Panthers tie it late in regulation, top Islanders late in OT
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- The Florida Panthers spoiled Jaroslav Halak's solid night in a hurry.
Jonathan Marchessault tied the game with 13.6 seconds left in regulation and Denis Malgin scored late in overtime, helping the Panthers beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Saturday.
Florida trailed 2-0 in the third period before getting goals from Kyle Rau and Marchessault.
Marchessault tied it when Halak blocked a shot but let the puck trickle through his pads and in.
Malgin, a rookie, poked in a rebound with 45.8 seconds left in overtime.
"It was great to see the kid score an overtime," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "A 19-year-old kid doing that was big for our club."
The late goals ruined a stellar effort by Halak, who had 40 saves.
"It can't happen with 13 seconds left in the game and the hockey game on the line." Halak said. "These two points we lost tonight are my responsibility. I have to stop that shot."
Brock Nelson and Nick Leddy scored for New York. The Islanders are 0-4-1 on the road and have lost five of their past six, and three in overtime.
"It's like a bad dream right now. We're playing good hockey and the guys can't catch a break," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "A tough one at the end."
Roberto Luongo made 17 saves to win his second straight start after losing the previous four. James Reimer entered with 50.4 seconds left in regulation and made one save, but Luongo re-entered after it was tied and played in overtime.
Luongo got involved in a rare fight when he threw punches with Nelson behind the net during a chippy second period.
"I kind of lost it a little bit there," Luongo said. "I let off a little steam. It was a tough game for everybody with the way things were going; the bounces and the calls and all that kind of stuff but good teams stick with it and overcome adversity."
Rau got his first career goal. He shot from low in the left circle then grabbed his own rebound and poked the puck behind Halak at 8:56 of the third.
The Islanders went ahead 2-0 on a power-play goal by Leddy. Luongo initially blocked Leddy's shot, but the puck bounced off Nelson in the crease, over Luongo and went off his blocker and back into the net at 9:54 of the second. The Panthers claimed that Nelson interfered, but the goal withstood a lengthy review. The power-play goal was just the fifth for the Islanders this season.
The Panthers had a potential goal reversed at 5:07 of the second. Aaron Ekblad's shot from the point went into the net just as Jaromir Jagr bumped Halak in the crease. The goal was initially disallowed, but that was overturned after an officials review. The Islanders issued a coach's challenge and the officials reverted to the initial call of no goal.
Nelson gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead with 22 seconds left in the first period. The puck caromed out to Nelson low in the right circle while Luongo was prone in the crease after blocking a shot, and Nelson swept the puck into the open net.
This was the first meeting between the teams since last April's first-round playoff series, won by the Islanders in six games.
NOTES: The Panthers claimed forward Seth Griffith off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Griffith is expected to join the team when they visit Montreal on Tuesday. ... Panthers rookie forward Shane Harper cleared waivers and was sent to AHL Springfield. ... Panthers winger Reilly Smith played his 300th NHL game. ... John Tavares, who had an assist on Leddy's goal, leads the Islanders with five goals and 12 points.
UP NEXT:
Islanders: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.
Panthers: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
