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Sharks Rally for OT Thriller Against Panthers
2 Oct
Summary
- Will Smith scored twice and assisted the overtime winner for the Sharks.
- The Sharks secured a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers.
- Injuries impacted both teams, with Panthers captain Barkov leaving the game.
The San Jose Sharks secured a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers at SAP Center. Will Smith was instrumental in the win, netting two goals and providing the assist for the game-deciding score in overtime. Luca Cagnoni scored his first NHL goal at 3:14 of overtime to seal the win for the Sharks.
San Jose took an early 3-0 lead with goals from Mason Marchment in his debut and two from Smith, including a short-handed goal. However, the Panthers mounted a comeback in the second and third periods, with Eetu Luostarinen scoring twice and Matthew Tkachuk tying the game.
The Panthers faced significant adversity as captain Aleksander Barkov left the game in the second period due to an injury sustained while on a power play. He was playing in his second game of the season after missing the entirety of 2025-26 due to a right knee injury. Defenseman Gustav Forsling was also a late scratch for Florida.
Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for the Sharks, while Florida's Akira Schmid stopped 29 shots in his debut with the team. The Sharks are celebrating their season opener with this hard-fought victory.
