The Florida Panthers overcame the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime at Nationwide Arena on Thursday. It completed a five-game road trip for the Panthers.
After a scoreless first period, Columbus(10-12-6) took a 1-0 lead six minutes into the second. Max Domi came into the Cats zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway. He connected a cross-ice pass from the left circle to the low slot and Oliver Bjorkstrand guided a one-time forehand shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his ninth goal this season.
The Blue Jackets expanded their lead to 2-0 with 9:46 left in the frame. Riley Nash centered the puck from behind the Panthers cage and Bjorkstrand snapped a shot from the low right circle for his second tally and his fourth goal in the last four contests.
Florida(17-5-4) made it 2-1 with 3:10 remaining in the second. Gustav Forsling sent a wrist shot from the high slot which was deflected by Patric Hornqvist in the slot area past Elvis Merzlikins for his second straight game with a goal and 11th of the campaign. Carter Verhaeghe was given the secondary assist on the play.
In the third period, Columbus got a power-play goal at 3:23. Zach Werenski angled a pass from the top of the zone and Patrik Laine blasted a one-time slap shot from top left circle for his ninth goal of the season.
It became a three-goal cushion for the Blue Jackets at the 4:43 mark. Domi carried the puck from his own zone, through the neutral zone and into the Panthers zone on the left side. His attempted pass from the low left circle went off MacKenzie Weegar's stick and into the net.
Florida started to come back in the game and trailed 4-2 with 13:26 to go. Radko Gudas fed a lead pass from his own zone to Ryan Lomberg at the red line. He sent the puck to Noel Acciari on the right side and he placed a shot from the right circle. Lomberg batted the rebound in from the left of the crease and scored his first NHL goal.
The Cats pulled the contest to 4-3 with 7:39 remaining in the third. Weegar brought the puck to the left corner and passed it out. Owen Tippett ripped a wrist shot from the left-circle dot for his third goal this season.
The Panthers evened it up 4-4 with 5:34 left on a power-play goal. Jonathan Huberdeau backhanded the puck from the left-circle dot to Yandle on the left point. He sent a diagonal pass to the right circle and Alekander Barkov rifled a one-time slap shot for his ninth goal. Huberdeau extended his assist and point streak to five games.
Florida completed the comeback at 2:48 in overtime. Huberdeau had a 2-on-1 break and took a shot from the low right circle which was saved. Frank Vatrano, playing in his 300th NHL game, followed in and tapped the rebound into the Blue Jackets cage from the left side of the crease. Ekblad got his 151st NHL assist which surpassed Jay Bouwmeester for third all-time in franchise history for assists by a defenseman.
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