Panthers lose Luongo in season-opening loss

TAMPA — J.T Miller and Nikita Kucherov scored in the shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 in the regularseason opener for both teams Saturday night.

Florida goalie Roberto Luongo departed midway through the second period with a lower-body injury after teammate Frank Vatrano landed on his extended right leg during a scramble in front of the goal.

The 39-year-old Luongo, who stopped all 13 shots he faced in just over 32 minutes, needed help to skate off the ice.

Luongo was also shaken up earlier in the second when he took a shot by Steven Stamkos off the mask.

Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 42 saves in regulation. He made one save in the shootout and had another shot hit the post.

The Lightning got a third-period, short-handed goal from Anthony Cirelli.

Tampa Bay was held scoreless over the final 159:27 in the 2018 Eastern Conference Final in which eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington rebounded from a one-game deficit to win Games 6 and 7.

Jacob MacDonald opened the scoring for the Panthers with his first career goal.

Florida missed the playoffs by one point last season despite going

25-8-2 after the All-Star break.

Cirelli tied it at 1 by beating James Reimer with 9:15 to play. Reimer stopped 15 shots.

MacDonald scored at

5:58 of the first from the left circle in his first NHL game. The 25-year-old MacDonald is the sixth NHL player born in Oregon.

Florida center Derek MacKenzie left in the first period with an upper-body injury.

MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY The Panthers’ Jacob MacDonald, second from left, celebrates his first career goal — and the first of the season for Florida.