Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2

Marcel Goc scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Florida Panthers edged the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in their home opener on Saturday.
 
Jose Theodore made five saves in overtime and stopped all three in the shootout for the Panthers (2-1-0).
 
Defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron tied the game the twice for the Lightning (1-2-2) in the third period, the second with 2:16 left in regulation on a rocket from the right point.
 
Kris Versteeg had given the Panthers a 2-1 lead on the power play 39 seconds earlier, one-timing a Dmitry Kulikov cross-ice pass.
 
Lightning goalie Mathieu Garon made 28 of his 36 saves in first two periods, including three big stops on Stephen Weiss in the second to keep his team within a goal.
 
Tampa Bay killed three Florida power plays in the first period, but gave up its first of the season on Ed Jovanovski’s shot off a Lightning player’s skate at 11:48. The Lightning had killed off 22 in a row to start the season.
 
Five of the last six games between the two teams have gone to OT – four to a shootout. Florida has won three of the four shootouts.

• Florida will play their next game on the road against Florida . The Panthers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
• Tampa Bay will play their next game at home against Florida . The Lightning have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .250 after a loss.