Barkov's Breakaway Gives Panthers 2-1 OT Win Over Red Wings
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DETROIT (AP) — Aleksander Barkov scored on a breakaway 2:04 into overtime, lifting Florida to a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night and giving interim coach Tom Rowe his first victory with the Panthers.
Florida, playing its second game with Rowe, had lost its last two games. Detroit was 3-0-1 after losing four straight and nine of 11.
The Red Wings went ahead 1:23 into the game when Henrik Zetterberg scored on their first shot, ending a six-game drought. But they struggled on offense the rest of the night.
Florida's Vincent Trocheck had a goal negated late in the opening period when Detroit coach Jeff Blashill challenged that Panthers defenseman Jason Demers was offside. Demers made up for it by scoring with 1:45 left in the first, pulling the Panthers into a tie on a shot that was redirected off Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser.
The Panthers put much more pressure on Petr Mrazek, who stopped 28 shots in regulation, than Detroit did on Roberto Luongo, who faced just 13 shots over the first two periods and had just 18 saves through three periods.
Detroit had a power play with 3:14 left in regulation when Derek MacKenzie was called for goaltender interference, but couldn't take advantage of the opportunity.
On a night in which Detroit didn't generate many scoring chances, it was fortunate get a goal early in the game. Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad made a no-look, between-the-legs pass behind him in his team's end of the ice, and it went off a teammate before Zetterberg got to the loose puck. He took it from the right circle and into the slot for a backhander that went past Luongo.
Demers scored in a 4-on-4 situation on a sequence off a faceoff in which Florida's other three skaters touched the puck.
NOTES: The Red Wings have been banged up this season, losing players at every position to injuries, and may have taken another hit in the first period when forward Justin Abdelkader left with a lower-body injury. ... Rowe and former Panthers coach Gerard Gallant, who was fired Sunday, are former Red Wings players. ... Detroit F Drew Miller along with Florida D Dylan McIlrath and F Shawn Thornton were healthy scratches.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Play at Ottawa on Saturday in fourth of five-game road trip.
Red Wings: Start a three-game road trip Saturday at Pittsburgh.
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