FHN Today: Florida Panthers Lose Tkachuk, End Road Trip with Win

The Florida Panthers had a lot of stuff going on Sunday.

Not only did they have to play in Anaheim less than 24 hours after losing up ‘The 5’ against the Kings, but they had to wait and see what response the NHL would have to Matthew Tkachuk’s stick poke of Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick.

A few hours before the game against the Ducks, the ruling came down that Tkachuk would be suspended for two games.

On the ice, the Panthers were forced to change up some things — and it ended up working out.

Florida ended its four-game road trip on a winning note as Sam Reinhart scored twice and Brandon Montour had himself another big game.

“It is a huge adjustment,” Paul Maurice said Sunday night. “We already lost (Patric) Hornqvist — one of our captains — and now we lost him. It is an adjustment. But sometimes when you get to the fourth game in six nights, perhaps an adjustment is a good thing.”

The Panthers will fly home today and are expected to practice on Tuesday before playing host to the Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW

The big news around the Panthers on Sunday was the two-game suspension of Tkachuk as the NHL said he deliberately used the blade of his stick to hit an opponent in the head.

The video of the incident as well as the league’s full video explanation are embedded on the story. 

— Montour had himself a night, ending up with a goal and three assists as Reinhart scored twice and Sam Bennett nets the game-winner in a 5-3 win over the Ducks.

— Miss anything from the past week? Check out the FHN Florida Panthers Wrap as we look back at an odd week for the Cats.

— Florida lost a Tkachuk goal on a controversial goalie interference call in the second period in a wild 5-4 loss to the Kings.

— Hear from Maurice, Anton Lundell and Bennett following Sunday’s win in Anaheim on the FHN YouTube Channel which can be accessed RIGHT HERE or click on the video below.

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NATIONAL HOCKEY NOW

After creating a firestorm by signing Mitchell Miller, the Boston Bruins reversed course on Sunday night and parted ways with the controversial — but talented — defenseman.

— Peter McNab was the voice of the Colorado Avalanche. After a long fight with cancer, the beloved McNab passed away on Sunday.

— The New York Islanders saw their five-game winning streak end with a loss to the Red Wings.

— Looks like the Detroit Red Wings are buying in.

— The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Seattle Kraken for the second time in a week.

— The Philadelphia Flyers met up with former captain Claude Giroux — and got another win.

— The Washington Capitals are struggling and their most recent loss to Arizona cast a cloud over another Alex Ovechkin milestone.

PANTHERS ON DECK

CAROLINA HURRICANES AT FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida; ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Last season: Florida won 3-0
  
• All-time regular season series: Carolina leads 69-45-10, 11 ties