Tag: Florida Panthers

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Matthew Tkachuk records 5-point performance as Panthers defeat Flyers in high-scoring game

Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers

Sam Reinhart scored the go-ahead goal with 1:59 left, and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and four assists to lead the Florida Panthers to a 7-5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

During a scramble in front of the net, Carter Verhaeghe made a no-look backhand pass to an open Reinhart, who blasted a slap shot into the empty net for his 19th goal, leading the league. This goal broke a 5-5 tie.

The goal came just after Joel Farabee of the Flyers was penalized for cross-checking, giving the Panthers a power play. Tkachuk added an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left to seal the win.

Owen Tippett scored twice, and Matvei Michkov had three assists for Philadelphia, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end. Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov gave up two goals on seven shots, and Aleksei Kolosov allowed four goals on 20 shots in relief during the final two periods.

The Flyers were down 4-2 late in the second period when Tippett scored twice in just 23 seconds. First, he scored off a one-timer from Michkov, then he tapped in a rebound of his own shot to tie the game with 1:56 left in the second.

Sam Reinhart pumped after the goal

Garnet Hathaway gave Philadelphia a 5-4 lead at 14:21 of the third period, scoring during a scramble in front of the net. Florida answered with 5:17 left when Gustav Forsling scored from the blue line with a flip shot that Kolosov didn’t see.

Evan Rodrigues opened the game with a goal 2:36 into the first period, stealing the puck from Tyson Foerster and beating Fedotov. Niko Mikkola made it 2-0 less than five minutes later, and Aleksander Barkov increased the lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal off a great pass from Reinhart early in the second.

The second period saw six goals. Foerster and Nick Seeler scored for the Flyers, making it 3-2, but Verhaeghe restored Florida’s two-goal lead with a rebound goal over Kolosov’s shoulder.

Florida goalie Spencer Knight made 29 saves, helping the Panthers win four of their last five games.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The Flyers, on a winning streak, will face the Panthers, who could be missing their starting goalie

Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)

The Philadelphia Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season, but they will face a new challenge on Thursday when they host the defending champion Florida Panthers.

The Flyers are 4-0-1 in their last five games, including three overtime wins. Rookie winger Matvei Michkov has scored overtime goals in two of those victories. The 19-year-old Russian has netted three overtime goals in the last nine games, including a 3-2 win at St. Louis on Saturday.

“We’ve had some confidence with (overtime),” said Flyers coach John Tortorella. “Michkov has helped us quite a bit there. Last year, we struggled with it.”

The Flyers have had a break since Saturday’s win, so it remains to be seen if their recent momentum will carry into Thursday’s game.

One area that could help the Flyers against Florida is the possible return of their No. 1 goaltender Samuel Ersson, who has been out since Nov. 11 with a lower-body injury. Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have shared time in net during Ersson’s absence, with mixed results.

Tortorella is thankful for the chance to evaluate both backup goalies, but he also wants to continue seeing how Ersson performs in his first full season as the team’s starting goalie.

“All this stuff with the injuries, the goalie, our No. 1 guy gone, it gives us an idea of what we have,” Tortorella said. “And that’s a big part of this year and, quite honestly, next (year) because there are no free agents coming. We have to keep on evaluating what we have in the organization.”

Florida Panthers (NHL)

Florida knows what it has in its top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. However, Bobrovsky has been out recently while waiting for the birth of his child. He is expected to miss Thursday’s game, which could mean another start for Spencer Knight.

Knight allowed five goals on 16 shots in Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, leaving Panthers coach Paul Maurice with mixed feelings.

“It was alright. I think that’s how we felt about it,” Maurice said. “I don’t think we gave up a tremendous amount. I don’t think we took advantage of some things that we normally do. I’m not 100 percent sure how I feel about that one.”

After winning their previous three games by a combined score of 17-4, the Panthers were down 4-1 to the Penguins with under 14 minutes remaining. However, Matthew Tkachuk scored a goal and had two assists in the third period to help his team force overtime, although they ultimately lost.

“I guess it’s a point that we’re happy to get,” said Tkachuk, who finished with two goals and two assists to surpass 600 career points. He now has 603 points in his ninth season. “But when we fight back, you just really want to get that win.”

Jesper Boqvist had two assists, and his brother Adam Boqvist scored a goal for Florida.

“We just know when we go out there that we can wear teams down,” said Adam Boqvist. “I think we almost showed that tonight with the third period. Just move on from this.”

The Panthers beat the Flyers 4-3 in a shootout last month in Florida. The two teams will meet again on Jan. 13 in Philadelphia.

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Panthers rally to even the score, but Penguins prevail in overtime

Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers

Bryan Rust scored the winning goal 91 seconds into overtime, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Tuesday.

In a game between two teams on three-game winning streaks, the Penguins held on for the win, even after giving up a 4-1 lead in the third period. Rust’s goal, his eighth of the season, helped Pittsburgh secure the extra point.

Despite being outshot 41-16, the Penguins won, with goaltender Tristan Jarry making a season-high 37 saves. Florida put pressure on Jarry throughout the game, but he stopped many high-quality chances. Jarry had been sent to the AHL in late October after struggling in his first three starts.

Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead in the first period, despite being outshot 13-5. The Penguins scored 1:12 apart, with Owen Pickering, the youngest player on the team, getting his first NHL goal. Evgeni Malkin, the oldest player, added his 504th career goal shortly after.

Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby
Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby (NHL)

Marcus Pettersson and Kris Letang also scored for Pittsburgh, and Blake Lizotte added two assists.

Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk recorded a season-high four points (two goals and two assists), surpassing 600 career points. His second goal came on a power play, tying the game 4-4 with 8:33 left in regulation.

Sam Bennett extended his goal streak to four games for Florida, while Adam Boqvist also scored for the Panthers. Both goals came in the third period before Tkachuk’s game-tying goal.

Spencer Knight started for Florida as Sergei Bobrovsky stayed home to be with his wife, who is expecting a baby. Knight made 11 saves in the loss.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Penguins activated Cody Glass from injured reserve. Glass, a 25-year-old center, had been out since Nov. 8 due to a concussion. He was acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators in August.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Streaks clash as struggling Panthers set to face red-hot Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a four-game winning streak, while the Florida Panthers are on a four-game losing streak.

In their last eight games, Toronto has won seven, while Florida has only won one out of its last seven.

On Wednesday, the Panthers will host the Leafs in Sunrise, Florida, and both teams will be tested based on their current streaks.

Strangely, Toronto has been on this hot streak without their captain, seven-time All-Star Auston Matthews, who has missed games due to an upper-body injury. Matthews had led the league in goals in three of the past four seasons.

Leafs forward John Tavares said, “Don’t get me wrong — we want Auston back as soon as possible, but it’s just about believing in the group and the depth we have. Everyone is a part of it.”

Mitch Marner has stepped up, leading Toronto in assists (20) and points (28), while William Nylander leads the team in goals (14). Tavares himself has 20 points, ranking third behind Marner and Nylander. Marner has been especially hot, with a four-game multi-point streak, during which he scored four goals and added four assists.

Matthew Tkachuk
Matthew Tkachuk – Florida Panthers

Tavares praised Marner, saying, “He’s an elite player. He makes plays. He does so many good things without the puck. He plays in all situations, and he brings an element to our locker room that is unique. We’re lucky to have him.”

In goal, Toronto has been strong with a duo of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. Stolarz, who played for the Panthers last season, has been excellent with a 7-3-2 record, a .927 save percentage, and a 2.18 goals-against average. Woll is 5-2-0 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average.

Florida is expected to start goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was rested in Monday’s 4-1 loss to Washington. Bobrovsky is 9-5-1 with an .885 save percentage and a 3.18 goals-against average. He has a 13-8-1 record with a .904 save percentage and a 2.82 GAA in his career against Toronto.

In that loss to Washington, Panthers forward Sam Reinhart had his 13-game point streak snapped, which was the longest in the NHL this season. Reinhart, who started the week tied for the league lead in goals (16), also leads the Panthers in points (31). He has 11 goals and eight assists over his last 14 games.

With star players like Bobrovsky, Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, and Matthew Tkachuk, coach Paul Maurice is still confident in his team but acknowledges that “there’s a piece of our game that’s missing right now, and we’re going to have to find it.”

Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola agreed, saying, “We’re a little bit off.” Backup goalie Spencer Knight expressed frustration but remains hopeful: “We’ve done a lot of things right. We’re working hard. Everyone is buying in. Every team in this league is good. Anyone can beat anyone.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jakob Chychrun’s three-point performance leads Capitals to victory over Panthers

Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers

Defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who grew up near the area, scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and added two assists, helping the Washington Capitals secure a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday in Sunrise, Fla.

Lars Eller scored twice for Washington, while he and Ivan Miroshnichenko each added an empty-net goal.

Logan Thompson made 20 saves in goal, improving his record to 9-1-1 in his first season with the Capitals.

Chychrun, who is from Boca Raton, a short drive from Sunrise, shared the spotlight with Eller and Thompson. The Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, have now lost six of their last seven games. Niko Mikkola scored for Florida, and backup goalie Spencer Knight made 27 saves.

Sam Reinhart’s 13-game points streak was snapped in this game. During that streak, Reinhart had 11 goals and eight assists, tying the longest points streak in the NHL this season.

Washington Capitals (NHL)

The first period ended in a 1-1 tie.

Florida scored first, seven minutes into the game. Sam Bennett held the puck in the center, drawing two defenders before passing to Mikkola on the left wing. Mikkola then scored his first goal of the season with a shot off the crossbar.

Washington responded with a goal at 17:49. Chychrun stopped just inside the blue line and made a perfect pass to Eller, who scored from close range, lifting the puck over Knight’s blocker.

After a scoreless second period, Washington took a 2-1 lead early in the third with a five-on-three power-play goal. Just 78 seconds into the period, Chychrun scored from the point, using Pierre-Luc Dubois as a screen to beat Knight on the glove side.

The two penalties that set up the five-on-three were for tripping against Uvis Balinskis and slashing against Aaron Ekblad.

With 2:24 left in the game, Florida pulled Knight for an extra attacker, but Washington capitalized with two empty-net goals.