SUNRISE, Fla. – In a thrilling display of resilience, the Florida Panthers orchestrated a dramatic comeback to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a high-stakes game on Friday night. Trailing by three goals midway through the third period, the Panthers rallied to score three times in the final minutes, culminating in a shootout victory.
The Panthers found themselves down 3-0 before Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored crucial extra-attacker goals in the waning moments. Bennett ignited the comeback with a goal at approximately 4:40 left on the clock, followed by Reinhart, who tied the game at 3-3 with just 41.8 seconds remaining. Evan Rodrigues sealed the win during the shootout, marking Florida’s first victory when trailing by three goals with under ten minutes left in regulation, a historic feat for the team.
Brad Marchand also contributed to the scoreboard for Florida, netting his 20th goal of the season, making him the third-oldest player in franchise history to reach that milestone at 37 years old. Legendary players Jaromir Jagr and Joe Nieuwendyk achieved this at the ages of 43 and 39, respectively.
For Carolina, Sebastian Aho was a standout player, scoring two third-period goals, while teammate Jordan Staal opened the scoring early in the first period. Despite a stellar performance from goaltender Brandon Bussi, who made 38 saves, the Hurricanes saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.
Florida’s netminder, Sergei Bobrovsky, contributed with 26 saves and celebrated the Panthers’ seventh win in their last eight games.
As the season progresses, the Panthers look to build on this momentum, hosting the St. Louis Blues next, while the Hurricanes will aim to bounce back against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This thrilling comeback not only underscores the Panthers’ fighting spirit but also sets the stage for an exciting continuation of the season.