Forsling Scores OT Winner, Leads Panthers Over Capitals

SUNRISE — Gustav Forsling scored the overtime winner as the Florida Panthers rallied for a comeback win on Saturday night, defeating the Washington Capitals 3-2.

The Panthers were trailing by a goal when captain Aleksander Barkov tied the game on the power play with 3:30 left in regulation.

Anthony Stolarz had 22 saves in his ninth win of the season. 

Florida improved to 38-16-4 on the season — jumping up to first place in the Atlantic with the win. 

Here’s Saturday night’s takeaways.

Capitals strike twice on power play

Florida entered Saturday with the fourth best penalty kill in the NHL (83.3%).

The Capitals were on the opposite side of the power play rankings, sitting 26th in the league (15.9 percent) before puck drop.

Despite the obvious discrepancy in the special teams numbers, the Capitals ended the game ahead of the Panthers in that department. 

Both of Washington’s goals were scored with the man-advantage — finishing the night 2/4 on the power play.

Panthers’ goalie Anthony Stolarz kept the door shut otherwise, stopping all 18 even strength shots he faced. 

The Panthers have gone 13 straight games without conceding more than two goals.

Cousins scores first goal in over three months

Nick Cousins has had a string of bad luck over the past 100 or so days. 

First, he missed nearly all of January with a concussion — missing 12 games over that span. 

He also hasn’t the best puck luck on his side either, scoring just twice this season — with the last goal coming on Nov. 6 against Columbus.

Missing their star forward Matthew Tkachuk on Saturday — who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury — Florida needed other guys to step up. 

Insert the unlikely offensive spark, Nick Cousins.

After going 34 straight games without a goal, Cousins finally found the back of the net, giving Florida a 1-0 lead 4:30 into the second period.

Forsling the overtime hero

Gustav Forsling has consistently been Florida’s best defenseman all season and on Saturday night, the 27-year-old defenseman sent his team home with two points. 

3:41 into overtime, Forsling scored the game-winning goal — the third OT goal of his career.

Before scoring the winner, Forsling prevented the Capitals from ending the game themselves. 

He made the decision to play the man on an odd-man rush — breaking up the play — then flipping the ice in transition. 

Forsling then jumped up into the play and beat Charlie Lindgren with a one-timer for the OT winner. 

“It was kind of a slingshot play, so much speed and Benny found him because he was the guy that was able to open up,” said head coach Paul Maurice. “Gus was good tonight and it wasn’t easy for him, he had to fight through it.”

Forsling left the Panthers previous game against Carolina in the first period with an injury and did not return.