Ekblad nets in OT as Panthers edge Golden Knights
>> SUNRISE: Aaron Ekblad scored 40 seconds into overtime to lift the Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night, spoiling former coach Gerard Gallant’s return to Florida.
Ekblad grabbed a rebound in the high slot and fired it past Malcolm Subban to give Florida their second win in six games this month.
Aleksander Barkov scored his league-leading fifth short-handed goal of the season and had two assists, and Evgenii Dadonov and Jamie McGinn also scored for the Panthers. James Reimer stopped 33 shots.
William Karlsson had a goal and an assist, and David Perron and James Neal also scored for Vegas. Subban finished with 22 saves.
Neal had tied the score with 2:09 minutes left in the third when he roofed a shot past Reimer from in front.
Gallant, fired by the Panthers in November 2016, got a standing ovation during a scoreboard video tribute in the first period. He acknowledged the tribute with a wave of his hand.
In Anaheim, Ryan Kesler deflected home Francois Beauchemin’s shot for the tie-breaking goal with 7:39 minutes to play and Anaheim beat Los Angeles 2-1 for their second Freeway Faceoff win in seven days.
Adam Henrique scored early in the third period and John Gibson made 23 saves for the Ducks, who have won six of nine overall.
Rookie Alex Iafallo evened it for the Kings moments after Henrique’s goal, but Kesler’s long deflection sent the puck bouncing past Jonathan Quick. Anaheim then hung on in a frantic final minute to even the arch-rivals’ season series at two games apiece.
Quick stopped 29 shots in the Kings’ sixth consecutive loss, extending their longest skid of the season.
In Washington, Max Pacioretty had two goals and an assist to help the Capitals break a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Canadiens.
Paul Byron also scored for the Canadiens. Antii Niemi, playing in place of Carey Price, stopped 24 shots.
John Carlson and Lars Eller scored for the Capitals, and Philipp Grubauer finished with 22 saves.