Panthers overcome Golden Knights in overtime

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad scored his eighth goal of the season 40 seconds into overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 4-3 victory over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

Vegas goaltender Malcolm Subban, who finished with 22 saves, stopped a backhand shot by Aleksander Barkov with his glove but the puck then fluttered near the crossbar, where Golden Knights center William Karlsson swatted it right to Ekblad in the slot. The fourth-year veteran fired it past Subban for the game-winner.

Barkov had a goal and two assists and Jamie McGinn and Evgenii Dadonov also scored goals for Florida. James Reimer, starting his 17th consecutive game and playing in his 19th consecutive game in goal for the Panthers, finished with 33 saves.

Karlsson, David Perron and James Neal scored for Western Conference-leading Vegas, which drew within one point of Tampa Bay for best record in the NHL.

In other NHL action, Max Pacioretty finished with two goals and an assist, and Paul Byron scored the tie-breaking goal midway through the third period as the Montreal Canadiens won at the Washington Capitals.

Pacioretty’s first goal gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the second period but his assist in the third helped Montreal snap a three-game losing streak.

Also, Ryan Kesler’s tip-in at 12:21 of the third period snapped a tie and led the host Anaheim Ducks to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Anaheim tied its southern California rival with 53 points, just one out of a playoff spot. It was Los Angeles’s sixth con-secutive loss.