SUNRISE, Fla. — In an impressive performance, Sam Reinhart achieved his milestone 30th goal of the season and added two assists as the Florida Panthers triumphed over the Chicago Blackhawks with a score of 5-1 on Saturday.
Matthew Tkachuk also continued his scoring streak, netting a goal for the third time in the past four games. Other contributors to Florida’s victory included Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues, and Jonah Gadjovich. Sergei Bobrovsky was solid in goal, making 24 saves. Aleksander Barkov provided two assists, helping the Panthers maintain their position at the top of the Atlantic Division.
This game marked a significant achievement for Florida’s head coach Paul Maurice, recording his 900th regular-season victory, making him the fourth coach to reach this notable benchmark. He joins an elite group that includes Scotty Bowman (1,244 wins), Joel Quenneville (969 wins), and Barry Trotz (914 wins).
The game did not start in Florida’s favor, as the Blackhawks scored the fastest goal in their franchise history; Landon Slaggert found the net just seven seconds after the puck dropped, giving Chicago a quick 1-0 lead. Despite a challenging start, Petr Mrazek showcased his skills by making 39 saves for the Blackhawks, who have struggled lately with a record of 2-6-3 in their last 11 games.
Key takeaways from the matchup reveal a bleak situation for the Blackhawks, who are now 0-23-2 this season when allowing four or more goals and have gone 0-27-3 in their last 30 such games dating back to last season. Nevertheless, Mrazek had moments of brilliance, particularly amidst an intense first-period offense from Florida.
For the Panthers, Reinhart has distinguished himself as the second player in franchise history to record four seasons with at least 30 goals, with Olli Jokinen being the only other player to achieve this feat. Notably, Reinhart is the first player to accomplish this over four consecutive seasons with the team.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Rodrigues scored just 10 seconds into the third period, extending Florida’s lead to 4-1 and effectively diminishing any chance of a Chicago comeback.
A significant statistic to note is that following Chicago’s early goal, the Panthers unleashed a flurry of offense, taking 20 of the next 21 shots on goal.
Looking ahead, the Blackhawks will have a break until their next home game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Panthers will be back in action, playing the second game of a home-and-home set against the New York Islanders on Sunday.
