Ekblad scores in OT, Panthers beat Gallant, Golden Knights

By AP
Published

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) 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 its 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 left in the third when he roofed a shot past Reimer from in front.

Gallant, fird by the Panthers in November 2016, got a standing ovation during a scoreboard video tribute in the first period. Heacknowledged the tribute with a wave of his hand.

DUCKS 2, KINGS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Ryan Kesler deflected home Francois Beauchemin's shot for the tiebreaking goal with 7:39 to play and Anaheim won its second Freeway Faceoff 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 Los Angeles 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 archrivals' season series at two games apiece.

Quick stopped 29 shots in the Kings' sixth consecutive loss, extending their longest skid of the season.

CANADIENS 3, CAPITALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) - Max Pacioretty had two goals and an assist to help Montreal break a three-game losing streak.

Paul Byron also scored for the Canadiens. Antii Niemi, playing in place of Carey Price, who had been in goal for eight consecutive games, stopped 24 shots.

John Carlson and Lars Eller scored for the Capitals, and Philipp Grubauer finished with 22 saves.

The Capitals, who returned from a five-day bye with an overtime loss at New Jersey on Thursday night, have lost back-to-back games for the second time this season.