Red Wings beat Panthers 4-1 to end defending champ's opening winning streak at 3 | iNFOnews.ca
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot (39) stops a Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) shot as Patrick Kane (88) defends in the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Red Wings beat Panthers 4-1 to end defending champ’s opening winning streak at 3

DETROIT (AP) — Cam Talbot made 21 saves, Mason Appleton scored twice and the Detroit Red Wings beat Florida 4-1 on Wednesday night to end the defending champion Panthers’ season-opening winning streak at three.

The injury-hit Panthers opened a four-game trip. They began the season with home victories over Chicago, Philadelphia and Ottawa.

Detroit has won three in a row. The Red Wings opened with a home loss to Montreal, then swept a home-and-hone series with Toronto.

Appleton opened the scoring at 2:09 of the second on a snap shot. Patrick Kane added a power-play goal at 9:36, firing a shot from right side to the near top corner. Appleton put it away into an empty net with 1:58 left, and Michael Rasmussen also had an empty-netter.

Brad Marchand scored on a wraparound for Florida with 5:55 left in the second. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots.

Before the game, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said defenseman Dmitry Kulikov had surgery and is expected to be sidelined about five months because of an upper-body injury,

Florida also is missing stars forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Barkov will be out at least seven months because of a knee injury. Tkachuk could return in December from a torn adductor muscle.

Kulikov was hurt Oct. 9 in a 2-1 home victory over Philadelphia. Uvis Balinskis took Kulikov’s spot in the lineup against Detroit. The Panthers recalled defenseman Tobias Bjornfot from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

Up next

Panthers: At New Jersey on Thursday night.

Red Wings: Host Tampa Bay on Friday night. ___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Red Wings beat Panthers 4-1 to end defending champ's opening winning streak at 3 | iNFOnews.ca
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) deflects a Detroit Red Wings center Andrew Copp (18) shot in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Red Wings beat Panthers 4-1 to end defending champ's opening winning streak at 3 | iNFOnews.ca
Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers players clutch and grab each other in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Red Wings beat Panthers 4-1 to end defending champ's opening winning streak at 3 | iNFOnews.ca
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) celebrates his goal with Moritz Seider and James van Riemsdyk (21) against the Florida Panthers in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Red Wings beat Panthers 4-1 to end defending champ's opening winning streak at 3 | iNFOnews.ca
Detroit Red Wings center Mason Appleton (22) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles