SUNRISE, Fla. — A loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday would’ve been a disaster for the Florida Panthers — who are scrapping hard just to get into the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs and can hardly afford to lose to anyone, let alone the worst team in the NHL on home ice — and yet there they were with six minutes to go, down by a goal in Sunrise. After erasing one two-goal lead in the second period, the Panthers needed one more comeback in the third to avoid their worst loss of the season.
With one tip-in by Ryan Lomberg and an overtime game-winner by Carter Verhaeghe, Florida escaped with a 4-3 win and, at least for a moment, moved back into playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The win, the Panthers’ 13th in 22 games, vaulted Florida past the New York Islanders for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and guaranteed the Panthers will end Presidents’ Day at least tied for a wild card.
