Panthers 3, Ducks 2
Brad Boyes scored the game-winning goal early in the third period as host Florida halted its nine-game winless drought.
Scottie Upshall scored the tying goal and assisted on the winning tally as the Panthers snapped Anaheim's five-game winning streak and earned their first victory in 10 games (1-5-4). Tim Thomas made 32 saves for Florida, which erased a two-goal deficit and won for the first time in three games under interim coach Peter Horachek.
Andrew Cogliano and defenseman Hampus Lindholm scored first-period goals for the Ducks. who entered with a league-best 31 points. Frederik Andersen, the second rookie in 20 years to win his first six NHL starts, made 22 saves in suffering his first loss
The fans barely settled into their seats when Cogliano took a cross-ice feed in front from Daniel Winnik, pulled out Thomas and beat him short side 40 seconds into the first period. The Ducks doubled the advantage just under 14 minutes later when Lindholm went top shelf with a blistering wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
Florida stormed back to tie it with a pair of goals 70 seconds apart in the middle session, with Matthias tucking a spinning backhander between the pads of Andersen before Upshall's shot from the point deflected off multiple Anaheim defenders and into the net at 14:38. Boyes completed the comeback when he knocked home a rebound of Upshall's shot in the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who has nine points in his last four contests, sat out his second straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Thomas made 13 saves in the final period to earn his first victory since Oct. 19. ... RW Corey Perry appeared in his 594th game with the Ducks to tie Ruslan Salei for fourth place on the franchise's all-time list.