TAKEAWAYS: Florida Panthers 6, Minnesota Wild 1

The Florida Panthers wrapped up a five-game road rip with a dominant win over the Minnesota Wild — even with an illness ravaging through the locker room.

With the locker room ravaged by illness, the Florida Panthers dug in and defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-1 on national television.

Aleksander Barkov put up an assist in his return from a two-game absence from said illness. Countless others also stepped up in Sam Bennett’s absence with that same ailment.

Even down one of their best centermen — and others on the roster playing through the illness — the Panthers kept their foot on the gas, played their game and wore down the Wild.

Aaron Ekblad got things started 3:48 into the game, blasting a slap shot past Marc Andre Fleury to put the Panthers ahead.

Marco Rossi tied things up with a backhand shot on the power play late in the second period, but Mackie Samoskevich answered back with a rocket of a wrist shot off the rush two minutes later to restore the Florida lead.

The Panthers took control from there.

Florida slowed things down to start the second period, then took over late with a pair of goals from Tkachuk to see its lead balloon up to three goals. Niko Mikkola and Eetu Luostarinen tacked on a pair of goals in the latter half of the third for good measure.

The Panthers finished off their five-game road trip with a 3-2-0 record and are now tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night’s game: