The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have narrowed the gap in the Atlantic Division as they head into Thanksgiving weekend. They defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 on Wednesday night and improved to a record of 13-9-1 with 27 points. They trail the Maple Leafs by one point for the top spot in the division. This victory also snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to Nov. 19.
Sam Reinhart Continues His Dominance
Sam Reinhart‘s contract, signed during the offseason, is looking better and better. Near the end of the second period, he beat his former teammate now Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz top shelf off a drop pass from Aleksander Barkov during a shorthanded rush. That was his ninth shorthanded goal in a Florida uniform, tying the Russian Rocket Pavel Bure for fourth in franchise history.
Reinhart now leads the NHL in goals with 17 and shorthanded goals with four. Additionally, he is now tied for sixth in points. A Stanley Cup hangover is clearly not a thing for him.
The Power Play Makes the Maple Leafs Pay
The ninth-best power play in the NHL became an issue for the Maple Leafs last night. The Panthers went two for five on the man advantage, including a goal during William Nylander’s double-minor for high-sticking.
Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
This comes after scoring just one power-play goal in eight chances over their last two games. If they can find their groove on this special team, the Panthers will become a problem for the NHL.
Captain Leads by Example Once Again
Captain Aleksander Barkov continues to show why he’s one of the top centers in the game. He scored a goal on the power play and assisted on one other shorthanded, bringing his point total to 21 on the season (five goals, 16 assists). He was named the First Star of the game.
Bobrovsky Stonewalls His Competition
Sergei Bobrovsky has not been playing his best this season but the defense has also not done him any favors. However, his stats entering the game were crystal clear: .885 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.19 goals-against average.
But he used this game to bounce back. He stopped 23 of 24 shots and had a .958 SV%, which earned him the game’s Third Star. He’s slowly getting back to his Cup champion form.
Samoskevich Continues to Play Fantastic Hockey
The rookie Mackie Samoskevich continues to take strides in his development. He found the back on the net early in the first period – 50 seconds after Barkov opened the scoring – which ended up being the game-winner. He was named the Second Star of the night.
He now has two goals and two assists in his last five games, and he is tied for the lead among rookies in game-winning goals with three. He’s been fun to watch, and he is slowly cementing himself in the Panthers’ lineup.
Maurice Got Them Ramped Up, Can He Continue the Trend?
Earlier in the week, head coach Paul Maurice decided to go hard in practice. After dropping five of their last six, along with four straight, he wanted his players to hear his message:
“Paul Maurice just said the word “f**k” like 15 times in one sentence.”
– Pucks and Palms reporter Colby Guy during Panthers practice on Nov. 26
After last night’s performance, it seems the Panthers heard him loud and clear. Now, it all comes down to keeping the momentum. Momentum helped them push for a Stanley Cup two years ago and got them their first last season. That grip on momentum will be tested by the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon as they continue to push for a high seed in the standings.
