Flames Burn Panthers

     Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar made their return to South Florida as the Calgary Flames beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in a shootout at FLA Live Arena on Saturday. Matthew Tkachuk, who the Panthers acquired from the Flames in the trade over the summer, was also facing his former team. The Panthers were wearing their new retro reverse light blue jerseys for the first time. 

     Calgary(8-7-2) got out to a 1-0 lead on the power play with 4:47 left in the first period. Nikita Zadorov poked the puck back from the right circle to Noah Hanifin on the right point. He angled a pass to the left and Adam Ruzicka powered a slap shot by Spencer Knight for his third goal of the year.  

     The Flames broke out quickly to start to the second period and made it 2-0 just 50 seconds in. Elias Lindholm passed the puck to Ruzicka on the right wing. He connected a cross-ice pass and Zadorov snapped a shot from the left circle for his fourth tally of the campaign. 

     Florida(9-7-2) chopped it down to 2-1 at the 3:30 mark. Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom misplayed the puck behind his own the cage. Colin White recovered it and put in a wraparound shot for his fourth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 9:05 left in the second on the power play. Aleksander Barkov pushed the puck from the right circle to Tkachuk on the right goal line. He centered it and Sam Reinhart one-timed a forehand shot from the low slot for his fifth goal this season. 

     It became 3-2 for Calgary with 7:02 to go in the period. Lindholm won a faceoff in the left circle and Ruzicka ripped a snap shot from the crease area for his second tally of the contest and fifth goal of the season. 

     In the third period, Florida tied it up again 3-3 at the 1:12 mark. Gustav Forsling faked and then took a soft shot from the top left circle. It was stopped by former Flames player Sam Bennett at the top of the crease. Eetu Luostarinen then swept the puck in for his sixth goal of the year. 

     The Flames reclaimed the lead 4-3 at 6:56 of the third. Mikael Backlund picked up a giveaway on the right wing and centered it. Blake Coleman placed a wrist shot from the slot area for his second goal this season. 

     Tkachuk was able to burn his former team with 6:14 remaining in the third. Bennett blasted a slap shot from the right point and Tkachuk deflected it in from the top of the crease for his seventh goal with his new club. Brandon Montour received a secondary assist on the play. 

     Anton Lundell put in a backhand goal on the Panthers first atttempt of the shootout. Huberdeau scored on a snap shot on the Flames second attempt. It was decided in the fifth round by Calgary when Rasmus Andersson waited, moved to the right and eventually flipped a shot in over Knight.