Reinhart with the puck against Quinn Hughes in the second period. (AP Photo/Lily Dozier)

The Cats got their second win of the road trip after beating Winnipeg in overtime to start things off. Now they’ve gone toe to toe against one of the best teams in the league as Florida beat Minnesota, also in overtime. The Panthers’ roster is slowly starting to resemble their playoff counterpart from last season. Brad Marchand was a game-time decision and ultimately got back in, this time playing with his two Finnish phenom linemates that wreaked havoc in the playoffs. Special teams dictated the match until overtime, and Florida’s defense did a great job of playing hard and physical to slow down the Wild. 

Oops, All Special Teams:

With the exception of Sam Reinhart’s opening goal, every other regulation goal was scored on special teams. Neither side had a great night on the penalty kill, with both teams going 2/6 on the power play. Reinhart kicked off the scoring from his office in the slot, where he picked up the rebound from Ekblad’s shot. Gustavsson had moved to make a save on Ekblad’s chance, leaving Samson with plenty of open net to shoot at; Verhaeghe got the secondary assist. Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek scored for the Wild on the man advantage to tie the game 2-2. Then the Panthers gave up a short-handed goal to Boldy, allowing the Wild to take the lead in the third period. A chaotic play near the faceoff circle opened up Sam Bennett to get the pass from Tkachuk to score and eventually send the game into OT—plenty of penalties for both sides that each team was able to capitalize on. 

BM63 Back In Business:

The much-awaited return of Brad Marchand did not disappoint. Brad’s been a huge part of the Florida offense this season, and he put up two big goals to lift the Panthers to a win and keep them in the bloodbath that is the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. Marchand’s first goal came late in the first period on the power play. Reinhart shot the puck in for a hard rim, which Brad was able to pick up. He had the puck on his backhand and worked his way to the slot, where he released a laser of a shot. The puck took a fortuitous bounce off Gustavsson and into the back of the net, giving the 2-1 lead heading into first intermission. Marchand also recorded a secondary assist on Bennett’s goal before scoring the game-winner in overtime. A 2-on-1 chance developed after Verhaeghe forced a steal and then drove down the ice with Brad. A slick cross-ice pass from Carter led to a quick shot from Marchand and a big two points for the Panthers. The team has been managing without Brad in the lineup, but things already look so much better with both him and Tkachuk back on the ice. 

Commitment To Defense:

At even strength, the match was a defensive battle much like the game against Winnipeg. Hits were an even 17-17 while Florida held the advantage in blocked shots at 15-10. When the Cats are in double digits, blocking shots, and holding their opponents’ SOG down to roughly 20, it’s a recipe for success. Florida also managed the puck really well with only 13 giveaways to Minnesota’s 20. Forsling had a huge task in front of him and played over 27 minutes for the second straight game. However, HC Paul Maurice said, “He’ll probably be working out in the morning.” It’s not the first time the head coach has talked about Gustav’s stamina and often calls him the fittest man on the team. With Jones down until sometime after the Olympic Break, more responsibility falls to the Forsling-Ekblad pairing. While the PK wasn’t at its best, the defense was for the other parts of the game. The PK did come up with a couple of big kills, especially in the second period. Florida having two of their heavy hitter forwards back in the lineup makes such a massive difference, and the team should only look better and better as more players return from injury. Their playoff hopes aren’t dead yet as they sit five to six points out of a playoff spot. Not impossible to overcome, but they need some significant winning stretches and not giveup points to other Eastern Conference teams.

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