Sam Reinhart lifts Panthers over Capitals in OT

Nov 8, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) and Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) battle for the puck in front of Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Reinhart scored 15 seconds into overtime to give the visiting Florida Panthers a 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

Reinhart, who also had an assist in the game, took a cross-ice pass from Aleksander Barkov as he entered the zone and drove to the net before lifting the puck into the top right corner.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Barkov each had a goal and an assist, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves for the Panthers.

Anthony Mantha scored twice, Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist and Aliaksei Protas had two assists for the Capitals. Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves.

Mantha gave Washington a 1-0 lead at 10:42 of the first period when he stopped at the outer edge of the right circle and shot the puck toward the middle of the ice, where it deflected off the stick of Florida center Anton Lundell and into the net.

Ekman-Larsson tied it 1-1 at 12:49. Matthew Tkachuk, below the goal line, spotted the defenseman pinching toward the top of the right circle for a shot that slipped under Kuemper’s arm, blocker side.

Barkov put the Panthers ahead 2-1 at 16:45. Reinhart maintained possession of the puck down low before sending a backhand feed to Barkov at the left faceoff dot for a one-timer.

The goal was his 100th career tally on the road, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach the milestone.

McMichael finished off a short-handed two-on-one to tie it 2-2 at 6:13 of the second period. Protas was first to a loose puck in the defensive zone to create the odd-man rush before dishing to McMichael inside the Panthers’ blue line. McMichael, in full stride, took it to the net and lifted a backhand over a sprawled Bobrovsky.

The Capitals appeared to take the lead midway through the frame, but Florida challenged for offside, and the call was overturned after video review showed Tom Wilson preceded Matthew Phillips carrying the puck into the zone.

They’d get the goal back a few minutes later.

McMichael intercepted a blind pass in the Capitals’ end to create a two-on-one with Mantha, who scored stick side from the bottom of the left circle to put Washington in front 3-2 at 15:51.

Evan Rodrigues tied it 3-3 at 3:33 of the third period with a tap-in on the back door.

–Field Level Media

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