Battle Born: Panthers Bring the D, Beat Vegas Golden Knights

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers brought their best defensive game of the season on Saturday night, and it was much needed to not only slow down, but shutdown the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas, which lead the NHL in scoring, had no answer for the smothering Panthers and Florida pulled out a 3-0 win.

The Golden Knights (5-1-2) came into the game averaging over 4 goals per game but were held to just 12 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes of the game. Vegas had also not lost in regulation before Saturday.

Florida (5-5-0) had lost five of six coming in and are now 4-1 at home.

Sam Reinhart got the scoring going off a breakaway late in the first; Cole Schwindt, playing in his first game with the Panthers since No. 82 in 2022, got back against his former team by scoring early in the third.

Sergei Bobrovsky had 17 saves for his first shutout of the season and 50th of his career.

Florida added to its lead midway through the third when A.J. Greer hopped on a long rebound off a Brad Marchand shot, ran around the net on the wraparound and made it 3-0.

NOTEBOOK: GOLDEN KNIGHTS @ PANTHERS

• The Panthers are 4-1 against Vegas since the 2023 Stanley Cup Final and 3-0 at home.
• Schwindt, cut by the Golden Knights out of training camp before being claimed by the Panthers off waivers, got his first goal with Florida after being drafted by the Panthers in 2019. This was his fourth game with the Panthers and first this season. Schwindt scored his first NHL goal for the Knights last season.
• Jack Eichel was attempting to become the first active player to reach 20 points in eight or fewer games in a season. The only skaters in the past 35 years to achieve the feat are Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Stevens, and Pat LaFontaine.
• With a goal, Brad Marchand would have joined Jaromir Jagr as the only Panthers players age 37 or older with six or more goals through the team’s first 10 games of a season. He had a chance early on a pass from Anton Lundell that just did not connect.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Panthers 1, Golden Knights 0 (17:19 1st): Sam Reinhart gets loose on a breakaway off a center ice pass from Carter Verhaeghe, walks in on Akira Schmid and gets his fourth of the season.
• Panthers 2, Golden Knights 0 (3:29 3rd): Cole Schwidnt gets his first goal as a member of the Panthers, getting to a loose puck on the side of the net after A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich battled for it down low.
• Panthers 3, Golden Knights 0 (10:04 3rd): Greer was breaking to the net when Brad Marchand’s fat rebound came off Schmidt then rolled around the cage for the wraparound goal.

FHN’S 3 STARS

• 1. A.J. Greer, Panthers
• 2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers
• 3. Cole Schwindt, Panthers

ON DECK: GAME No. 11

ANAHEIM DUCKS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Tuesday, 7 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: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• This Season (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Anaheim: Nov. 4. At Florida: Tuesday.
• Last Season: Panthers won 2-0
  
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 23-15-2, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday vs. Dallas Stars, 6