Sam Bennett scored 46 seconds into overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 5-4 win against the Nashville Predators in the first of two split-squad preseason games at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Sunday.
It was the first preseason game for each team. Panthers forward Frank Vatrano had a hat trick, and Predators forward Tanner Jeannot scored twice. The teams combined for five goals in the third period, including Jeannot's second that tied it 4-4 at 17:06. Florida rallied from down 2-0 when Vatrano scored his second goal 56 seconds into third. It led 3-2 after Aleksi Heponiemi scored at 12:02 before Rem Pitlick tied it 3-3 with a power-play goal at 13:21. Vatrano completed his hat trick to put the Panthers ahead 4-3 at 14:02. Yakov Trenin scored in the second period for Nashville. Sam Montembeault saved 17 of 19 shots for the Panthers, and Evan Fitzpatrick made nine saves. Devin Cooley allowed four goals on 15 shots for the Predators, and Connor Ingram made 20 saves. Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad played 24:19 and had three shots in his first game since breaking his leg March 28 in a game against the Dallas Stars.
