Panthers Snap Home Losing Streak, Defeat Red Wings in Shootout

SUNRISE — Sam Reinhart’s shootout winner gave the Florida Panthers their first win at home in three weeks as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers were 1-5-1 in their last seven games entering Saturday’s matinee, dropping four straight at home. 

Aleksander Barkov scored Florida’s only two goals in regulation, both coming in the third period. 

The first came 12:21 into the third with Florida trailing 1-0. He would give them a 2-1 lead less than three minutes after that.

“I feel like he’s always crucial for us,” Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said of Barkov. “He’s a leader, he’s one of the top players in this league. It’s nice to have him on our team and he’s been coming up big.”        

The Panthers’ captain — who hit 700 career points last game — has 21 goals and 71 points in 65 games this season.            

After Robby Fabbri scored the opening goal on Saturday, Detroit held a 1-0 lead for over 30 minutes of play before the Panthers got on the board.

Former Panthers goalie, Alex Lyon, was huge for the Wings in the one-goal loss.

Lyon had 36 saves and stopped two of three Panthers players in the shootout. Detroit went 0/3 on Sergei Bobrvosky in the shootout.             

“Lyon is a good goalie. We know it from the past,” Barkov said. “It’s hard to score on him and this time of the year it’s even harder because teams are battling. Either battling for the playoff spot or they’re (already) there. But I think we found a way, that’s most important.”

The Red Wings only beat Bobrovsky twice on Saturday — both goals coming on the power play.  

Florida’s goalie had 20 saves — winning his 33rd contest of the year. 

Detroit’s captain Dylan Larkin sent the game to overtime after scoring his 29th goal of the season with just four minutes remaining in regulation. 

Florida had to kill off six penalties on Saturday — including a 4-on-3 just 34 seconds into overtime. 

“We’re working on our kill for the last two games,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “We petitioned the league for a little more penalty kill time, they’ve been good about it.”      

Florida has been short handed six times in each of their past two games. 

There’s eight games left in the regular season and the Panthers will play the next four on the road before finishing off the season with four consecutive at home. 

“That’s perfect timing right,” Maurice on winning at home before their final road trip. “We get out  on the road, finish off this 10 game block, it’s going to be hard… And then we’re home for like a 10 day block.”  

Florida improved to 47-22-5 on the season and are now tied with the Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division.