Win, Wit’: Panthers Drop Flyers in Another Close One

SUNRISE — The Panthers played another close one on Thursday night, needing a goal from Brad Marchand early in the third to beat the Flyers 2-1.

Florida is 2-0 after beating the Blackhawks 3-2 off a third-period goal from Jesper Boqvist in the opener.

Sergei Bobrovsky was strong again in net, stopping 19 shots.

Florida led 1-0 on a power-play goal from Anton Lundell in the second, yet it was tied at 1 going into the third.

Marchand’s sharp shot from the boards beat Dan Vladar 2:19 into the third to give the Panthers a lead they would not relinquish.

Vladar stopped 32 shots.

The Panthers wrap up this opening three-game homestand Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.

GAME NOTES: FLYERS AT PANTHERS

• Dmitry Kulikov went hard into the boards in the second period and left the game for good with what the team is calling an upper-body injury.
• Evan Rodrigues has an assist in each of Florida’s first two games this season and is one game away from tying the franchise record last done by Gus Forsling to kick off the 2021-22 campaign.
• In 29 starts against the Flyers — the team that drafted him back in the day — Sergei Bobrovsky came into Thursday 20-8-1 with a 2.41/.919 against Philadelphia.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Panthers 1, Flyers 0 (5:29 2nd PP): Anton Lundell gets his first of the season, one-timing a feed from Evan Rodrigues that slips under the stick of Dan Vladar.
• Flyers 1, Panthers 1 (17:48 2nd): Noah Cates wins a faceoff deep in the Florida zone, Tyson Foerster’s shot is stopped by Sergei Bobrovsky but Cates charges the net, finds the uncovered puck and pops it over the goalie’s head to tie things up.
• Panthers 2, Flyers 1 (2:19 3rd): Brad Marchand flies a shot from the top of the left circle and goes bar-down with A.J. Greer in front.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida
• 2. Brad Marchand, Florida
• 3. Anton Lundell, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 3

OTTAWA SENATORS at FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM/104.3 FM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Senators won 2-1
• This Season — At Ottawa: Jan. 10; Ap. 9. At Florida: Saturday; March 31
• All-time Regular Season Series: Ottawa leads 59-48-5, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Monday at Philadelphia Flyers, 7