Florida Panthers Comeback from Slow Start, Beat Penguins in Shootout
“I think we were resilient in our game,” Sam Reinhart said. “Coming out for the second period, there were some things we changed up. We got back to our identity a little bit.”
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers had their backs against the wall after a first period where they were thoroughly outshot and outplayed — but this time they fought back.
In their stretch of losses in four of their past six entering Sunday night, the Panthers saw that happen multiple times —mainly in Montreal and New York on their lengthy six-game road trip — but they did not let it stop them that night.
Florida pushed back, held Pittsburgh to nine shots in the second and third period, and defeated them 4-3 in the shootout after a late game-tying goal from Anton Lundell.
“I think we were resilient in our game,” Sam Reinhart said. “Coming out for the second period, there were some things we changed up. We got back to our identity a little bit. We didn’t force anything, we didn’t try to press anything and we were able to stick with it. We started controlling play a little bit more, we were patient with it and we got rewarded.”
The Panthers were coming off of a 6-3 loss on Saturday night in Washington that got away from them after they allowed three quick goals in the second period.
With the Atlantic Division postseason race razor thin — Florida, Toronto and Tampa Bay all entered the night within two points of each other for first place — Florida needed a win.
“We play a lot of back-to-backs coming into the last stretch of games this season,” Lundell said. “So, every game is big as we all know looking at the standings. We want to get points and wins.”
They were able to gut it out after Aleksander Barkov scored the lone shootout goal and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all three shots he faced.
“It’s not easy,” coach Paul Maurice said of the Penguins. “They move so fast and their sticks are world class with some of the players that they have. It’s back-to-back, it’s not easy.
“We were slow in the first and then Barky throws a hit in the first hit in the second period, and after that, our game is just rounded and we got better. And then you end up with the tying goal on a very skilled play that you just don’t make unless you’re at the right level. So, going back-to-back, I’m really, really happy with the way they fought for it.”
Reinhart scored with 8:35 to go in the first period to start the scoring, but after that, it was all Pittsburgh for the rest of the frame.
The Penguins took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission behind a pair of goals from Bryan Rust.
They outshot Florida 16-4, led 10-4 in scoring chances and 6-0 in high-danger chances per Natural Stat Trick.
Even after Evgeni Malkin extended Pittsbrugh’s lead to 3-1 early in the second period, the Panthers found an extra gear.
Reinhart brought the Panthers back within a goal with a wrist shot off of a feed from Aleksander Barkov less than three minutes later to get them back into the game. And then they kept going.
At 5-on-5, the Panthers outshot the Penguins 18-5 while leading 17-7 in scoring chances and 6-2 in high-danger chances in the second and third periods.
“I think, overall, at that point, we were playing the right way,” Barkov said. “We knew that we were going to get our chances, so it was just a matter of us capitalizing on them.”
Lundell found the equalizer with 5:31 to go in regulation, blasting a slap shot off of a feed from Eetu Luostarinen to tie the game at 3-3.
“It comes from from a different source,” coach Paul Maurice said of the connection between Lundell and Luostarinen. “It’s not like they’re the playmaking, kind of smooth guys, and that was a fantastic play. But they got back to being aggressive and getting on the body and being physical and that drives their level.”
After earning the win in the shootout, Florida now sits two points ahead of the Maple Leafs for the top seed in the division with one fewer game remaining on its schedule.
The Panthers will have four days off following a stretch of three games and four nights and will return to action on Friday night against the Utah Hockey Club.
“We had a tough, tough road trip,” Barkov said. “We didn’t get the points we wanted to but it’s always nice to come back home and play in front of our own fans, and I think that gave us a little boost there to compete harder and we did in the second and third.”