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March 6, 2026
Panthers wings

The Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings are going to get quite familiar with each other.

And, the Wings are probably already sick of Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Panthers, perhaps buoyed by the NHL Trade Deadline coming and going without much damage, played their best game in weeks in a 3-1 win over the Wings.


Tkachuk scored all three goals in the win with Bobrovsky making 27 saves — many of the spectacular variety.

Too little, too late for the Panthers, perhaps.

But they certainly have not quit.

The win snapped Florida’s four-game losing streak; the Panthers had lost nine of 11.

With 19 games remaining, the Panthers moved to eight points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit still holds a three-point lead on Boston for third place in the Atlantic.

The two teams play again Tuesday in Sunrise.

Bobrovsky, rumored to be potentially moving out of South Florida at the deadline, put forth a vintage performance on Friday.

Tkachuk gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead on a one-timer from the slot, then made it 2-1 by deflecting a Sam Reinhart shot.

With 1:52 left, Tkachuk iced it with the hat trick into an empty net.

Daniil Tarasov flipped his blue Panthers cap onto the ice to celebrate.

Gus Forsling got it back for him.

NOTES: PANTHERS at RED WINGS

  • Detroit lost captain Dylan Larkin in the third period when he appeared to lose an edge and went down. He was slow getting off the ice with what looked like a knee injury. Larkin did not return.
  • The Panthers stayed pat at the NHL Trade Deadline. They kept Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer, while adding Vinnie Hinostroza and Cole Reinhardt. The two new forwards could play Tuesday against the Wings.
  • The Panthers came into the game with a .786 winning percentage (11-3-0) when scoring first on the road, tied for the fourth-best mark in the NHL behind the Stars (.895), Lightning (.857) and Red Wings (.800).

HOW THEY SCORED

  • Panthers 1, Red Wings 0 (11:06 1st): Carter Verhaeghe finds Matthew Tkachuk all alone in the slot and Tkachuk blows one by John Gibson.
  • Red Wings 1, Panthers 1 (10:56 2nd 5/3 PP): Alex DeBrincat gets behind Sergei Bobrovsky and bats in a loose puck to tie the score with the two-man advantage.
  • Panthers 2, Red Wings 1 (0:35 3rd PP): Tkachuk deflects Sam Reinhart’s shot from the left circle for his second of the night.
  • Panthers 3, Red Wings 1 (18:08 3rd EN): Tkachuk gets his hat trick.

FHN’S 3 STARS

  • 1. Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers
  • 2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers
  • 3. Sam Reinhart, Panthers
ON DECK: GAME No. 64
DETROIT RED WINGS at FLORIDA PANTHERS  
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