In Newark, the New Jersey Devils ripped a loss from the jaws of victory after surrendering five unanswered goals to the visiting Florida Panthers on Monday afternoon.
The Devils held a 4-1 lead in the middle frame and then promptly yacked up five goals.
This was the first win of the season for the Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves to get the win.
Florida scored three goals in the third period.
“You just coach them. You go in and whether you’re winning or losing, your job is to make sure that you focus on helping the group get better. That’s what we’ve done (as a coaching staff) and it doesn’t change and never has changed in any year I’ve coached,” Devils head coach John Hynes said after the loss.
Brett Connolly scored two goals for the Panthers.
“Everybody was part of the third period,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. “As team, we were playing the right way. I think we had more speed to our game as the game progressed. That’s what we’re trying to get to.”
Noel Acciari and MacKenzie Weegar had a goal each and added an assist each in the win.
“The energy was going here between periods,” Weegar said. “There was no doubt we were coming back. We’ve done it the past two games (in shootout losses at the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and at the New York Islanders on Saturday). We have the weapons in here to do that and everybody contributed tonight.”
Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov also scored for the Panthers.
“We’ve seen it in the last few games, the resiliency to come back in all games,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “Fighting to the end. I think that’s engrained in just about every guy in here.”
Pavel Zacha, Taylor Hall, Will Butcher, and Jesper Bratt scored for he Devils who have dropped six straight games to open the season.
“Everyone’s got to bring more,” Hall said. “If you’re a bottom-six guy we need more from you, if you’re a player like me that’s playing first line and getting lots of power-play time, you need production and you need games where you’re not on for four goals against. So, off the top of my head, that’s what I would say (has to change).”
[WATCH: All Panthers vs. Devils highlights]
Cory Schneider made 28 saves in the loss.
“It’s the same situation that keeps happening, so I don’t know if it’s frustrating, but just difficult to accept and digest,” Schneider said. “We all have control over it, starting with me. We have to do a better job keeping the lead, preserving the lead, putting us in a better position late in the game. We all individually have to figure out what we need to do. And for me, five unanswered goals … is embarrassing for me.”
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