Stars blow 3-0 lead in loss to Panthers Panthers rally from three down for win

In Dallas, the visiting Florida Panthers hot for three goals on nine shots in the third period to erase a 3-1 deficit to the Stars, and take a 4-3 win on Tuesday night.

Two of the goals in the period were scored 38 seconds apart.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves in the win

The Panthers moved to 45-17-4, off their 14th win in 16 matches.

“There’s no halfway to play that game,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “We went through the first 30 minutes for sure, possibly two periods of hockey, where we weren’t anywhere near… we didn’t look the way we were supposed to look, it just wasn’t right, it wasn’t hard enough. That’s all we needed in the third. It wasn’t about winning the game. The comeback’s great for the players, they get to enjoy it. But to be able to not have anything going for two periods and then get to play hard the way we need to play, that’s a really important thing to carry with you so you always know you’re never out of the game.”

While the Panthers were limiting the Stars to just six shots on goal, they had their three.

Carter Verhaeghe trimmed the deficit to 3-2 just past the midway point of the third, scoring from the left circle.

“Even when we’re not playing and everything is going our way, that’s how it’s going to be in the playoffs too,” the Panthers’ Gustav Forsling said. “Every night is not going to be your best game, so I think we learned a lot that we can still win with this game.”

With six minutes left on the game clock, Sam Bennett knotted the match, 3-3, scoring off a deflection.

“I think they were pushing, they were playing desperate, and we just couldn’t match it in the third,” Robertson said. “Not many opportunities where you’re going to go up by three goals against the best team in the League, so it’s definitely a learning experience.”

Alexander Barkov hit for the winner 38 seconds later, scoring off an errant pass that deflected in off a Dallas defenseman.

Dallas dropped to 40-18-9, snapping a five-game streak.

“First off, with a 3-1 lead, you can’t be taking penalties,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “We can’t give up two power plays in the last 10 minutes. That’s a good learning experience for us. If you do take penalties, you’ve got to get the job done whether it’s a big save or execution. The last one bounced off a skate, those are going to happen. There were a couple of plays before that where if we were a little sharper in our execution, maybe that doesn’t happen. Our penalty kill has been good all year, but this is a good learning opportunity for our group.”

Dallas had taken a 2-0 lead in the game. Joe Pavelski opened the scoring at 3:53 of the first period, scoring off an odd man rush for 1-0 lead.

Dallas’ Jason Robertson pushed the advantage to 2-0 at 7:48 of the middle frame, scoring off the power play.

“[We talked] a lot [how] ‘This is not us, this is not good enough’. My line wasn’t good enough but, somehow, we were still in the game,” the Panthers Matthew Tkachuk said. “I’ve actually played here a few times, and that’s been a similar game where we’re down in the third and found a way to win it. I knew that it was a game that was up for grabs if we came out and played well in the third, and we definitely did that.”

Dallas to seemed to take full control of the game when Wyatt Johnston stretched the lead to 3-0 with just 23 seconds elapsed on the clock.

The Panthers started their rally in the second period on a power play strike by Sam Reinhart at 12:52 for a 3-1 score headed to the third.

Jake Oettinger made 26 saves in the loss..