The Florida Panthers knew they were going to face a desperate Chicago Blackhawks team on Tuesday. Chicago had lost its first three games to open the season and never led in any of those contests. The Panthers, anticipating a scrappy performance from the Blackhawks, knew they couldn’t get complacent.
They needed a third-period rally and a few minutes in overtime to avoid defeat.
After Florida gave up three consecutive goals between the end of the second quarter and the start of the third period, Keith Yandle tied the game with a slap shot from the blue line to force overtime. Frank Vatrano scored the game-winner with 2:10 left in the three-on-three overtime period to lead the Panthers to a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks at the BB&T Center to sweep the two-game home series to start the season. Florida won its season opener against Chicago 5-2 on Sunday and is now 2-0-0 on the season. Chicago is now 0-3-1.
Carter Verhaeghe also scored two goals, and Patric Hornqvist added a power play goal of his own to round out scoring for the Panthers. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 33 shots that came his way in his first start of the season.
It seemed like only a matter of time before the Florida Panthers’ top line broke through on Tuesday. The trio of Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair were dominant over their first handful of shifts against the Chicago Blackhawks but their scoring chances fell flat.
But finally, with about six-and-a-half minutes left in the opening period, Verhaeghe took a feed from Barkov on a breakaway, drove toward the net and fired a backhanded shot past Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen for his first goal as a Panther.
Verhaeghe’s second goal, which he easily flicked into an open net that Lankinen left exposed after stuffing a Duclair scoring chance, gave Florida a 3-1 advantage before the Blackhawks scored back-to-back goals to tie the game heading into the third period.
Verhaeghe has three points through two games this season after recording an assist on Eetu Luostarinen’s game-winning goal on Sunday.
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The Panthers were looking for Bobrovsky to be their “brick wall,” as Noel Acciari described him, as he made his first start of the season after struggling in his first year with Florida.
While Bobrovsky made a few big saves, he also gave up four goals for the 20th time in 51 games since joining the Panthers on a seven-year, $70 million deal prior to the 2019-2020 season.
The first two goals he gave up — both by Dominik Kubalik — came on the power play. Kubalik’s first goal came when a one-timer from the right circle deflected off defenseman Riley Stillman’s shoulder before going under Bobrovsky’s extended glove and into the net. The second was a slap shot from the right circle on a feed from Duncan Keith.
Kane, who Bobrovsky denied on a penalty shot attempt with 5:32 left in the second period, tied the game with a backhanded shot with 49.9 seconds left in the second. It was the first goal the Panthers gave up at 5-on-5 strength.
Philipp Kurashev then gave Chicago its first lead of the season with a wrist shot past defensemen Yandle and Radko Gudas with 13:54 left in regulation.
Yandle evened the game with his power play goal one minute and 11 seconds later, and Vatrano sealed the game in overtime.
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In addition to Bobrovsky in net, the Panthers made a pair of changes from their Opening Night lineup.
Vinnie Hinostroza took Ryan Lomberg’s place as the team’s fourth line left winger alongside center Noel Acciari and right wing Brett Connolly. Also, Stillman replaced Gustav Forsling on the team’s second defensive pairing with Anton Stralman.
With Forsling a scratch, Stralman took reps on the Panthers’ second power-play unit with forwards Alex Wennberg, Vatrano, Verhaeghe and Duclair.
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For the second time this season, a Panthers opponent is dealing with issues surrounding COVID-19 that could impact Florida’s schedule.
The NHL postponed the Carolina Hurricanes’ road game against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.” The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported the postponement was due to a “Covid situation with the Hurricanes.”
Five Hurricanes players were on the NHL’s COVID protocol-related absences list Tuesday: forwards Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jordan Staal and Teuvo Teravainen as well as defenseman Jaccob Slavin.
The Panthers are scheduled to head to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday for two games against the Hurricanes on Thursday and Saturday.
Florida’s first two games of the season against the Dallas Stars last week were postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak inside the Stars organization.
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