<\/p>\n
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot on goal during the third period of a game against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The Utah Mammoth beat the Florida Panthers 4-3.<\/p>\n
Alie Skowronski<\/p>\n
askowronski@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Sergei Bobrovsky wanted to get in on the Florida Panthers\u2019 milestone celebrations on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
But to do so, it took a miraculous effort after the Panthers\u2019 near collapse late.<\/p>\n
After giving up three goals in a span of 2:21 late in the third period to send the game to overtime, Bobrovsky was perfect beyond regulation as the Panthers beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 via shootout at Amerant Bank Arena. Vinnie Hinostroza scored the only goal in the shootout to seal Florida\u2019s win.<\/p>\n
The win is the 455th of Bobrovsky\u2019s career, which breaks a tie with Curtis Joseph<\/a> for the seventh-most in NHL history. Bobrovsky got there in his 802nd career game; Joseph played 943 games during his NHL career.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made some big saves,\u201d forward Eetu Luostarinen said, \u201cand stepped up huge in the shootout.\u201d<\/p>\n Bobrovsky\u2019s milestone performance came on the same night Paul Maurice coached in his 2,000th NHL game \u2014 a feat only previously hit by the legendary Scotty Bowman \u2014 and defenseman Aaron Ekblad played in his 800th career game, all with the Panthers.<\/p>\n But it almost didn\u2019t come.<\/p>\n After Florida (35-32-3) build a 4-1 lead with 7:39 left to play, Seattle (31-29-10) mounted a ferocious comeback down the stretch to even the game and force overtime.<\/p>\n Matty Beniers made it 4-2 with 5:43 left to play on a wrist shot as he was falling to the ice from up close.<\/p>\n Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann then scored 14 seconds apart, at 16:24 and 16:38 of the third period, to tie the game and cap scoring in what ultimately was a seven-goal frame.<\/p>\n The Panthers held Seattle without a shot on goal in overtime, although the Kraken did have four shot attempts and three scoring chances.<\/p>\n In the shootout, Bobrovsky stopped Frederick Gaudreau, McMann and Eberle to secure the win. That made Hinostroza\u2019s shootout make enough to lift the win.<\/p>\n \u201cThere just wasn\u2019t much going on for him for a long time in that game,\u201d Maurice said. \u201cAnd then three heaters down the pipe; tough for him. And then you get to shootout, and he\u2019s so good there for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Nolan Foote opened scoring for the Panthers on a breakaway 2:32 into the second period. It was his first goal with Florida after being called up last week and his first in the NHL since April 11, 2024.<\/p>\n Eetu Luostarinen and Carter Verhaeghe then scored goals 2:21 apart in the third period to push Florida\u2019s lead to 3-0 before Seattle\u2019s Ryker Evans broke up Bobrovsky\u2019s shutout bid 8:50 into the third.<\/p>\n Noah Gregor, who was recalled ahead of Tuesday\u2019s game and had the primary assist on Foote\u2019s goal, then scored with 7:39 left to play when his cross-ice pass went off a Kraken player\u2019s stick and into their net to push Florida\u2019s lead back to three goals before Seattle mounted its comeback bid.<\/p>\n The Panthers got the win despite being without a slew of regulars.<\/p>\n Among those out on Tuesday: Forwards Aleksander Barkov (right knee), Sam Reinhart (foot), Brad Marchand (lower body), Anton Lundell (upper body), Mackie Samoskevich (laceration) and A.J. Greer (suspension) plus defensemen Niko Mikkola (left knee) and Uvis Balinskis (foot).<\/p>\n Florida hosts Minnesota on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN).<\/p>\n This and thatWith his goal, Verhaeghe has 50 points on the season (21 goals, 29 assists). He has five 50-point seasons with the Panthers, which moves him into a tie for 3rd on the franchise\u2019s all-time list. Only Barkov (10) and Jonathan Huberdeau (seven) have more.Rookie defenseman Mike Benning had the primary assist on Gregor\u2019s third-period goal, giving him four assists in his first six NHL games.Hinostroza\u2019s shootout goal was just the third of his career.<\/p>\n