On Thursday night, the Florida Panthers hosted the New Jersey Devils at Amerant Bank Arena for their second matchup of the season. The Panthers looked to continue their momentum after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 8-5 on Monday, while the Devils sought redemption after being defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 on Tuesday. The final result of this matchup in Sunrise, Florida was a 1-0 victory for the Panthers.
Game Recap
The Panthers got on the board 12:58 into the first period with a goal from Sam Reinhart, assisted by Gustav Forsling. After 20 minutes, the home team had a 1-0 lead, with shots 12-9 in favor of the Devils.
There were plenty of scoring opportunities in the second period, but the Devils were unable to get the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky. With less than four minutes left in the period, Forsling was called for tripping, sending the Devils to the power play. Minutes later, A.J. Greer was sent to the penalty box after tripping Luke Hughes. However, New Jersey was unable to capitalize on either of the man advantages.
Tensions were high heading into the final period, beginning with 24 seconds of Devils’ power play time. Halfway through the third, Simon Nemec was called for hooking, and the Devils went on their first penalty kill of the evening.
The score remained deadlocked at 1-0 for the remainder of the game, with Bobrovsky earning his second shutout of the season, making a total of 31 saves. At the other end of the ice, Jake Allen recorded a .958 save percentage (SV%). The Panthers extended their win streak to two games, while the Devils lost their second consecutive game.
Looking Ahead
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday night. The Devils will wrap up their five-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers, while the Panthers will host the Edmonton Oilers at home.
