Can’t Win ‘Em All: Panthers Rally, But Lose First of Season to Flyers

For the first time this season, the Florida Panthers tasted defeat. On the flip side, the host Flyers got their first win.

The Panthers, one of three teams to start 3-0 in the past 25 years after winning the Stanley Cup the previous season, found themselves down a pair of goals for the first time but their rally came up short in a 5-2 loss to the Flyers which featured a pair of empty-net goals.

The Panthers trailed 2-0 late in the second before Sam Reinhart got a shorthanded goal with 38 seconds remaining in the period.

Sam Bennett tied it with a power play goal at 10:15 of the third — only Sean Couturier got his second with 4:10 remaining.

Dan Vladar ended his night with 24 saves; Daniil Tarasov was strong in his Florida debut, stopping 17.

Philadelphia started its season 0-1-1 which included a 2-1 loss to the Panthers on Thursday night in Sunrise.

Tyson Foerster gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first; Couturier made it 2-0 in the second.

The Panthers play their first set of back-to-backs starting Wednesday in Detroit before playing the Devils in Newark on Thursday.

GAME NOTES: PANTHERS @ FLYERS

• Reinhart scored his 11th career shorthanded goal and moved within two of tying Sasha Barkov (13) for second-most in franchise history.
• All of those 11 career shorthanded goals have all come since the 2023-24 season. The next-closest players in the NHL during that span: Vincent Trocheck, Alex Tuch, Travis Konecny and Seth Jarvis with seven each.
• The Panthers continued its run of power play goals in the third. Florida has at least one with the man advantage in each of their first four.
• Florida gave up its first power play goal; the kill had been 11-for-11 before Couturier made it 3-2.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Flyers 1, Panthers 0 (8:54 1st): Tyson Foerster rips a wrist shot from the high slot and beats Daniil Tarasov for the initial lead.
• Flyers 2, Panthers 0 (15:47 2nd): Sean Couturier breaks loose on a breakaway and puts Florida down by multiple goals for the first time in this young season.
• Flyers 2, Panthers 1 (19:22 2nd SH): Anton Lundell finds Sam Reinhart in front of the net and Reinhart jams it in past Dan Vladar.
• Panthers 2, Flyers 2 (10:15 3rd PP): Sam Bennett got his first of the season, picking his corner from the left side.
• Flyers 3, Panthers 2 (15:50 3rd PP): Couturier rips a one-timer to give the Flyers the lead back.
• Flyers 4, Panthers 2 (17:43 3rd EN): Florida pulled Tarasov with 3:04 left in the game — and Bobby Brink cashed in.
• Flyers 5, Panthers 2 (18:33 3rd EN): Christian Dvorak also cashes in.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE NIGHT

• 1. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia
• 2. Dan Vladar, Philadelphia
• 3. Daniil Tarasov, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 5

FLORIDA PANTHERS at DETROIT RED WINGS 

• When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit 
• National TV: TNT, truTV
• Streaming: HBO Max
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL/Panthers App
• Last Season: Detroit won 2-1
• This Season — At Detroit: Wednesday; March 6. At Florida: March 10; April 15.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 40-21-7, 5 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday at New Jersey Devils, 7