sceviour centered the puck from the left side to Jared McCann in the slot and he shoveled it in with a backhand shot.
     In the second period, Chicago(9-10-5) struck 49 seconds into the frame. Dominik Kahun was on the right side of the Panthers blue line and made a square pass to David Kampf. He skated around Aaron Ekblad in the right circle and lifted a shot from the crease by James Reimer.
     The Blackhawks evened it at the 5:34 mark. Brandon Saad carried the puck down the right side from the neutral zone to the edge of the right circle. His backhanded pass to the middle was tapped in Patrick Kane from the crease area.
     The Cats regained the lead 3-2 at 8:08. Evgenii Dadonov passed the puck around the right corner to Hoffman on the right wing. His cross-ice pass got to Ekblad in the top left circle and he took a one-time shot for his fourth goal of the season.
     It became a two-goal margin for the Panthers with 8:30 remaining in the second. Nick Bjugstad stopped the puck at the left point and made a diagonal pass to Huberdeau at the right-circle dot. He flicked a pass to the crease and Frank Vatrano redirected it into the Hawks cage.
     Chicago closed the lead during the third period. Alexandre Fortin brought the puck through the slot on a breakaway and scored an unassisted shorthanded goal on a rebound shot from the blue paint with 10:08 to go.
     The Blackhawks tied it up 4-4 with 0.8 seconds left in regulation. Kane had the puck on the end wall and backhanded it to the front. Alex Debrincat slid in the puck from the low slot with a forehand shot.
     Chicago got the victory during overtime at 2:32. Nick Schmaltz fed a pass to Erik Gustafsson and he scored on a snap shot from the high slot.