Late Johnny Gaudreau honored, but Blue Jackets fall to Panthers

Sam Reinhart scored one goal and had two assists as the Florida Panthers defeated the Blue Jackets 4-3 in an emotional home opener for Columbus on Tuesday night.

Florida also got goals from Anton Lundell, Dmitry Kulikov and Eetu Luostarinen and 35 saves from Spencer Knight, who recorded his first NHL victory since Jan. 3, 2023.

The Panthers played their third straight game without two top forwards: Aleksander Barkov (leg) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness).

Florida has won 14 of its past 16 games -- including six in a row -- against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus got goals from Cole Sillinger, Sean Monahan and James van Riemsdyk.

Also for Columbus: Elvis Merzlikins posted 18 saves, and defenseman Zach Werenski had a tough game, hitting two posts and getting stopped by Knight on a breakaway.

The game started with 19:47 left in the first period. Those elapsed 13 seconds were in honor of Johnny Gaudreau, who wore No. 13 in his stellar NHL career for Calgary and then Columbus.

Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were riding bikes when they were killed on August 29 by a suspected drunk driver.

On Tuesday, the Blue Jackets retired Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13, rising his jersey to the rafters as the fans chanted "Johnny Hockey!"

All Blue Jackets players wore No. 13 during warmups, and a video tribute was played, including an old interview with Johnny, who said his father put him on the ice when he was "two or three days old."

Once the game started, the Blue Jackets opened with just two forwards, leaving Gaudreau's wing spot open for the first shift.

After a scoreless opening period, Columbus opened the scoring 41 seconds into the second as Sillinger scored on a short-handed breakaway. Kent Johnson delivered the backhand pass that sprung Sillinger, who scored top shelf, off of Knight's left shoulder.

Florida tied the score with 9:35 left in the second. The play started when the Panthers won a puck battle along the left boards. The puck flipped up to Reinhart, who artfully slipped it to Lundell for a one-timer at close range.

Columbus went back ahead 2-1 with 8:38 remaining in the second as Monahan stuffed in a rebound.

Florida tied the score 37 seconds later as Kulikov's shot from the point deflected in off Reinhart's left hip.

With just 1.6 seconds left in the second, Reinhart scored to give Florida a 3-2 lead.

Luostarinen scored top shelf with 4:48 left in the third to make it 4-2.

But Columbus pulled Merzlikins for an extra attacker, and that resulted in a goal by van Riemsdyk's right leg with 2:39 remaining, cutting the Blue Jackets' deficit to 4-3.

--Field Level Media