Take The L: Blackhawks Beat Panthers in Chicago. Again

The Florida Panthers did not have an easy go of it Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

After losing their past two in Chicago, they may have been prepped for a dogfight — but that does not mean they got through it.

Chicago took the initial lead less than three minutes into the game and the Blackhawks never trailed as the NHL’s last-place team beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers 3-1.

Florida has lost four of five going into its Saturday home date with Colorado.

The Panthers are 1-4-0 since winning seven straight.

Chicago, which snapped a four-game losing streak, bottled the Panthers up throughout the game with Florida struggling to get much of anything going through the neutral zone.

The Panthers did control the puck for much of the game, and did test Petr Mrazek in low — Florida had 32 scoring chances per NaturalStatTrick.com — but could not tie the game after Sam Reinhart made it 2-1 midway through the second with his 15th of the season.

Florida had a number of high-end chances to tie the game up late in the third — one off a power play, one with Spencer Knight on the bench — but Mzarek (31 saves) was terrific in helping his team steal one.

Nick Foligno ended it with an empty-net goal with a minute left.

— Reinhart extended his scoring streak to 12 games (he has 10 goals during that span) but Sasha Barkov’s nine-game streak ended.

— Barkov was a game away for tying Jonathan Huberdeau’s franchise record of having 10 straight games with an assist.

— The Panthers have not won in Chicago since near the end of their Presidents’ Trophy season in 2022.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Blackhawks 1, Panthers 0 (2:56 1st PP): Teuvo Teravainen pops a rebound off a Tyler Bertuzzi shot past Spencer Knight to get things going.
• Blackhawks 2, Panthers 0 (10:07 2nd): Craig Smith gets loose coming into the zone with speed, beats Knight on a backhand.
• Blackhawks 2, Panthers 1 (10:41 2nd): Sam Reinhart keeps his 12-game scoring streak going with his 15th goal of the season, sending a sharp-angled shot off the post and past Petr Mrazek.
• Blackhawks 3, Panthers 1 (19:00 3rd EN): Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno ends this one with the empty-net goal.

GR’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Petr Mzarek, Chicago
• 2. Craig Smith, Chicago
• 3. Sam Reinhart, Florida

ON DECK: GAME 21

COLORADO AVALANCHE AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Panthers Won 2-0
• This Season — At Colorado: Jan. 6. At Florida: Saturday.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Colorado leads 27-14-5, 3 ties
• Postseason Series: Colorado d. Florida 4-0, 1996 Stanley Cup Final
• Up Next for the Panthers: Monday vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.