In a thrilling matchup on Thursday night, the Florida Panthers continued their impressive winning streak, defeating the Nashville Predators with a score of 6-2. Carter Verhaeghe led the charge for Florida, contributing two goals and an assist, while Aleksander Barkov showcased his playmaking skills with three assists, marking his second time achieving this feat in under a week.
Sam Reinhart also made headlines by scoring his 11th goal of the season, extending his goal-scoring streak to five consecutive games. The Panthers received additional support from Matthew Tkachuk, who notched a goal and an assist, and Uvis Balinskis, who recorded two assists. Tomas Nosek rounded out the scoring for Florida with a goal of his own.
In the crease, Sergei Bobrovsky celebrated a milestone with his 403rd career victory, tying him with Grant Fuhr for the 12th spot on the NHL’s all-time wins list. On the opposing side, Steven Stamkos and Juuso Parssinen each found the net for Nashville, marking a significant moment in Stamkos’ career as it was his first game against the Panthers without wearing a Tampa Bay uniform, having faced them a total of 83 times in his career, playoffs included.
The Predators, struggling at 4-9-1, are experiencing their slowest start in franchise history, with just nine points accumulated through the first 14 games. This dismal performance is tied for the fewest points they’ve ever had during this span, a feat they reached on three prior occasions, the latest being last season.
Noteworthy points include that Steven Stamkos has scored 52 goals against the Panthers in his career, the highest total by any opponent, while Alex Ovechkin stands second with 45 goals against Florida. In regular-season matchups limited to just Florida, Ovechkin outpaces Stamkos with 44 goals to 42.
From the Panthers’ perspective, the team has achieved a six-game winning streak four times since the beginning of the previous season, a stark contrast to their history where they only achieved ten such streaks in the first 29 years of their franchise.
A key moment in the game occurred when Reinhart and Tkachuk scored in quick succession, striking just 1:41 apart in the first period and giving the Panthers a commanding 2-0 lead a mere 5:14 into the contest.
Statistically, Florida now boasts a record of 10-3-1, marking the fourth occasion in team history that they have bagged 10 wins within their first 14 games. This has also occurred in the seasons of 1995-96, 2020-21, and 2021-22.
Looking ahead, the Predators will host the Utah team on Saturday night before embarking on a challenging five-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Panthers are set to face off against the Philadelphia Flyers at home on the same night, the second encounter in a five-game series held in Sunrise.