George Richards, FHN Publisher
When the season started, the one thing we all knew was the Panthers needed to continue feasting on the Detroit Red Wings if they hoped to make the playoffs.
Although Detroit beat Florida twice in 2021, in an eight-game series, that’s not too bad.
On Thursday night, the Panthers put a big fat bow on their season series with Detroit, taking their sixth of eight with a 3-2 OT win at BB&T Center.
It was Florida’s fourth consecutive win as the Panthers remained tied with Tampa Bay for first place in the Central Division with 52 points each.
But, as usually is the case when Thomas Greiss is in net, this one did not come easily.
”It,” Joel Quenneville said, “was a tough game.”
And it took an overtime goal from Alex Wennberg to win it.
Greiss, who has pretty much owned the Panthers since he booted them out of the 2016 playoffs while with the Islanders, ended the night with 33 saves.
In the second period alone, Greiss sent back 19.
The Wings took the initial lead on an Adam Erne shot 4:21 in but Florida got the equalizer when Noel Acciari jumped on a loose puck off a Carter Verhaeghe shot midway through the first.
After a scoreless second (Florida outshot Detroit 19-8), Anthony Mantha gave Detroit another lead after getting around Anton Stralman and putting it top shelf.
But the Panthers got a pair of power plays thanks to consecutive penalties on Jon Merrill. Florida didn’t do anything as he sat in the box for slashing Jonathan Huberdeau.
Before Merrill could get comfortable after his delay of game call, however, Frank Vatrano tied the score at 2 with a wicked one-timer off a pass from Verhaeghe.
”It’s good to get that goal to tie it up,” Vatrano said. “It’s nice to help the team out. Everyone stepped up tonight.”
In overtime, the Panthers kept the puck in the Detroit zone with Wennberg firing one in from 15 feet away with 3:35 left in OT.
”It’s a great feeling,” Wennberg said. “It was a tough game, we were working hard but didn’t score that many goals. Just the way we won this game, doing it in overtime, is a great feeling. It shows a lot of character from this team.
“They’re not always going to be pretty, things don’t always go our way. But we kept working. And we were rewarded with two points.”
Florida had yet another injury scare at the end of the second period when Jonathan Huberdeau hobbled off the ice after being run into the end boards by Troy Stecher.
Huberdeau was back out to start the third.
Chris Driedger started for Florida and won his 10th game of the season by making 25 saves.
”This was a very important stretch for us,” said Quenneville, whose team had lost three straight before winning the past four.
“I like how we have competed in the games, we have stuck with it. Games have been close for the most part. We came back in the third here. That was a hard game, they played hard. We found a way to stay with it. … We’re competing, the goaltending has been rock solid every night.”
HELLO, DRIEDGE
In a somewhat surprising move, the Panthers started Driedger after Sergei Bobrovsky was terrific Tuesday by making 35 saves in Florida’s 4-1 win.
With Bobrovsky likely starting Saturday against the Blue Jackets, Thursday was an opportunity not only to get him some rest — but to keep Driedger fresh.
“We’re happy with the tandem right now,” Quenneville said after Thursday’s morning skate.
“Both guys are going in the net and we’re getting really solid goaltending night in, night out. Guys are feeding off that. I think that helps the confidence of our defensemen and the play in our own end.”
Driedger: “As a goalie, I always appreciate getting in the net. That’s a blessing so shoutout to Q for that I guess. But we have a good dynamic here. The schedule is extremely packed. It’s nice to take some of the pressure off Bob, give us a nice 1-2 punch.”
KNIGHT ON HIS WAY
The Panthers officially placed newly-signed goalie Spencer Knight on the taxi squad and he would be eligible to join the team for practice upon arrival and passing Covid-19 protocols.
Knight, Florida’s first-round pick in 2019, signed his entry level deal with the Panthers after forgoing his final two seasons at Boston College on Wednesday.
With the Panthers all but assured of a playoff spot, Knight could see playing time in a game or two toward the end of the season.
Defenseman Matt Kiersted, the top college free agent who signed with the Panthers on Thursday, is also expected to join the team.
BARKOV, HORNQVIST CLOSE
The Panthers had two familiar faces back on the ice Thursday as Sasha Barkov and Patric Hornqvist took part in a full workout.
Although Barkov is free to come back at any time, he did not play Thursday; Hornqvist can not come off the IR until Friday.
Regardless, Quenneville said the expectation is for both to return to the lineup Saturday against Columbus.
Anthony Duclair, who injured his shoulder after being tripped by Greiss on Tuesday, is officially on the IR. Quenneville said he will likely miss 10 days with the injury.
FIRST PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
After taking the first three shots of the night against Greiss, the Panthers looked a little surprised to be down 1-0 when Adam Erne scored off a long slapshot 4:21 into the game.
The Panthers had numerous chances — although nothing on the power play — in the opening period but probably none cleaner than Carter Verhaeghe getting stoned on a breakaway.
Moments later, however, Verhaeghe again drove the net, this time going around and offering an odd-angle shot. Greiss got a piece of it but not enough as Acciari stuffed it through.
Florida, outshot 11-9 in the first, got its final scoring chance of the period in the final seconds when Ryan Lomberg was stopped.
SECOND PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
It was a scoreless second and not much happened — save for Greiss playing his usual game against the Panthers.
Greiss made 19 saves in the period as Florida outshot the Wings by 11 in the second.
Florida did get a couple power play chances here, including a 4-on-3 for 30 seconds after Dylan Larkin laid a shoulder into Riley Stillman about 10 minutes after a whistle blew to stop play by the net.
The Panthers ended up killing a Juho Lammikko penalty midway through the period.
THIRD PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
Detroit definitely showed a little more fight in the third than in the second, taking its second lead of the night on Mantha’s 10th goal of the season.
Vatrano’s goal from the right circle was his 11th of the year.
GEORGE’S THREE STARS OF THE GAME
ON DECK: COLUMBUS AT PANTHERS
When: Saturday, 7
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise
Tickets: AVAILABLE HERE
Season series: Florida leads 3-0-1
TV/Radio: Florida Sports/560-AM