SUNRISE, Fla. _ The Detroit Red Wings pulled off a minor miracle Friday, scoring twice on Roberto Luongo in the third period.
Frans Nielsen did it again in the shootout to send the Wings off with a 4-3 victory over the Panthers at BB&T Center.
Anthony Mantha scored for a second straight game and the Wings caught a lucky break when they successfully challenged a goal, because then Drew Miller made it a one-goal game early in the third period. Jared Coreau had a strong third period, keeping his teammates within rallying shot.
The Wings had racked up nine shots the first 10 minutes of the third period as they generated consistent attack. Jonathan Ericsson had three straight shots denied. Nielsen scored at 13:51, connecting on Gustav Nyquist's rebound. Thomas Vanek got the puck to Nyquist.
Andreas Athanasiou used his speed to create a backhand chance down low late in the period and the Wings outshot the Panthers, 38-31, in regulation. Coreau made three saves in overtime.
In the shoot-out, Luongo made a glove save on Athanasiou. Vincent Trocheck fired a shot that went post-to-post and out. Vanek used his smooth hands to score, but so did Aleksander Barkov. Nielsen's shot hit Luongo and went in. Coreau stopped Nick Bjugstad as the Wings rallied to win for the first time in 11 times when trailing after two periods this season. The power play looked good at times, but still failed to convert during five opportunities that spanned 8:10.
The Wings started well enough, getting off a couple of quick shots on Luongo. Then there was a lot of special teams play as the Wings took two straight penalties. Coreau came up with back-to-back saves on Reilly Smith in the first, and the second was so good Nielsen even had a chance on Luongo.
Considering the problems they've had with their power play, the Wings at least threatened when they got a chance _ Vanek got a shot off down low, as he often does, and Niklas Kronwall unleashed a slap shot from the right circle.
The third penalty kill faltered when Reilly Smith fired a shot through traffic that beat Coreau, at 17:40. For having spent 5:32 short a skater, the Wings still got 10 shots on net. The Panthers had 11, six of them during man advantages.
Henrik Zetterberg's puck work in the offensive zone gave Mantha the opportunity to grab the puck, take a stride and whip a shot behind Luongo to tie the game 12 seconds into the second period. Jason Demers killed that momentum when he scored almost within a minute.
Then came a prime example of how having such a bad power play hurts _ the Wings got almost 4 minutes straight with a man advantage, and still trailed. Luongo was sharp, denying Vanek on a tip-in try and a wrap-around attempt by Athanasiou, but the bottom line is the Wings intimidate no one when they have an extra skater.
And so, they fell behind 3-1 when Derek MacKenzie had no one defending him down low, giving him an easy, clean shot into a half-open net at 10:27. Keith Yandle fired a shot from the blue line that sailed in through traffic, but the Wings got that overturned by challenging Bjugstad had interfered with Coreau, even though Bjugstad's skate barely caught Coreau's stick.
