The Florida Panthers finished the preseason slate with a 2-0-2 record after dropping a 3-2 shootout decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amernat Bank Arena.
Lucas Mercuri buried a backhanded centering feed from Nick Abruzzese to open the scoring 8:50 into the first period. The secondary assist went to Jeffrey Viel, who did some fine work along the wall.
The Panthers countered at 17:58 when Sandis Vilmanis quickly fired home after Kai Schwindt knocked the puck away from defenseman Jarred Tinordi.
Matvei Shuravin gave the Cats the lead 2:21 into the second, taking a pass from Gracyn Sawchyn and solving Dennis Hildeby, who was screened by Cole Reinhardt, with a wrister. The secondary assist was credited to Mikulas Hovorka.
Benjamin Rautiainen’s power-play goal, from Gage Goncalves and Conor Geekie, with 7:02 remaining in the third knotted the score. Kai Schwindt was the Panther in the penalty box for hooking Mercuri.
Vilmanis opened the shootout with a conversion that was matched by Pontus Holmberg. After Sawchyn, Maxim Groshev and Uvis Balisnkis failed to score, Rautiainen ended it in the bottom of the third by beating Akira Schmid blocker side.
Schimd went the distance for the Panthers stopping 20 of 22 shots. Hildeby finished with the same stat line for the Lightning.
The teams combined for 48 penalty minutes with Dylan Duke and Sam Laffety receiving ten misconducts in the first period.
Florida will open the season against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Tuesday. Tampa Bay’s first game is Thursday at Madison Square Garden versus the New York Rangers.
Saturday results
- Carolina 6, Nashville 0
- Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 1
- Los Angeles 6, Anaheim 2
- Utah 2, Colorado 0
- Washington 5, Philadelphia 1
- Vancouver 4, Seattle 3
- Chicago 3, St. Louis 2
- Columbus 4, Detroit 2
- @Montreal 4, Ottawa 2
- @Ottawa 4, Montreal 3
- New Jersey 4, New York Islanders 1
- Edmonton 4, Calgary 1
- San Jose 4, Vegas 2