Barkov sets Panthers season points record in OT loss to Devils

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Aleksander Barkov set a Florida Panthers single-season points record in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils at BB&T Center on Saturday.

Barkov had a goal and an assist to finish with 96 points (35 goals, 61 assists) and break the record set by Pavel Bure in 1999-00 (94 points; 58 goals, 36 assists).
"Of course it means a lot, and it's awesome, and I want to thank everybody who played with me," Barkov said. "Without those guys it wouldn't be possible."
WATCH: [All Devils vs. Panthers highlights]
Travis Zajac won it with a power-play goal 56 seconds into overtime. He scored on a wrist shot after Jonathan Huberdeau was called for delay of game at 19:59 of the third period.
Nathan Bastian scored two goals for the Devils (31-41-10), who were 4-2-1 in their last seven games of the season. Bastian came in with one goal in six NHL games. Mackenzie Blackwood made 37 saves.
"It's pretty wild," said Bastian, who made his NHL debut Jan. 19. "Coming into the game, seeing the lineup, I was gifted with some pretty good linemates. My mindset was I had quite the task in front of me, having to play against some pretty good players on the other side. Seeing [linemates] Nico [Hischier] and [Blake Coleman], I just wanted to make the most of my opportunity there."

Huberdeau had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (36-32-14), and Roberto Luongo made 23 saves two days after turning 40.
Barkov scored at 11:58 of the second period to cut New Jersey's lead to 2-1 when he beat Blackwood with a shot between the legs on a 2-on-1. Huberdeau had the assist to extend his Panthers single-season record to 62.
Barkov tied Bure's record with three assists in a 5-3 victory against the Washington Capitals on Monday but was held without a point in a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday.
"Obviously he's had a tremendous season," Panthers forward Mike Hoffman said. "He's a great player and deserves all the success that he's had. But when it comes down to the wire, you just never know what can happen in one game. But happy for him that he was able to do it."
Pavel Zacha made it 3-1 at 14:29 when he got around defenseman Aaron Ekblad on his backhand, slid the puck to his forehand across the crease and flipped a quick shot inside the left post.
"That was a great move," Devils coach John Hynes said. "That's the skill level that you see when we talk about some of that athleticism and the package that he has. That's not a play that everyone can do, and you see flashes of that, and then you'd like to see more consistency in other parts of the game. But it was a great goal by him."
Huberdeau made it 3-2 at 16:35 when he redirected Evgenii Dadonov's pass for his 30th goal, the first time he has reached that mark in the NHL. Hoffman tied it 3-3 at 18:35 with his 300th NHL point after getting a pass from Barkov in the slot.
Bastian gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 1:27 of the first period when he redirected a centering pass from Hischier. He made it 2-0 at 7:41 when he tipped Egor Yakovlev's hard pass from the side of the net.
"The boys keep saying it over and over that everyone has something to play for," Bastian said. "Every day we talked about sticking together and playing as a team. Tonight you could see we found a way and we battled together, and that's something we can grow on right into next year."

They said it

"That was the longest game, I feel like, to end a season. But it was good. It's nice to get rewarded just the way we've been playing the last little while here and to get the win. Not many teams can say they end the season on a win. That's something."-- Devils forward Travis Zajac

"Good to see some guys reach milestones, but it's tough to see we're not playing in the next few days. There's a lot of good things, but not making the playoffs is a disappointment." -- Panthers coach Bob Boughner

Need to know

Blackwood became the fourth Devils goalie to win at least 10 games as a rookie, joining Martin Brodeur (1993-94), Sean Burke (1987-88) and Alain Chevrier (1985-86). … Huberdeau, Barkov and Hoffman helped the Panthers have three 30-goal scorers in a season for the first time. … Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle completed his 10th consecutive season without missing a game. His streak of 796 consecutive games is the longest active streak in the NHL.

What's next

Devils: Season over
Panthers: Season over