The Florida Panthers needed every ounce of offense they could muster on Saturday night — and then a little more from Sam Bennett in overtime.
Bennett scored 4:56 into the extra period, capping a wild comeback and lifting the Panthers to a dramatic 7–6 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in Sunrise. The winner came on a perfectly threaded pass from Brad Marchand, who found Bennett streaking into the zone. Bennett snapped a shot past Elvis Merzlikins on the stick side for his seventh goal of the season, sealing Florida’s fourth straight home win.
Bennett and Marchand were at the center of everything for Florida. Both tallied a goal and three assists, driving a furious rally after the Panthers fell behind 4–1 midway through the second period. Carter Verhaeghe added two goals and an assist, while defenseman Seth Jones recorded a goal and a helper in the comeback effort. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots to earn the win.
Columbus, meanwhile, packed plenty of punch in the opener of a three-game road trip. Cole Sillinger, Isac Lundestrom, Dmitri Voronkov and Miles Wood each scored a goal and added an assist. Damon Severson and Kirill Marchenko also found the back of the net. Merzlikins finished with 33 saves but faced relentless pressure as Florida surged late.
The Blue Jackets controlled much of the middle frame. Voronkov, Marchenko and Wood all scored during a stretch that saw Columbus build a 4–1 advantage. For Voronkov and Marchenko, the goals marked their 10th of the season.
Verhaeghe scored twice in under two minutes to cut the deficit to 4–3, swinging momentum back toward Florida. Jones then tied the game on a power play with 3:48 remaining in the second period.
Still, Columbus refused to wilt. Sillinger converted his third of the year with 1:34 left, giving the Blue Jackets a 5–4 edge heading into the intermission.
Just 2:27 into the third, Lundestrom netted his first goal of the season, pushing the Blue Jackets’ lead to 6–4. But Florida again found another gear.
Marchand struck with his 16th goal at 4:21, and Anton Lundell knotted the game at 6 with 5:42 remaining — his seventh of the season — setting the stage for overtime.
Columbus had a pair of early chances in the extra period, but Bobrovsky held firm. Florida then capitalized on its best opportunity when Marchand jumped on a loose puck and fed Bennett for the decisive tally.
Blue Jackets: Travel to Washington to face the Capitals on Sunday. Panthers: Continue their homestand Sunday against the New York Islanders.
Saturday’s contest had everything — scoring bursts, defensive swings, big-time performances on both sides, and a dramatic overtime finish. For Florida, it was a resilient rebound. For Columbus, it was a missed chance after building multiple multi-goal leads.