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After Slow Start, Florida Panthers Blow Out San Jose Sharks

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The San Jose Sharks got off to a spirited start Saturday, but it did not take long for the defending Cup champion Panthers to flex their muscles.



The Panthers tied a season-high with seven goals — four of which came in a very lopsided second period — en route to a 7-2 win in San Jose.

Florida has won 12 straight against the Sharks dating to 2017.

San Jose actually held a 2-1 lead in the first period after scoring a pair of goals within a span of 32 seconds but it was basically all Panthers after that.

Florida got goals from seven individual players and 12 ended up making the scoresheet.

Matthew Tkachuk had a goal with two assists; A.J. Greer and Aaron Ekblad each had a goal with an assist, with Sasha Barkov assisting on two goals.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves in the rout.

Florida’s seven goals tied for the most it has scored this season; the Panthers beat the host Flyers 7-5 on Dec. 5.

The Panthers are right back at it tonight, playing the Golden Knights in Vegas to wrap up this final west coast road trip of the regular season.

GAME NOTES: PANTHERS @ SHARKS

  • With 12 straight wins over the Sharks, the Panthers tie a franchise record for consecutive wins against a single opponent. Florida beat the Penguins 12 straight times from 2001-06.
  • Barkov got his 751st career point to pass Olli Jokinen (750) for the fourth-most points by a Finnish player in NHL history.
  • Tkachuk collected his 70th multi-point game, passing Nathan Horton for the eighth most in franchise history.
  • With goals from Schmidt and Ekblad, Florida has the sixth-most goals from defensemen in the NHL this season with 26. Columbus has 32.

HOW THEY SCORED

  • Panthers 1, Sharks 0 (5:47 1st): Moments after Alex Wennberg’s wraparound shot was thwarted, Nate Schmidt unloads from the top of the right circle.
  • Sharks 1, Panthers 1 (6:50 1st): Cody Ceci deflects a point shot from Jake Walman and scores from the slot.
  • Sharks 2, Panthers 1 (7:22 1st): Will Smith scores off a big rebound off the end boards for San Jose’s second goal in 32 seconds.
  • Panthers 2, Sharks 2 (14:27 1st): Sam Bennett and A.J. Greer battle for a loose puck in front of the net with Bennett getting the game-tying goal — his second in three games.
  • Panthers 3, Sharks 2 (17:08 1st): Aaron Ekblad rips one from the point that sails over the glove of Alexandar Georgiev.
  • Panthers 4, Sharks 2 (3:07 2nd): Greer gets his goal on the breakaway, faking out Georgiev — and sending him to the bench.
  • Panthers 5, Sharks 2 (5:35 2nd PP): Matthew Tkachuk gets in front of the net and tips a Sasha Barkov feed over the head of Yaroslav Askarov.
  • Panthers 6, Sharks 2 (13:07 2nd): Jesper Boqvist gets a no-look pass from Ekblad and sinks it.
  • Panthers 7, Sharks 2 (16:25 2nd): Sam Reinhart finds a loose puck and backhands it through.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

  • 1. A.J. Greer, Florida
  • 2. Aaron Ekblad, Florida
  • 3. Matthew Tkachuk, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 51
FLORIDA PANTHERS at VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 

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