Steven Stamkos scored with 57 seconds left in overtime as the Nashville Predators defeated the reeling Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday in Sunrise, Fla.
Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist for Nashville. Juuse Saros made 30 saves in a brilliant performance during which the Predators never led until the game’s final shot.
The Panthers — the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions — have lost five straight home games (0-4-1). They have also lost four consecutive games overall (0-3-1) to begin a six-game homestand.
Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves.
Verhaeghe’s goal was his first as a father. He and his wife, Casey, welcomed their son, Rory, into the world on Tuesday. Verhaeghe missed that night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he was all over the ice on Thursday as he logged a game-high five shots on goal.
The Predators tied the score with 6:19 left in the third period. Bunting’s bad-angle shot was saved, but O’Reilly was there to stuff in the rebound.
Early in the first period, Nashville nearly opened the scoring while on a 4-on-3 power play, but Filip Forsberg’s shot hit the right post.
Fourth-line Florida forward Jack Studnicka — playing just his second game of the season — nearly scored a few minutes later. Nashville forward Michael Bunting hustled back and batted the puck out of the air after it got past Saros.
Florida got on the board with 3:34 left in the first. The sequence started when Bobrovsky stoned Matthew Wood, who was in alone on the goalie. That stop led to a 2-on-l Panthers rush. Sam Bennett slipped a pass between the legs of Nashville defenseman Nicolas Hague and onto the stick of Verhaeghe, who scored on a backhander from point-blank range.
A highlight of a scoreless second period was a Nashville power play during which Stamkos beat Bobrovsky with a shot. However, as per the theme of the night, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola swept the puck away just before it crossed the line.
Nashville appeared to get on the board with 18:11 left in the third on a wild scramble in front of Bobrovsky. The Panthers appealed, and it was then ruled that the puck never crossed the line.
–Field Level Media
