Panthers fall to Blue Jackets in shootout for 1st loss of season

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Alexandre Texier slickly beat Chris Driedger five-hole in the fourth round of a shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Thursday night.

Texier skated slowly in on Chris Driedger and poked the puck between his pads with the back of his stick. Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins sealed it by denying Patric Hornqvist, who scored the winning goal in a shootout between the teams Tuesday night.

Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen tied it in the third period, and Carter Verhaeghe also had a goal for the Panthers. Driedger finished with 29 saves.

Mikko Koivu and Max Domi scored and Merzlikins had 33 saves as Columbus dealt the Panthers their first loss in four games this season. Columbus rebounded after giving up a tying goal with 3 seconds left in regulation Tuesday night and then losing the shootout.

Koivu got his first goal as a Blue Jacket late in the first period. Eric Robinson got to the loose puck behind the net, brought it around and set up Koivu with a pass across the crease.

Verhaeghe took advantage of Columbus’ turnover in Florida’s zone late in the second to tie it with a poke from the doorstep past the glove of a falling Merzlikins.

Domi got his first goal of the season — also his first as a Blue Jacket — when he beat Driedger on a power play at 6:19 of the third period. The Panthers tied it again at 12:56 when Luostarinen tapped in a rebound that had trickled into the blue paint.

ICE CHIPS

Panthers: F Brett Connolly played in his 500th NHL game. … Verhaeghe has four goals in the last three games and has points in all four of Florida’s games. … Longtime Blue Jacket Markus Nutivaara had the secondary assist on Luostarinen’s goal.

Blue Jackets: Jack Roslovic, who grew up in Columbus rooting for the Blue Jackets, made his debut with the team after coming in the trade with Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois. … Koivu, who is playing his first season in Columbus after 15 in Minnesota, has points in the last two games.