Anton Lundell netted the decisive goal in the shootout, and Spencer Knight recorded 26 saves as the Florida Panthers edged the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Tuesday night.
After Aleksander Barkov and New Jersey’s Paul Cotter traded shootout goals, Lundell beat Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom in the third round to snap New Jersey’s six-game home winning streak.
The game remained scoreless through two periods before Jesper Boqvist broke the deadlock just 41 seconds into the third with his 10th goal of the season. Boqvist, a former Devil who spent four seasons in New Jersey, was assisted by Carter Verhaeghe and Nate Schmidt.
Devils captain Nico Hischier responded quickly, tying the game at 2:27 of the third with his 20th goal of the season. Nathan Bastian and Timo Meier picked up the assists.
Markstrom finished with 27 saves for the Devils, who were coming off an overtime win against Tampa Bay following a challenging 1-4-1 road trip.
Florida rebounded after a 4-3 loss in Philadelphia on Monday. The Panthers moved within a point of Toronto in the Atlantic Division standings.
Takeaways
Devils: New Jersey continues its strong play at home despite the loss, with a 19-10-3 record since Nov. 1.
Panthers: Florida earned its first victory over New Jersey this season after losing twice to the Devils in November.
Key Moment
Spencer Knight’s clutch save on Hischier with just under eight minutes left in regulation preserved the tie and forced the game into overtime.
Key Stat
Nico Hischier has reached the 20-goal milestone for the fourth straight season and fifth time overall since being selected first in the 2017 draft.
Up Next
- Devils: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
- Panthers: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
