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WATCH: Florida Panthers stun Washington Capitals with 4-goal rally, get late winner

Nov 30, 2021; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd (26) takes a shot on Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period at FLA Live Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Reinhart scored with 14.4 seconds left as the Florida Panthers capped an incredible rally to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-4 on Tuesday night at Sunrise, Fla.

The Panthers entered the third period trailing 4-1 before producing the period’s first 18 shots on goal.

Florida got a first-period goal from Joe Thornton and third-period tallies from Ryan Lomberg, Eetu Luostarinen, Sam Bennett and Reinhart. Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau registered three assists apiece for the Panthers while Luostarinen and Lomberg each had a two-point night.

Thornton’s goal gave him 1,533 career points, tying him for 12th place in NHL history with Mark Recchi.

The Panthers, who outshot the Capitals 26-2 in the third, also held Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin without a point.

Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov (9-1-1) made 45 saves but lost in regulation for the first time this season.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (10-1-2) made 23 saves as Florida snapped a two-game losing skid.

Connor McMichael, Beck Malenstyn, Lars Eller and Nick Jensen scored for Washington, which had its three-game win streak broken. Dmitry Orlov produced two assists, and Jensen added an assist.

Malenstyn collected his first NHL goal, in his seventh game in the league.

Washington opened the scoring with 5:52 gone in the first period as McMichael — on his second attempt — banked the puck in off of Bobrovsky’s left leg from behind the goal line.

The Capitals made it 2-0 just 11 seconds later. Malenstyn, racing down the left side, took a pass in stride from Brett Leason and scored from point-blank range.

Florida got on the board with 6:55 expired in the first. Ekblad put a shot on net from just inside the blue line. Thornton provided the screen and then tapped in the rebound.

Washington made it 3-1 with 6:40 gone in the second period on Eller’s backhander. After a pass from Tom Wilson, Eller swooped in with speed from the left circle and pushed the puck past Bobrovsky’s left pad.

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The Capitals extended their lead to 4-1 with 12:40 expired in the second. Operating from behind the goal, Nic Dowd spotted Jensen, whose shot from the slot deflected off of Panthers rookie Anton Lundell and floated over Bobrovsky’s glove.

At 3:23 of the third, Lomberg put a rebound into the open left side of the net, cutting Florida’s deficit to 4-2.

The Panthers made it 4-3 at 6:09 on Luostarinen’s short-handed breakaway goal.

Florida tied the score 4-4 at 12:01 on Bennett’s deflection of an Ekblad shot on a power play.

Reinhart scored on a power-play blast from the left circle to give Florida the victory.

–Field Level Media

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