Barkov bites Devils as Panthers prevail in OT
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Aleksander Barkov scored the winning goal with 2:12 left in overtime to lead the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils in the season opener for both teams on Thursday night at the BB&T Center.
It was fitting that Barkov, who wears No. 16, had the game-winner as the Panthers honored another No. 16, the late Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins, throughout the night.
Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo had 23 saves in the victory while Cory Schneider of the Devils made 31 stops.
Jonathan Marchessault, who left the Tampa Bay Lightning to sign a two-year contract with the Panthers in July, scored Florida's first goal of the season.
P.A. Parenteau, who was picked up off the waiver wire this week after being released by the New York Islanders, scored New Jersey's lone goal.
With 10:22 left in the first period, Marchessault scored off a pass from Barkov. The shot was initially stopped by Schneider, but the puck bounced in off the body of Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy. Alex Petrovic got the secondary assist.
New Jersey tied the score with just 28 seconds left in the first. A shot from Yohann Auvitu got past Luongo after it was redirected by Parenteau's skate. Pavel Zacha got the secondary assist.
In the third, after Florida's Jussi Jokinen was sent to the box for slashing, the Devils' Travis Zajac delivered a major blow. Zajac came up from behind Jokinen and punched him in the head, knocking the Panthers left winger to the ice. There were four penalties issued, but no power play and no ejections.
NOTES: In warm-ups, every Panthers player wore No. 16 with the name "Fernandez" across the back. The idea was to honor Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died on Sept. 25 in a boating accident. He was 24. ... Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon and pitcher Adam Conley were on the ice for a pre-game ceremony in which the Panthers donated $35,000 to Fernandez's Foundation, JDF16. ... The Panthers are without two of their top-six forwards in RW Jonathan Huberdeau (left foot, out up to four months after getting cut by a skate blade) and C Nick Bjugstad (broken hand, out one month). ... Panthers C Derek MacKenzie, 35, has been named team captain for the first time in his career. D Aaron Ekblad and LW Jussi Jokinen were named alternate captains. ... The Devils have missed the playoffs four straight years. ... The Devils scratched C Reid Boucher, D Steven Santini and RW Beau Bennett. ... The Panthers scratched D Steven Kampfer and LW Shawn Thornton.