Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Oct 16, 2023 9:57 pm

Panthers start strong, hold off charging Devils

Sam Reinhart scored twice, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 33 shots to lead the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 win over the host New Jersey Devils on Monday night in Newark, N.J.

The Devils trailed 4-0 before scoring three unanswered third-period goals. But Florida held on for the win.

Carter Verhaeghe and Niko Mikkola also scored for the Panthers, who won their first game of the season. The Panthers, who will play their home opener on Thursday against Toronto, finished their road trip 1-2-0.

Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk had a game-high two assists.

Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves for the Devils, who lost their second straight game. Erik Haula, Michael McLeo and Jesper Bratt scored for New Jersey. Haula also had an assist.

Devils star Jack Hughes finished with one assist.

The Panthers played without three of their top players due to injuries — forward Sam Bennett and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour.

However, Panthers forward Justin Sourdif, a 21-year-old Canadian, made his NHL debut. Sourdif, Florida’s third-round pick in 2020, did not get a point.

Florida opened the scoring at the 3:54 mark in the first period. Aleksander Barkov won a board battle and got the puck to Evan Rodrigues, whose shot was deflected in by Reinhart. Rodrigues had a career-high four points in Florida’s previous game.

The Panthers made it 2-0 with 13:12 gone in the first on a play started by Matthew Tkachuk’s long stretch pass. Verhaeghe controlled the bouncing puck and flipped in a backhander over Vanecek.

Florida extended its lead to 3-0 with 11:18 elapsed in the second as Tkachuk centered the puck to Mikkola, who scored on the redirect.

The Panthers made it 4-0 with just 59 seconds gone in the third as Reinhart scored on another deflection, this time on the power play. Oliver Ekman-Larsson earned the primary assist.

New Jersey finally got on the board with 16:25 left on Haula’s deflection of Hughes’ shot, also on a power play.

With 11:09 remaining, McLeod pushed the puck in at the left post, beating Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to cut New Jersey’s deficit to 4-2. Haula had the primary assist.

The Devils closed to 4-3 on Bratt’s power-play goal with 2:23 left. The Devils also pulled their goalie during that sequence to give them an added shooter.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

reds tyler stephenson
Mar 14, 2025 12:50 pm

Reds C Tyler Stephenson (oblique) headed to IL

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson will open the season on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain. Stephenson originally underwent tests for a potential back injury before an MRI…

golden knights sabres
Mar 14, 2025 12:40 pm

Slumping Sabres searching for more ‘compete’ vs. Vegas

The visiting Vegas Golden Knights are coming off a win while the Buffalo Sabres are in a downward spiral going into their game Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights defeated the…

Tim Patrick
Mar 14, 2025 12:16 pm

NFL transactions roundup: Lions, WR Tim Patrick stick together

Wide receiver Tim Patrick re-signed with the Detroit Lions on Friday, one day after the veteran literally left the writing on his wall. Patrick posted a picture of a shirt…

More News News

reds tyler stephenson
Mar 14, 2025 12:50 pm

Reds C Tyler Stephenson (oblique) headed to IL

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson will open the season on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain. Stephenson originally underwent tests for a potential back injury before an MRI…

golden knights sabres
Mar 14, 2025 12:40 pm

Slumping Sabres searching for more ‘compete’ vs. Vegas

Tim Patrick
Mar 14, 2025 12:16 pm

NFL transactions roundup: Lions, WR Tim Patrick stick together

bailey zappe
Mar 14, 2025 12:09 pm

Reports: Chiefs bring back QB Bailey Zappe

hugo cuypers
Mar 14, 2025 11:59 am

Fire looking to build momentum at Toronto

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds