The Cats have now won back-to-back games against the Detroit Red Wings; regulation wins for both, so they’ve made up four points on them. While winning games certainly boosts morale, it’s not exactly great for tanking and has lifted the Panthers out of the bottom 10 teams. Since nothing about this season makes any sense, naturally, Florida wins a game with no Marchand and no Sam Reinhart in the lineup. Tarasov put on a show, newly returned Hinostroza had a great 1st game back with the team, and Carter Verhaeghe once again showed off how clutch he can be. But arguably the biggest morale boost the team has gotten in recent weeks is team captain Sasha Barkov practicing with the team for the first time since his injury; of course, he donned a yellow no-contact jersey for his first team practice.
Welcome Back, Vinnie:
The last time Vinnie Hinostroza was in Sunrise, it was during COVID. Needless to say, this time around has been a much different experience for him. When he talked to the media after the game, he had high praise for the guys in the locker room and how welcoming they’ve been, a sentiment that’s been shared among new guys over the last several seasons. He said, “Just how tight it is. Everyone’s got a job, and everyone does their job. It’s fun to see.” Hinostroza was tasked with a job on the fourth line alongside Boqvist and Kunin, and for a line that was just put together, they showed great chemistry on the ice. Together, they generated their fair share of scoring chances and were rewarded early in the match. A pass by Forsling through the neutral zone up to Boqvist allowed Vinnie to drive toward the net where his hard work got him on the inside of Faulk. Boqvist took the shot, and Hinostroza perfectly tipped it in to open the scoring halfway through the first period. After the Red Wings took the lead in the second period, Vinnie’s work along the boards to battle for the puck allowed him to come up with possession, and he made the pass to Mikkola for the game-tying goal. He earned second-star honors with his performance.
Showed Up And Showed Out:
After a rough couple of games right before and right after the Olympic Break, Tarasov was fantastic between the pipes. He had a busy first period as the Panthers were outshot 6-11, but walked away with a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. They can thank Daniil for that, as he was outstanding. He robbed a couple of Red Wings of goals despite ending the night with a .893 SV%. Tarry played well above that save percentage number and made 6 high danger saves during the match. The eye test tells you that he was in great form, the kind that the Panthers saw early in the season when they didn’t have the goal scoring to get him wins. Strong defense in front of him helped out as well. Even with new penalty killers on the ice, the PK was a perfect 2/2. Tarry was just as busy in the second, facing 12 shots but allowing two goals, which gave the Red Wings the lead heading into the second intermission. The third goal wasn’t much Tarasov could do since it was a Red Wings breakaway chance that went in just under the crossbar. But when the Cats needed him in the final stages of the game with things tied late in the 3rd, he made the saves the team needed and eventually got the win.
Clutch Gene:
It’s been said about Carter Verhaeghe before, and it’ll be said in the future: he has the clutch gene. When the games are at their highest pressure, Verhaeghe comes alive on the ice, and the late stages of the Detroit game perfectly showed that. Down a goal late in the third period, it was looking like Florida was going to get back to their tanking ways. However, with Tarasov pulled, the Panthers took advantage of the extra skater, and Carter scored on a shot through traffic from the blue line with a minute and a half left to play. Two Cats were in front of Gibson, so he never saw the shot, and the puck hit the glove side post and bounced in to tie the game. Overtime was looming, and all Florida had to do was not give up a goal in the dying seconds, which they’ve done in roughly 4 or 5 games this season. A Sebrango hit forced a turnover, which Bennett picked up to head the other way. Tkachuk was fresh off the bench to join the rush and set up Verhaeghe, who was on the far side. Carter made a near-identical shot, but this time from the faceoff circle, and the puck deflected off Faulk’s skate to give Florida a 4-3 lead with 15 seconds on the clock. There’s a reason that Verhaeghe is Florida’s leading playoff goal scorer since he joined the team, and situations like this one are the reason why. He thrives in the high-pressure and chaotic nature of a playoff environment. As his teammates & coaches have said, he’s just wired that way.
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