National Hockey League
Florida 5, San Jose 4
When: 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 29, 2022
Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Referees: Kyle Rehman, Francois St. Laurent
Linesmen: Dan Kelly, Kory Nagy
Attendance: 18152

Sam Bennett scored 1:08 into overtime, leading the Florida Panthers to their ninth straight home win, 5-4 over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Saturday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Jonathan Huberdeau had the primary assist on the game-winner by Bennett, who was waiting in the slot.

Florida, which rallied from a 4-2 third-period deficit, never led until its last goal.

The Panthers got an early goal from Gustav Forsling and third-period tallies from Aleksander Barkov, Mason Marchment and Huberdeau. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves, including a stop on a Rudolfs Balcers breakaway.

For the Sharks, Jonathan Dahlen scored two power-play goals. Tomas Hertl and Matt Nieto also scored for San Jose, but Sharks goalie James Reimer -- formerly a member of the Panthers -- couldn't hold the lead. Reimer had a season-high 45 saves.

The Panthers, the highest-scoring team in the NHL, haven't lost at home since Dec. 16 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers have the league's best home record (23-3-0).

San Jose scored the first two goals of the first period.

First, Balcers' two-foot lateral pass along the goal-line freed Hertl, who beat Bobrovsky five-hole.

Then, on a Sharks power play, Noah Gregor got to a loose puck and dished to Dahlen, who triple-pumped from the slot before firing a hard shot. Bobrovsky was screened by San Jose's Jasper Weatherby.

Florida got on the board with 54 seconds left in the first on a sequence that started when Sharks defenseman Brent Burns whiffed on the puck behind his own net. Sam Reinhart got the steal and fed Forsling, who scored on a one-timer from the left circle.

San Jose extended its lead to 3-1 on Nieto's goal just 91 seconds into the second. Nick Bonino's lateral pass found a charging Nieto, who scored from the slot.

Florida scored 86 seconds into the third on a give-and-go from Huberdeau to Barkov, who scored from the slot, beating Reimer's glove.

Dahlen's second goal, this one with 15:10 left in the third, gave San Jose a 4-2 lead.

But the Panthers kept coming, tying the score with two quick tallies: Marchment poking the puck in at the goal line and Huberdeau's tap-in off a perfect Carter Verhaeghe pass.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
San Jose   Florida
Nick Bonino 3 Points Jonathan Huberdeau 3
Jonathan Dahlen 2 Goals Jonathan Huberdeau 1
Nick Bonino 3 Assists Jonathan Huberdeau 2
Jonathan Dahlen 2 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
James Reimer .900 Save Percentage Sergei Bobrovsky .882
James Reimer 45 Saves Sergei Bobrovsky 30
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
San Jose 34 4 2-2 1-1 4 32
Florida 50 5 0-1 0-2 6 31
Upcoming Games
  • Florida will play their next game on the road against Columbus. The Panthers have a W/L % of .733 after a win and .600 after a loss.
  • San Jose will play their next game on the road against Carolina. The Sharks have a W/L % of .478 after a win and .524 after a loss.