In a thrilling encounter on Friday night, Aleksander Barkov netted a power-play goal just 18 seconds before the conclusion of overtime, securing a 2-1 victory for the Florida Panthers against the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis drew first blood with Oskar Sundqvist scoring his third goal of the season midway through the first period. The Panthers responded in the second period when Uvis Balinskis recorded his first goal of the season, with assists credited to Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.
The score remained tied at 1-1 until Barkov clinched the win with his 10th goal of the season in the 65th minute of play. On the night, Joel Hofer made 25 saves for the Blues, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for Florida.
From the Blues’ side, defenseman Philip Broberg returned to play after missing the previous game against Tampa Bay due to an illness. Head coach Jim Montgomery decided to keep center Alexandre Tesier in the lineup, praising his previous performance against the Lightning. Tesier lived up to expectations by earning an assist in the game.
On the other hand, Florida celebrated a significant milestone in October by distributing Stanley Cup rings to all players and coaches. In a continuing celebration, additional team staff received their rings on Thursday, followed by the Panthers recognizing 158 season-ticket holders who have been loyal members for 30 years on Friday. These members are referred to as “Legacy members,” with Panthers President Matthew Caldwell emphasizing their importance to the franchise’s history.
A pivotal moment occurred when Barkov was tripped by Brayden Schenn with just 42.3 seconds remaining in overtime, granting Florida a power play that ultimately led to Barkov’s decisive goal.
Notably, Montgomery, who previously coached in Boston and Dallas, has now joined a select group of 37 coaches who have coached three different franchises against the Panthers. Paul Maurice, the head coach for Florida, also appears on this list.
Looking ahead, the Blues will conclude their three-game road trip on Monday with a matchup in Detroit. The Panthers, meanwhile, face a back-to-back schedule beginning with an away game against Tampa Bay on Sunday, before returning home for another game on Monday.