Panthers 3, Sharks 2 (SO)
Nick Bjugstad recorded a pair of goals in regulation and notched the deciding tally in the third round of the shootout as visiting Florida defeated San Jose for the seventh time in the last eight meetings.
Florida’s Jussi Jokinen and Logan Couture of San Jose each converted in the second round of the bonus format before Bjugstad got the winner as the Panthers improved to 2-1-0 on their four-game road trip. Jonathan Huberdeau had two assists and Roberto Luongo, who made 52 saves to win at San Jose last March, turned aside 28 shots for Florida.
Couture snapped a seven-game goal drought with a power-play tally and Patrick Marleau tied the game with 34 seconds remaining in the third period for the Sharks. Antti Niemi made 26 saves for San Jose, which started a six-game homestand on a sour note by producing only three shots in the third.
Luongo stopped all 12 shots he faced in the first period and the Panthers took the lead 24 seconds into the contest when Bjugstad redirected defenseman Dmitry Kulikov’s shot past Niemi. Couture tied the game on the power play 6:19 into the second session, sliding home a rebound after Joe Pavelski’s close-in attempt.
Bjugstand answered on the power play with 2:37 left in the second when he hammered a slap shot past Niemi from the top of the left circle. Marleau was stopped on a penalty shot with 6:53 to go in regulation, but tied the game with a one-timer from the right circle off a nifty pass from Joe Thornton out of the right corner with 34 seconds left in the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Bjugstad has collected four goals and three assists in the last three games after totaling three points in his first 14 contests this season. … Thornton extended his point streak to eight games with the assist on Marleau’s tying goal. … Florida C Aleksander Barkov (flu) was back in the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game at Los Angeles, Kulikov (knee) returned after sitting out the previous four and LW Scottie Upshall (upper body) was scratched.