Aleksander Barkov scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Florida Panthers a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night in Sunrise, Fla.
Sam Reinhart scored twice and Anton Lundell got the other marker in for the Panthers (43-25-3, 89 points), who won for only the third time in seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves.
Bryan Rust had two goals and an assist and Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins (29-32-11, 69 points), who lost for the second time in seven games (5-1-1). Sidney Crosby had two assists to stretch his points streak to seven games (six goals, six assists). Tristan Jarry stopped 27 shots.
Lundell tied the game 3-3 with 5:31 left in regulation on a one -time shot from deep in the right circle, converting a pass from Eetu Luostarinen.
Reinhart’s second goal, on the power play, pulled Florida to within 3-2, 9:25 into the second period. He stickhandled through three Penguins and put a shot through Jarry’s pads for his team-leading 35th goal.
Malkin’s power-play goal had given Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead 6:51 into the middle period. He scored on a one-time slap shot from the left faceoff dot off a pass from Rust for his second goal in two games.
The Penguins led 2-1 after the first period, in which it outshot Florida 16-4.
Reinhart’s first goal gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with 8:35 left in the first period when he one-timed a loose puck from the inside part of the left circle after a turnover by Rust along the boards.
But Rust more than made up for his mistake with two spectacular goals.
His power-play tally tied the game with 5:34 remaining in the opening period when he made a slick move around Florida defenseman Nate Schmidt and put a backhand shot past Bobrovsky. That goal came seconds after Jarry made a nice save on Nico Sturm’s short-handed chance from the right circle.
Rust gave the Penguins the lead with 34 seconds left in the first when he chipped in Crosby’s saucer pass with one hand.
–Field Level Media
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