RECAP: Florida Panthers 4, Nashville Predators 1

Youngsters Justin Sourdif, Mackie Samoskevich and Spencer Knight shined as the injured Panthers defeated the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

The Florida Panthers were short two key forwards on Tuesday night in Nashville, but it did not seem to matter in an 4-1 win over the Predators.

With Matthew Tkachuk out with an injury and Eetu Luostarinen back in South Florida awaiting the birth of his child, Spencer Knight stopped 18 of 19 shots, Justin Sourdif scored his first NHL goal after getting called up from the AHL on Monday and the Panthers earned their fifth victory in their past seven games.

Sam Bennett put the Panthers ahead with a power play goal 1:23 into the game. Sam Reinhart found him near the front of the net with a slick backhand pass and he tapped it in for his 19th goal of the season.

Sourdif added to the lead with his first NHL goal — and point — 4:21 into the second period. Jesper Boqvist tapped the puck over to Sourdif in the slot and he wired a wrist shot top shelf to beat Juuse Saros.

It took Sourdif four NHL games to register his first goal. He played three games across multiple different stints with the Panthers last year before making his season debut on Tuesday night.

Michael McCarron broke Knight’s shutout bid 4:30 into the third period. He jammed his own rebound through Knight’s five-hole after a flurry of five-straight Predators shots to kick off the final frame.

Gustav Forsling restored Florida’s two-goal lead with a wide-angle shot from the point 9:02 into the second period.

Anton Lundell appeared to score an insurance marker with 3:05 to go — wiring home a wrist shot from the doorstep off of a feed from Boqvist — but it was taken off the board after a successful goaltender interference challenge from Nashville.

Mackie Samoskevich gave them the 4-1 lead — for real this time — with a wicked backhand move after Bennett found him in the slot. It was the rookie forward’s eighth goal of the season.

The Panthers will return home on Thursday night to take on the Edmonton Oilers in a 2024 Stanley Cup Final rematch.