Aleksander Barkov scored 3:29 into overtime as the visiting Florida Panthers remained unbeaten and handed interim coach Andrew Brunette his first win with a 3-2 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.
Barkov scored on a backhander off a feed from Jonathan Huberdeau as Florida extended its season-opening streak to eight games.
Brunette replaced Joel Quenneville, who resigned on Thursday night in the aftermath of the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual abuse scandal involving a former video coach in 2010. Quenneville was the Blackhawks’ head coach that season.
Barkov also scored a regulation goal and Eetu Luostarinen added the other goal for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves.
Sam Gagner and Pius Suter scored for the Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic made 30 saves and the Red Wings also blocked 23 shots.
Florida grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Luostarinen won a faceoff in the Detroit zone, then deflected Markus Nutivaara’s shot from the point into the goal at 8:43. Brandon Montour picked up the second assist.
After killing off a penalty, the Panthers scored with 1:11 left in the period. Barkov made a steal at center ice and fed the puck to Anthony Duclair, who took a shot from behind the net. The puck trickled near Nedeljkovic’s pad, and Barkov tapped it in.
Bobrovsky robbed Lucas Raymond on a glove save in the closing seconds, with Detroit on the power play.
The Red Wings got on the board at 2:15 of the second period. Gagner deflected Troy Stecher’s shot from the boards past Bobrovsky for his second goal this season. Mitchell Stephens also had an assist.
Florida’s Mason Marchment clanged a shot off the goalpost with seven minutes left in the period.
Suter tied the game with 2:41 remaining in the third on a deflection off a Moritz Seider shot from the point. He scored his first goal for Detroit after debuting with Chicago last season.
–Field Level Media
