5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers Stay Undefeated After 'Unbelievable Finish'

DETROIT - They're all worth two points, but some wins just feel bigger than others.
This was one of those wins.
Playing in their first game under Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette, a stunning saucer pass from Jonathan Huberdeau set up Aleksander Barkov for a beautiful backhand goal in overtime to lift the streaking Panthers to a 3-2 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Friday.

With the win, the Cats became just the seventh team in NHL history to start a season 8-0-0.
"Very emotional for our whole group," Brunette said of the feeling in the locker room after the win. "Really proud of the way they rallied under these difficult circumstances the last few days. Really proud of them. Huby made a great play, and Barky ... what a goal. A big win for us."
Lighting the lamp for the second straight game, Eetu Luostarinen helped the Panthers score first for the sixth time this season when, after winning a key draw in the offensive zone, he redirected a shot from Markus Nutivaara through Alex Nedeljkovic to make it 1-0 at 8:43 of the first period.
Turning defense into offense as he often does, Barkov doubled the lead later in the period on a play that started with a steal in the neutral zone. Setting up Anthony Duclair for a shot after his pickoff, Barkov then poked a rebound out from under Nedeljkovic and in to make it 2-0 at 18:49.
With the lone assist on the goal, Duclair recorded the 200th point of his NHL career.
"When the puck drops, all the focus is on that hockey game and focusing on winning and playing our best hockey," Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. "I thought we stepped up to the challenge and came out with a strong start. Then it just carried on the whole game."
Striking back in the second period, the Red Wings got on the board when a shot from Troy Stecher ricocheted off Sam Ganger's leg and past Sergei Bobrovsky to make it 2-1 at 2:15.
Helping the Panthers maintain their lead heading into the second intermission, Radko Gudas came up with a huge block on Lucas Raymond with just over a minute left in the middle frame.

With time winding down in the third period, the Red Wings, who brought the building to life after a block-filled defensive shift only a few minutes before, tied the game when Pius Suter tipped a shot from Mortiz Seider just under Bobrovsky's pads to make it 2-2 with 2:41 left in regulation.
In overtime, it was a classic connection that stole the show.
Showing off his elite playmaking ability, Huberdeau sauced the puck through a pair of defenders right onto to Barkov's stick in the slot. With no one to beat but Nedeljkovic, the Panthers captain then roofed a backhand shot into the twine at 3:29 of the extra frame to lock down the 3-2 win.
"It's definitely a big win for us," said Bobrovsky, who made 28 saves. "Every game is a big game, and every win brings the happy feeling and great emotions into the locker room."
Here are five takeaways from Friday's win in Detroit…

1. LUOSTARINEN LIGHTS THE LAMP

With rookie Anton Lundell injured, Luostarinen continues to step up.
Finding the back for the second time in as many games, the 23-year-old center broke the ice for the Panthers in the Motor City when he scored off a redirection to make it 1-0 in the first period.
Doing more than just scoring, the entire sequence was jumpstarted when he won a key draw.

"He played great," said Brunette, who rewarded Luostarinen with a few big shifts in overtime. "He's a real smart player. His line was arguably our best line offensively and defensively."
After appearing in 44 games with the Panthers in 2020-21, Luostarinen has suited up in five of eight games this season. In that time, he's notched a pair of goals -- including netting the game-winner in Wednesday's win over the Bruins -- while averaging 13:29 of ice time per contest.
"I'm glad Luosty has taken a step back to where we think he can be," Brunette said.

2. THE STEAL AND SCORE

It won't count as a shorthanded goal, but it should.
Just as Detroit's power play was expiring, Barkov sent the play the other way with a steal in the neutral zone, kickstarting a series of events that would eventually lead to the captain banging home a rebound to make it a 2-0 game only seconds after the action returned to even strength.
Eighth in the NHL on the penalty kill (86.2%) to start the day, the Panthers went 4-for-4 tonight.

"It's been great," Weegar said of the penalty kill. "We're all on the same page. We know where our points are and when to pressure, when to not pressure. Bob has been our best penalty killer back there. Having him play his game right now, he's been really solid for us."
In the 7:33 they spent on the power play, the Red Wings were held to eight shot attempts.

3. OVERTIME THRILLER

What do you get when the two leader scorers in franchise history team up?
Stunning goals just like this.
Showing of his patented sauce, Huberdeau floated a pass through two defenders to get the puck to Barkov, who then roofed a backhand shot into the cage to nail down the win tonight.

"A huge faceoff win by Barky in the d-zone, and then the big boys went to work," said Weegar, who picked up the secondary assist on the goal. "I was just kind of a distraction out there. Great sauce by Huby to Barky for an unbelievable finish."
Holding down the top two spots on the team's scoring leaderboard early on this season, Huberdeau ranks first with 10 points (three goals, seven assists), while Barkov sits in second with nine points (four goals, five assists).

4. SERGEI STAYS HOT

How can you sum up Bobrovsky's start to the season?
"Unbelievable," Weegar said with a big smile.
Tied for the most wins in the league, Bobrovsky improved his own record to a perfect 6-0-0 by stopping 28 of 30 shots against the Red Wings tonight, including 10 in the third period alone.

"We faced a loud barn there in the third period," Weegar said. "Great atmosphere. Bob calmed us down with a couple key saves back there."
Of his saves tonight, 10 came from shots that originated from high-danger areas on the ice, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. After another stellar start, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner now sports a miniscule 1.81 goals-against average with an outstanding .944 save percentage.
"We're playing great hockey, and it's been fun to be a part of," Bobrovsky said.

5. KEEP IT ROLLING

Only three teams in NHL history have opened up their season with nine straight wins.
How badly do the Panthers want to be the fourth?
"Very bad," Weegar said.
With a chance to keep their incredible streak alive, the Panthers will now travel to Boston to wrap up their back-to-back set with a battle against the Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday.
"We just want to keep winning," Weegar said. "It's a great mood in the locker room. The boys are buzzing. We're having a lot of fun in there. We're a family. We've got great leadership."
When it comes to that leadership, Weegar said that the veteran voices of Patric Hornqvist and Joe Thornton have been very important in helping the team navigate these last few days.
"They stepped up and said some great things to us," Weegar said.
Following their game in Boston, the Panthers will return home to host the Capitals on Thursday.
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