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Panthers score 3 in third to edge Lightning

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Jared McCann scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period after a review overturned the initial ruling of goalie interference, and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 on Saturday night.

Evgenii Dadonov and Nick Bjugstad each had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trocheck and Colton Sceviour also scored goals for the Panthers. James Reimer made 26 saves.

Panthers coach Bob Boughner, who was hired on June 12, recorded his first NHL win.

Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson scored goals for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 43 shots. Steven Stamkos had two assists.

Trailing 3-2, the Panthers scored three goals in a span of 2:28 in the third period.

The Panthers tied the score 3-all on Sceviour’s goal at 6:06. Moments later, McCann’s shot went over the shoulder of Vasilevskiy and into the net at 6:42. The goal was initially waved off due to goalie interference by Florida’s Connor Brickley. Upon review, the ruling was overturned and the goal was good.

Trocheck stretched the Panthers’ lead to 5-3 when he poked in a rebound at 8:34.

Tampa Bay closed to 5-4 when Johnson swept in a loose puck from in front with 5:48 left in the third.

Point gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead with 6:03 left in the second. His was blocked by Reimer but the puck bounced off Reimer’s body and drifted behind him into the corner of the net. It was just the second shot of the period by Tampa Bay, which was outshot 36-10 at that point.

Point had a goal and two assists in Friday’s season opener.

The Panthers tied the score at 2 on Bjugstad’s goal 1:46 into the second.

Trailing 2-0, the Panthers closed to 2-1 on a power-play goal by Dadanov, who buried a rebound from the slot with 7:42 left in the first.

The Lightning took a 1-0 lead 3 ½ minutes into the game. A shot by Stamkos hit off the crossbar and Kucherov poked in the rebound.

Namestnikov put the Panthers ahead 2-0 with his power-play goal at 4:48.

Notes: Lightning right winger J.T. Brown raised his first during the playing of the national anthem. Brown remained standing through the anthem. The Lightning played the second half of a back-to-back set, the first of 12 back-to-backs this season. . Kucherov has scored six goals in his last eight games against Florida. . Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau notched his 200th career point with an assist on Dadanov’s goal.

Republished with permission from the Associated Press.

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