SUNRISE, Fla. — Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist, and the Florida Panthers extended their season-opening point streak to eight games with a 2-1 victory against the Nashville Predators at BB&T Center on Friday.
Chris Driedger made 24 saves for the Panthers (6-0-2), who lost to the Predators 6-5 in overtime on Thursday in the first of the two-game set.
Colton Sissons scored, and Pekka Rinne made 34 saves for the Predators (5-6-0).
Nashville led 1-0 after the first period despite being outshot 20-5.
Sissons opened the scoring at 4:04 when Driedger stopped him from close range but the rebound bounced in off Sissons’ skate.
Barkov tied it 1-1 at 5:58 of the second period when he scored off Verhaeghe’s cross-ice pass to the side of the net.
Verhaeghe gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead at 15:31 when he took a return pass from Barkov after Rinne was pulled out of position.
Driedger stopped Erik Haula on a breakaway with 10 seconds left in the third period.
Predators center Ryan Johansen missed the game because of an upper-body injury sustained in the second period Thursday. He is day to day.
