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Kadri helps Flames beat Panthers 5-3, sending Cup champs to 4th loss in 6 home games

Kadri helps Flames beat Panthers 5-3, sending Cup champs to 4th loss in 6 home games | iNFOnews.ca
Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley (1) stops a shot as Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist (70) and Calgary Flames defenseman Yan Kuznetsov (37) look on, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee each had a goal and an assist, MacKenzie Weegar scored against his former team, and the Calgary Flames shook off a sleepy start to beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Friday.

Yan Kuznetsov got his first NHL goal and Morgan Frost got the goal that put Calgary ahead for good, as the Flames won for the fourth time in five games. Farabee sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:03 left.

Devin Cooley gave up goals on the first two shots he saw, then stopped the next 30 for Calgary.

Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett scored in the first 2:58 for Florida, which wasted a 2-0 lead — on home ice, no less — for the second consecutive game, after falling 4-2 to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Brad Marchand scored midway through the third, his 15th of the season for Florida.

Before Wednesday, the Panthers were 9-0-0 this season in games when they led by two or more goals at any point and 9-1-0 when scoring first. Rodrigues scored in the opening minute, Bennett made it 2-0 two minutes later and the Panthers — who have now lost three of their last four games overall and four of their last six at home — seemed to be rolling.

Cooley changed all that in a hurry.

He made 17 saves before the first period was over, and the goals from Kuznetsov and Weegar — second-line defensemen — tied it at 2 going into the second. Calgary had a 5-on-3 power play that extended into the second period and that provided Frost the chance to put the Flames up 3-2 early in that middle frame by sweeping a rebound past Florida’s Daniil Tarasov.

Up next

Flames: Visit Carolina on Sunday.

Panthers: Host Toronto on Tuesday.

___

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

Kadri helps Flames beat Panthers 5-3, sending Cup champs to 4th loss in 6 home games | iNFOnews.ca
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) drives forward defended by Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Kadri helps Flames beat Panthers 5-3, sending Cup champs to 4th loss in 6 home games | iNFOnews.ca
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) and Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) can’t stop a shot by Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91), for the Flames fourth goal, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Kadri helps Flames beat Panthers 5-3, sending Cup champs to 4th loss in 6 home games | iNFOnews.ca
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell, right, and center Sam Reinhart attempt to score as Calgary Flames defenseman Brayden Pachal, left, and goaltender Devin Cooley, obscured, defend during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Kadri helps Flames beat Panthers 5-3, sending Cup champs to 4th loss in 6 home games | iNFOnews.ca
Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) and teammates celebrate after he scored the team’s second goal against the Florida Panthers during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

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The Associated Press

Tim Reynolds

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.

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