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LBC Recat: Panthers 3, Kings 2

The Florida Panthers defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, 3-2 at BB&T Center on Thursday night. Cats’ netminder Roberto Luongo finished with 29 stops.

Brandon Pirri sliced the game-winner past a stunned Jonathan Quick with just over three minutes remaining, scooping up the loose puck and banging it just over Quick’s stick side for the final margin. It was Pirri’s ninth of the season and his sixth in seven games. Tomas Fleischmann and Dmitry Kulikov earned the helpers on the play.

Not including the 0-0 score at the beginning of the game, the Panthers and Kings were tied up twice through the tilt prior to the game-winner. Marian Gaborik scored his 16th marker of the season early in the final frame on a pass from Anze Kopitar. Jake Muzzin also earned an assist on the play. Nick Bjugstad tallied the equalizer by scoring his 17th of the year, breaking in against Quick unassisted after an L.A. giveaway.

The Panthers and the Kings also traded goals in the first period. Aleksander Barkov opened the scoring at the 10:39 mark on a one-timer off a perfect cross-ice pass from Brad Boyes. It was Barkov’s seventh of the campaign and his 12th point in his last 14 appearances. Jonathan Huberdeau earned the secondary assist on the play. Kings’ defenseman Jamie McBain tied it up five minutes later with his third of the season on a wire from the blue line. Dustin Brown and Gaborik earned the assists.

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