RECAP: Panthers 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)

SUNRISE, Fla. – Even in the preseason, you can’t beat overtime.

Netting his second goal of the game, Jack Studnicka scored on the power play just 28 seconds into the extra frame to lift the Florida Panthers to a thrilling 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

With the win, Florida improves to 2-2-0 in the preseason.

“It’s cool,” Studnicka said of his heroics in overtime. “I don’t know if I have one of those on an NHL ice sheet. Preseason or not, it’s cool.”

Getting the home crowd into the action right away, Studnicka broke the ice for the Panthers just 56 seconds into the first period when he took a sweet dish from Mackie Samoskevich through traffic and beat Frederik Andersen with a backhand shot from the slot to make it 1-0.

His second goal of the preseason, Studnicka is off to a good start after inking a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on July 2. A veteran of 107 career NHL games, the 26-year-old forward spent last season in the AHL, racking up 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists).

“I think my game really fits the system that they’re trying to play really well,” Studnicka said of his first camp with the Panthers. “I like to play fast with my stick out to try and break up plays. Goal scoring aside, I think it’s been good so far.”

Giving fans a “Playoff Bob” sighting in September, Sergei Bobrovsky kept the Panthers on top when he made a series saves far too pretty for the preseason. After denying a slap shot on the power play, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner stoned two quick follow-up attempts.

Manning the crease for half the game, Bobrovsky stopped all nine shots he faced.

“It’s just getting back there,” No. 72 of his preseason debut. “Just see the plays, feel comfortable in the game situation.”

Striking in transition, Sandis Vilmanis, who burst onto the scene with a strong showing during last year’s training camp, doubled the lead for the Panthers when he beat Anderson with a nifty short-side shot off his backhand to make it 2-0 at 9:48 of the second period.

“I feel good,” said Vilmanis, who made his preseason debut after missing part of camp with an injury. “Maybe the first period was a little bit nervous for me just coming back, but in the end, I think I adapted to the game more, and that helped me to score. Also, a great pass from Footie (Nolan Foote). It just ended [up] in the net.”

Giving the video coaches a rep in the preseason, the Panthers held onto their double-digit lead following a successful challenge for offside that negated a goal for Bradly Nadeau.

Not letting the wind get taken out of their sails, the Hurricanes pressed on got on the board soon after when former Panthers enforcer Givani Smith beat Cooper Black, who replaced Bobrovsky, to trim Florida’s lead to 2-1 at 14:40.

Just 3:02 after the Hurricanes got on the board, Alexander Nikishin, a rookie defenseman to keep an eye on this upcoming season, evened the score when he deked around a Panther and buried a long wrist shot to make it 2-2.

Pouncing on a loose puck after Ben Harpur forced a turnover in the neutral zone, Brett Chorske caught the Hurricanes in a change, flew up the left side of the ice uncontested and fired a shot over Nikita Quapp’s glove to put Florida up 3-2 at 8:36 of the third period.

His second goal of the preseason, Chorske signed a two-year, one-way AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers in March after a career-best senior season at Colgate University.

“He’s just really predictable,” said Vilmanis, who played with Chorske in Charlotte last season. “Every time you need him, he’s right there. Have a look, and he’s always going to be in the place you need him.”

At 12:27, Justin Robidas scored for Carolina to even the score at 3-3.

With a power play carrying over into overtime for the Panthers after the Hurricanes were whistled for a delay-of-game penalty late in regulation, the home team sent the crowd home happy when Studnicka lifted a shot into the twine from the slot for the 4-3 win.

“The foundational stuff that we want to do, they’re getting better at,” head coach Paul Maurice said of how his young-leaning lineup performed against the Hurricanes.

The Panthers will continue their preseason with a neutral-site game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Kia Center in Orlando on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.