Panthers shoot until they win

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers did not discriminate in their shot selection during their 5-4 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday night. The shots came from between the dots and by the blue line. They came on wrist shots and wraparounds, on the power play and on breakaways.

The edict was clear: shoot the puck.

The assault on Tampa Bay’s net helped lift the Panthers to their first win of the season. The Panthers erased an early two-goal deficit, and Jared McCann’s goal with 13:18 left in the third period broke a tie and gave the Panthers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. At first, McCann’s goal wasn’t one. He scooped up a loose puck and roofed a shot past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. But Panthers forward Connor Brickley was positioned in front of the crease and officials called Florida for goaltender interference. The call on the ice was overturned after a video review.

The goal was good and it gave the Panthers their first lead of the season. It was McCann’s first goal of the season and came on the heels of an impressive training camp in which he scored four goals to secure his spot as the third-line center.

In all, the Panthers (1-1-0) peppered Vasilevskiy with 48 shots on goal, including 23 in the first period alone. In the first period, the Panthers attempted 33 shots. The Lightning had 10. At one point in the second period, Florida had four times as many shots on goal as Tampa Bay and, through two periods, the Panthers attempted a whopping 62 shots.

Florida couldn’t cash in. Ian McCoshen hit a post. So did Aaron Ekblad. One night after he had 33 saves against the Panthers in Tampa Bay, Vasilekskiy continued to deny the Panthers.

The Panthers had to claw back from behind for the second night in a row. They did.

Michael Haley had his first fight as a Panther when he tussled with the Lightning’s Jake Dotchin.