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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 5Flames Panthers Hockey
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 5Flames Panthers Hockey
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)2 / 5Flames Panthers Hockey
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)3 / 5Flames Panthers Hockey
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)4 / 5Flames Panthers Hockey
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)5 / 5Flames Panthers Hockey
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) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)TIM REYNOLDSFri, November 28, 2025 at 11:51 PM UTC·2 min readSUNRISE, 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDevin 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe 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.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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