SUNRISE, Fla. -- The intense spirit of Jose Fernandez is rejuvenating the South Florida sports scene.

How else to explain some of what has happened since Fernandez's tragic death in a boating accident on Sept. 25?

Thursday night provided the latest evidence.

Before the game, all of the Florida Panthers players wore Fernandez's No. 16 as they skated in warm-ups. Each jersey was emblazoned with the name Fernandez, the star Miami Marlins pitcher who was just 24 when he died.

Then, with 2:12 left in overtime, the Panthers' real No. 16, Aleksander Barkov, scored the game-winner to lead Florida to a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at the BB&T Center.

It was the season-opener for both teams, and Barkov also had an assist on Florida's first goal.

"(His death) was bad news for me, too," Barkov said of Fernandez. "He was my favorite baseball player. I don't really watch (much) baseball, but I knew (about) him. It was a big loss for South Florida and all America.

"I feel bad for his family."

Rookie defenseman Michael Matheson, who circled from behind the net and tried to stuff a shot past Devils goalie Cory Schneider, got credit for the assist when the rebound of his attempt came to Barkov just inside the right circle.

The 22-year-old Matheson, who played three games last year, earned his first career point.

But rather than revel in his moment, Matheson recalled how Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, who has little power, hit an upper-deck homer in the first Marlins at-bat after Fernandez died.

"You can tell that something's been going on" Matheson said, referring to perhaps the supernatural, "Especially now that No. 16 (Barkov) got the game-winner."

Indeed, Gordon was in attendance on Thursday for a pre-game, on-ice ceremony in which the Panthers donated $35,000 to Fernandez's foundation, JDF16.

Barkov said he never met Fernandez, who was a first-round pick in 2011, two years prior to Barkov getting the same honor but in a different sport.

"He was here last year, but I missed the chance to meet him," Barkov said. He was 16 for the Marlins, I'm 16 here. But we never got the chance to meet."

Barkov's goal marked the Panthers' first home overtime winner since March 30, 2013. Barkov's goal also made a winner of Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, who made 23 saves, including two huge stops in the final minute of regulation.

Jonathan Marchessault, who left the Tampa Bay Lightning to sign a two-year, free-agent contract with the Panthers in July, scored Florida's first goal of the season.

P.A. Parenteau, who was picked up off the waiver wire this week after getting released by the New York Islanders, scored New Jersey's only goal.

Florida opened the scoring. With 10:22 left in the first period, Marchessault scored off a pass from Barkov. The shot was initially stopped by Schneider, but the puck bounced in off the body of Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy. Alex Petrovic got the secondary assist.

New Jersey tied the score 1-1 with just 28 seconds left in the first period. A shot from Yohann Auvitu got past Luongo after it was redirected by Parenteau's skate. Pavel Zacha got the secondary assist.

That was how the score stood until Barkov got the game-winner on a play in which Devils defenseman Damon Severson took the blame for losing possession of the puck to Matheson.

"I got the puck in the corner, won the battle, and I tried to go behind the net," Severson explained. "I heard 'reverse'. I knew we had tired guys out there, and I didn't want to just throw the puck away. I ended up tripping up on a skate."

Schneider, who made 32 saves, including all 16 he faced in a frenetic third period, was pleased with the game overall.

"I wanted to come out and have a good start and show the guys I'm ready for the year," Schneider said. "We got a tough bounce on their first goal." They came at us pretty hard in the third period, but we got a point."

NOTES: In the third period, after Florida LW Jussi Jokinen slashed a New Jersey player, New Jersey C Travis Zajac delivered a major blow. Zajac came up from behind Jokinen and punched him in the head, knocking Jokinen to the ice. There were four penalties issued, but no power play and no ejections. The Panthers are without two of their top-six forwards in RW Jonathan Huberdeau (left foot, out up to four months after getting cut by a skate blade) and C Nick Bjugstad (broken hand, out one month). … Panthers C Derek MacKenzie, 35, has been named team captain for the first time in his career. D Aaron Ekblad and LW Jussi Jokinen were named alternate captains. … The Devils have missed the playoffs four straight years. … The Devils scratched C Reid Boucher, D Steven Santini and RW Beau Bennett. … The Panthers scratched D Steven Kampfer and LW Shawn Thornton.