TAKEAWAYS: Florida Panthers 7, San Jose Sharks 2

Seven different Florida Panthers players scored goals in Aaron Ekblad’s return to the lineup.

The Florida Panthers blew the San Jose Sharks out, 7-2, behind seven different goal scorers.

Aaron Ekblad scored the go-ahead goal with 2:52 to go in the first period in a return from a seven-game absence due to injury. That set up a four-goal second period Florida rode to victory.

A.J. Greer, Matthew Tkachuk, Jesper Boqvist and Sam Reinhart all scored goals to flip the 3-2 lead to a 7-2 cushion going into the third period.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves on 23 shots to help the Panthers secure their third victory in the past four games.

Nate Schmidt gave Florida the lead 5:47 into the game, blasting a slap shot from the point past Alexandar Georgiev.

San Jose momentarily jumped ahead 7:22 into the first after Cody Ceci and Will Smith scored goals 1:32 apart.

Sam Bennett tied the game up back up with 5:33 to go in the second period, deflecting a Greer shot in with chaos ensuing in front. Ekblad fired his go-ahead goal past Blackwood with 2:52 to go in the first.

Greer scored a goal of his own 3:01 into the second period, beating Georgiev with a backhand shot on a breakaway. That goal ended Georgiev’s night.

Georgiev finished the game 11 saves on 15 shots before he was relieved by Yaroslav Askarov.

Askarov did not fare much better, allowing three goals on 17 shots as the Panthers continued to pile on during that four-goal second period.

Florida will return to action against the Vegas Golden Knights in a rematch of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final on Sunday night at 8 p.m.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday night’s game: