The Florida Panthers opened a difficult four-game road trip with a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena to extend its winning streak to five, equaling a season-high.
Arizona outshot the Florida 15-14 in an action-filled first period, but it was the Cats that got the only goal when Carter Verhaeghe his notched his 19th at the 10:46 mark.
Verhaeghe took a lead pass from Sam Bennett and then blooped the puck into the slot for an onrushing Brandon Montour. The puck bounced off a couple of Desert Dogs back to Verhaeghe, who collected and snapped a wrist shot by Karel Vejmelka for the unassisted tally.
After a scoreless middle frame, Alex Kerfoot’s shorthanded goal evened the score at 3:17 of the third. Kerfoot picked off Oliver Ekman-Larsson near the Arizona blue line, then scored from the slot off of Lawson Crouse’s return feed on a 2-on-1 break.
The Panthers would redeem themselves on their next power-play opportunity when Aleksander Barkov worked a give-and-go with Verhaeghe and then sent a perfect pass in front to Sam Reinhart, who niftly deflected the puck far-side on a helpless Vejmelka at 7:19.
Matthew Tkachuk’s first goal in ten games would grow the lead 42 seconds later. Tkachuk whacked away at the puck after Niko Mikkola sent a shot on goal and defenseman Michael Kesselring inadvertently knocked it in his own net to put his team down a pair.
Gustav Forsling would complete the scoring with a long-range empty-netter with 2:21 left on the clock. Forsling dropped the gloves with Jason Zucker earlier late in the second period after Zucker boarded Nick Cousins.
Great way to open 2024 and the road trip. The Panthers chipped away at Vejmelka and the Coyotes with 38 shots and managed to pull away in the third after the Desert Dogs tied it up with a shorty, the only blemish on the night. Florida held serve with Boston and Toronto and gained two more points on Tampa Bay, who lost to Winnipeg, in the Atlantic Division race. Next stop Sin City, where the ice cold Vegas Golden Knights await.
Kibbles & Bits
- Aleksander Barkov’s primary helper on Samson Reinhart’s game-winner gave the captain sole possession of the franchise record with 416 assists. Barkov has set up nine goals in the last five games.
- First Star Carter Verhaeghe has collected six points (3G/3A) during a three-game goal streak. Verhaeghe is one away from hitting the 20-goal plateau for the third straight season.
- Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 of 22 shots to raise his career record against the Coyotes to 10-2-1. Bobrovsky has won his last four starts and lowered his GAA to 2.44.
- In addition to scoring Arizona’s only goal, Alex Kerfoot tied former Panther Nick Bjugstad for the team lead in shots with three.
- Matthew Tkachuk’s sixth was his first marker since he scored into an empty net against Columbus on December 10. Tkachuk collected seven assists during his goalless drought.
- For the other side of Florida’s 11th road win, stop by Five For Howling.