Reinhart has 3 points, Panthers hold off Blue Jackets

Reinhart scored at 19:58 of the second period for a 3-2 lead after the Panthers twice rallied from behind.

Eetu Luostarinen made it 4-2 at 15:12 of the third period, but James van Riemsdyk cut it to 4-3 at 17:21 when Elvis Merzlikins brought in the extra attacker.

Anton Lundell had a goal and an assist and Niko Mikkola had two assists for the Panthers (3-2-0). Spencer Knight made 35 saves, including 15 in the third.

Florida won for the second day in a row; On Monday they defeated the Boston Bruins on the road 4-3.

Cole Sillinger and Sean Monahan scored and Merzlikins made 18 saves for the Blue Jackets (1-2-0).

The game was preceded by a ceremony honoring Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29. They died on August 29 when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver who was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter while riding their bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey.

The teams wore jerseys with Johnny's 13 and last name on the back during warmups. There was also a number on the ice behind each goal.

A banner reading “JOHNNY GAUDREAU 1993-2024” and the number 13 in a circle was attached to the rafters. On the opening play, Monahan passed the puck to Panthers forward Sam Bennett, a teammate of Gaudreau and Monahan on the Calgary Flames. The players stood still until 13 seconds passed and the clock stopped.

Sillinger gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal 41 seconds into the second period, scoring on a breakaway off a long pass from Kent Johnson.

Lundell tied the game at 1-1 after an assist from Reinhart at 10:25, scoring his third goal in two games, before Monahan gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at 11:22 with a rebound of his own shot brought.

It was Monahan's second goal since signing with Columbus on July 1. He immediately pointed to the banner.

Dmitry Kulikov's shot from the point made it 2-2 at 11:59.