Matheson pushes Panthers past Red Wings in OT
DETROIT -- Mike Matheson scored 2:02 into overtime as the Florida Panthers rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.
After Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard sprawled to make a save on Nick Bjugstad, Matheson pounded a rebound into the net for his first goal of the season.
Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Panthers, while Henrik Zetterberg had the Red Wings goal in regulation.
Beginning a five-game road trip, the Panthers (12-14-4) won in overtime for the first time this season (1-2), while the Wings (11-13-6) dropped to 0-5 in OT this season.
With 1:33 remaining in the first period, Detroit captain Zetterberg opened the scoring with his first goal since Oct. 18, ending a 22-game goalless skid. Zetterberg's original shot hit Matheson, but he gathered up his own rebound and whipped a shot that squeezed between the pads of Panthers goalie James Reimer (34 saves).
The Panthers tied it on the power play with 10:11 gone in the third period. As he was falling after being cross-checked to the ice by Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall, Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau flipped a back pass across the crease to Vincent Trocheck, who drove a shot into the net off the glove of Howard (27 saves).
NOTES: Panthers D Aaron Ekblad and Red Wings C Dylan Larkin are two of six players chosen in the 2014 draft who have reached the 100-point plateau in the league. ... Red Wings D/RW Luke Witkowski returned to action for the first time since Nov. 9, when he received a 10-game NHL suspension for returning to the ice to rejoin a fight and fought twice with Panthers C Micheal Haley, the NHL leader with nine fighting majors. ... LW David Booth, D Xavier Ouellet and LW Tyler Bertuzzi were healthy scratches for the Wings. ... Detroit RW Anthony Mantha played his 100th NHL game. ... The next point collected by Wings D Mike Green will be his 450th in the NHL. ... Panthers C Aleksandr Barkov returned to action after missing Saturday's 7-3 loss to Colorado with an upper-body injury. ... Panthers scratches were D Ian McCoshen, LW Dryden Hunt and G Roberto Luongo (lower-body injury). ... Panthers coach Bob Boughner was selected 32nd overall by the Wings in the 1989 draft, ahead of future Hall of Famers Nicklas Lidstrom (53rd) and Sergei Fedorov (74th). Boughner played 630 NHL games, but none with Detroit.