Florida Panthers Defeat Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in Overtime Comeback Victory

Carter Verhaeghe scores on a rebound in overtime after Nick Cousins ties the game in the final minute of regulation, overcoming an early Blue Jackets' comeback from a three-goal deficit.

Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winning goal in overtime, helping the Florida Panthers beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 after a dramatic comeback in the last minute of regulation time.
The Panthers started strong, taking a 3-0 lead early in the game with goals from Ryan Lomberg, Gustav Forsling, and Aleksander Barkov. However, Blue Jackets pulled their starting goalie Elvis Merzlikins after Barkov's goal, bringing on Spencer Martin who stopped 35 of 37 shots.
Despite being down 3-0 early, Columbus managed a comeback led by Sean Kuraly and Boone Jenner, who scored in the final five minutes of the first period. Kirill Marchenko tied the game 3-3 in the second period.
Alexandre Texier gave the Blue Jackets a 4-3 lead with 7:30 remaining in the third period. But in an exciting twist, Nick Cousins of the Panthers managed to steal an attempt to clear the puck and scored, tying the game 4-4 with just 57 seconds left.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers' goalie, made 18 saves, contributing to their victory. The Panthers are set to play against the Washington Capitals next, while the Blue Jackets will host the Dallas Stars.