Sandis Vilmanis scored two goals and added two assists as the Florida Panthers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Wednesday night in Sunrise, Fla.
It was the first multi-point performance of Vilmanis’ career. The Panthers also got a goal from Seth Jones against goaltender Spencer Knight, who was Florida’s first-round pick in 2019.
Knight was traded to Chicago for Jones on March 1, 2025. Since then, Knight is 0-4-0 against Florida.
Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart (two assists) also scored for Florida. Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for the Panthers, who have won four of their past five games.
For Chicago, Frank Nazar scored twice, while Roman Kantserov, considered one of the NHL’s top rookies, notched his team-leading seventh goal.
Knight made 25 saves. Chicago has lost four straight and seven of eight and is the only winless road team in the league (0-6-1).
The game featured the NHL debut of 29-year-old Blackhawks winger Dillon Boucher, who recorded no points in 8:10 of ice time.
Florida opened the scoring with 15:17 remaining in the first period. After a Chicago turnover in the neutral zone, Vilmanis scored from point-blank range on a centering pass from Reinhart.
The Panthers extended their lead to 2-0 with 7:31 left in the first following a tripping penalty on Connor Bedard. Florida needed just 20 seconds of its power play, as Brady Tkachuk sent a blind pass to Verhaeghe from close range. The puck went off Knight’s pads but reached Verhaeghe, who tapped it in.
Florida made it 3-0 on Jones’ goal with 6:40 left in the second period off a pass from Vilmanis.
Chicago got on the board with 3:12 remaining in the second as Kantserov shoved a loose puck into the net from close range.
Nazar scored on a shorthanded breakaway with 10:29 left in the third period. Cole Smith made the pass to spring Nazar, whose multiple moves left Markstrom on his backside.
Vilmanis pounced on a loose puck inside the left circle to make it 4-2 with 8:59 remaining in the third.
With 3:51 left, Nazar scored again, this time on a blast from above the right circle to make it a one-goal game.
Reinhart scored an empty-net goal with 1:27 remaining to seal the victory.
–Field Level Media
