Cole Reinhardt opens the scoring against the Edmonton Oilers. (The Canadian Press via AP/Jason Franson)

After a rough start to the Western Canada road trip, the Panthers got a win under their belt against their Stanley Cup rival, the Edmonton Oilers. Icing a lineup of their healthiest D-core since Game 2 of the season and a decently healthy forward group, the Panthers put together a performance to remind everyone what they’re still capable of. No Barkov, Reinhart, or Marchand, and yet their defensive structure allowed them to shut down McDavid once again. The young players in the lineup had themselves a night, and there were plenty of personal milestones that players hit by the end of the match. 

Young Guns:

The Panthers have had a rotating cast of younger or new players come in and out of the lineup this season. Since the trade deadline, Florida’s been getting a look at Mike Benning, who’s making an argument for him to make the roster next season. In four games, Benning has tallied three assists, including two primary assists, against the Oilers, where he set up both Cole Reinhardt and A.J. Greer for the first two Panther goals. HC Paul Maurice had high praise for Benning after his first game, and he’s looked comfortable out on the ice next to Kulikov on the third pair. Benning took the shot from the blue line that Greer tipped in to put Florida up 2-0 late in the period before heading into the first intermission. Benning earned 1st star honors for his performance. Reinhardt, not to be confused with Reinhart, scored his first goal as a Panther after the Cats picked him up off waivers from Vegas. His goal looked eerily similar to a Sam Reinhart goal or a Brad Marchand goal from the Cup Final last year. A turnover in the Florida defensive zone set Cole up for a stretch pass from Benning that turned into a breakaway goal to open the scoring. The two of them have been very solid for the Cats since they entered the lineup. 

Championship Reminder:

Even though Florida’s season is going to be cut short this year, they were still emotionally invested in getting the win against Edmonton. Matthew Tkachuk said it himself before the game that there was a group of guys reminiscing about winning Game 5 and the great feelings afterward. The Panthers set out to do what they do best and be the toughest defensive team to play against. Maurice said that it was the best defensive game they’ve played all year. Sergei Bobrovsky had a playoff-type performance to shut out the Oilers in their barn. Even with no Barkov, Reinhart, or Marchand, the Panthers that showed up against the Oilers looked like the x2 Stanley Cup Championship team that bulldozed their way through the playoffs last year. They showed there’s no reason to worry about next season because they still have it, even with a depleted lineup. Honestly, with the way the Eastern Conference has been this year, this may be the best possible time for them to tank and not worry about getting into a dogfight with everyone else for a playoff spot. There are going to be Top 15 teams that don’t make the playoffs because you have to be a Top 10 team in the East to be in a playoff spot right now. I expect that Florida will be back in the fight next season, and this game showed that they still have that elite-level game in their DNA. 

Milestone Mania:

There were a lot of individual player milestones that got hit after this match. Bobrovsky earned his 454th career win to tie with Curtis Joseph for 7th in all-time wins. Bob said, “It’s a great achievement. You look at the goalies on the list, and I couldn’t dream of being in the same category with them.” Lundell was quick to praise Bob, saying, “He’s a legend.” Anton also gave Bobrovsky credit for being a big reason as to why the team was able to play the way they did. Lundell’s power play goal tied his career high in goals at 18. Bennett, with two assists, set a career high in assists (28) and continues to extend his career high in points (53). Verhaeghe scored his 20th goal of the season, making this year his 5th straight 20+ goal season. Maurice earned his 950th win as an NHL head coach as he inches closer to becoming just the 3rd head coach ever to reach 1,000 career wins. Bobrovsky and Nosek also hit 800 & 500 games respectively the other night against Vancouver. 

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