SALT LAKE CITY — Jesper Boqvist delivered an impressive performance by scoring two goals in the final period, leading the Florida Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday night.

Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen contributed to the scoreboard with a goal each for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Matthew Tkachuk provided two assists, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky recorded 26 saves throughout the match.

Boqvist found the net early in the third period, just 1 minute and 48 seconds in, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. He later sealed the game by scoring another goal into an empty net at 17 minutes and 59 seconds, making it 3-1. Luostarinen capped off the scoring with another empty-netter in the final 22 seconds of the game.

Reinhart kicked off the scoring just 1 minute and 5 seconds into the second period. With this goal, he achieved his 67th power-play goal for the Panthers, surpassing Scott Mellanby to take second place in the team’s franchise history.

The Utah Hockey Club managed to score at 13 minutes and 41 seconds of the third period, with Logan Cooley netting a power-play goal, assisted by teammates Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev.

Utah’s goaltender, Karel Vejmelka, performed admirably, stopping 29 shots during the contest.

The game featured a physical rivalry, with two altercations erupting in the third period that required official intervention to separate the players.

Takeaways from the game indicate that the Panthers improved their road record to 13-7-1, while facing difficulties, Utah has lost seven out of their last eight matchups.

A crucial moment in the match was Boqvist’s empty-net goal late in the third period, which effectively locked in Florida’s victory.

The night was characterized by physicality, with the teams amassing a total of 14 penalty minutes and 60 hits.

Looking ahead, Utah is set to host the San Jose Sharks on Friday, while the Panthers will take on the Boston Bruins at home on Saturday.