SUNRISE, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding in goal, recording 23 saves to achieve his 47th career shutout, as the Florida Panthers triumphed over the Calgary Flames with a 3-0 victory on Saturday. The game saw Jonah Gadjovich and Evan Rodrigues scoring crucial goals in the second period to give the Panthers a commanding lead.
Mackie Samoskevich added to the scoreboard with just under four minutes left in the game, sealing Florida’s win, which marked their eighth victory in ten games. This success sets the stage for an exciting matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay secured their eighth consecutive win on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Washington.
Despite Dan Vladar’s efforts in goal for Calgary, where he managed to save an impressive 39 shots, the Flames were unable to find the back of the net. This marks the first time since November 2019 that Calgary has experienced back-to-back shutouts in their games.
The Panthers’ lineup was missing Matthew Tkachuk, sidelined with a lower-body injury he sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
**Takeaways**
Flames: Calgary’s offensive struggles continued in Florida, as they failed to score in both games played in the state this week. This aligns with a previous occurrence from earlier this year, where Los Angeles also went scoreless during their visits to Florida and Tampa Bay on January 29 and 30. No team with at least two games on the schedule has accomplished this since the 2001-02 season.
Panthers: In a special event for Kids Day, Panthers players who are fathers took to the ice with their children during the pregame playing of national anthems “O Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Bobrovsky broke from his usual stoic pregame routine, smiling as he held his daughter near the boards.
**Key moment**
The game’s most memorable moment extended beyond the ice, as Flames forward Ryan Lomberg received a heartfelt ovation from Panthers fans. The standing ovation came during a welcome-back video tribute for Lomberg, celebrating his contribution to Florida’s Stanley Cup victory. His victory lap around the rink was met with enthusiastic cheers.
**Key stat**
In the wake of the 4 Nations tournament, Florida’s first 11 goals were each credited to different players, showcasing the team’s depth. However, Samoskevich ended this streak with his late goal on Saturday.
**Up next**
The Calgary Flames will face the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, while the Florida Panthers look to continue their five-game homestand by hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning in a highly anticipated matchup on Monday.
