SUNRISE, Fla. -- It was a winning night for the Florida Panthers' B Squad.

The Panthers were forced to improvise with starting goalie Roberto Luongo pulled moments before the start of the game due to upper-body discomfort and top-line forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau already on the disabled list.

Fortunately for Florida, backup goalie James Reimer and recent American Hockey League call-up Greg McKegg came to the rescue in a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night at the BB&T Center.

"It's tough, but you don't have time to get nervous - you just get in the game," said Reimer, who came in after Luongo got hurt in warm-ups. "I try to prepare like I'm playing every night. So (in that sense), it was just another game."

Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead goal with 9:53 left in the third period. Marchessault beat Nashville backup goalie Juuse Saros on a sharp-angle shot along the boards, just outside the right circle.

It was Marchessault's 12th goal of the season, and Vincent Trocheck and Jaromir Jagr each earned an assist on the play.

"Unbelievable," Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said of Marchessault's goal. "He's a great shooter. He has a real tough shot, and it definitely caught (Saros) by surprise."

That was the difference in the game because Reimer was solid on the other side, continuing a positive trend. This was his first January start after a brilliant December, during which he posted a 1.90 goals-against average and .941 save percentage.

McKegg scored Florida's first goal. It was his second of the season and his second in two games.

Florida (17-15-8) moved within two points of the three teams tied for second place in the Atlantic Division, including the Boston Bruins, who visit the Panthers on Saturday.

Nashville (17-15-7) had its four-game road winning streak snapped.

The game was played just hours after a shooting at the airport in nearby Fort Lauderdale left five people dead and eight wounded.

Panthers executive chairman Peter Luukko said the team was in touch with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as well as several law enforcement entities and Broward County officials.

"We got word around 4 p.m. that the situation was under control," Luukko said. "It was isolated to just the airport.

"We decided as an organization that it was best to go on with the game. This (tragedy) is the way the world is today, unfortunately. But as part of the community, we felt it was best to move on and not let something like this terrible act affect our daily lives."

Florida opened the scoring with McKegg's goal just 2:24 into the first period. Derek MacKenzie chipped the puck in off the rear boards, and, after a battle for possession, McKegg was in the right spot. He picked up the loose puck and made a forehand-to-backhand move, roofing his shot over Saros' glove.

With 5:03 expired in the third period, the Predators tied the score 1-1 on a Craig Smith goal. The Predators caught the Panthers in a bad line change, and Reimer lunged at Smith, who beat him with a high shot. Mike Ribeiro got the primary assist.

Nashville, which beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, did not have its collective legs early on, Predators coach Peter Laviolette said.

"(The Panthers) were a little bit quicker than us to start the game," Laviolette said. "Our speed picked up as the game went on."

Predators center Ryan Johansen said the game in Tampa Bay had a negative effect.

"I don't know if it was the travel or the back-to-back games," he said. "But it took us a while to get going."

NOTES: Panthers C Nick Bjugstad suffered a lower-body injury. ... Predators G Pekka Rinne, who was rested on Friday, had a 1.49 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage in November. In December, Rinne slumped (3.44 GAA, .875 save percentage). ... Panthers G Roberto Luongo had a 1.96 GAA in November with a .939 save percentage. In December, he slumped (2.88 GAA, .906 save percentage). ... The Panthers recalled LW Jared McCann from Springfield of the AHL. He takes the place of LW Seth Griffith (concussion). ... Predators LW and leading scorer James Neal (upper-body injury) missed his second straight game. ... The Predators have been boosted this week by the return of D Anthony Bitetto, who played his second straight game. Prior to that, he had missed 15 consecutive games due to an upper-body injury. ... Florida scratched D Dylan McIlrath, C Denis Malgin and LW Shawn Thornton. ... Boston scratched LW Viktor Arvidsson and D Petter Granberg.