FHN Daily
Penalty Kill Implodes, Red Wings Blow Out Florida Panthers

SUNRISE — If a team gives up three power-play goals in a single game, they, like the Florida Panthers, probably do not have a chance at winning.
As was the case Thursday night.
The Detroit Red Wings scored their first three goals on the power play — then added a fourth with 4:19 left in the second — en route to a 5-2 win over the Panthers in Sunrise.
Detroit locked things down in the third, taking only four shots on bullpen goalie Spencer Knight in the final 20, for their first regulation win against the Panthers since the Covid/Central season of 2021.
The Panthers had been 13-0-1 against the Red Wings since losing 2-1 in Detroit way back on Feb. 20, 2021.
Detroit was either tied or held the lead throughout Thursday’s game.
Special teams did Florida in as has been the case the past couple of weeks.
Stay out of the box?
That would be a good start.
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“The past six or seven games, we have been taking quite a bit of penalties,” said Evan Rodrigues, who scored to make it 2-2 but was serving a penalty when the Wings made it 1-0.
“That cost us tonight. Even strength we played well; special teams won them the game.”
Detroit has been playing extremely well since Todd McLellan took over for the fired Derek Lalonde during the holiday break.
The Red Wings are working their way back into the playoff picture having won seven straight before being thumped at home 6-3 by the Sharks on Tuesday.
So, by basic math, Detroit has now won eight of nine and would be the biggest story in the Motor City if it was not for a certain football team wearing Honolulu Blue.
Twice the Red Wings scored on Florida off the power play on Thursday with the Panthers quickly answering each time.
First, it was a goal from Anton Lundell, then Rodrigues.
But the third power-play goal, this one from Patrick Kane at 13:44 of the second proved to be the killer.
A turnover/breakaway turned into a goal by Marco Kasper just under 2 minutes later made it a 2-goal game and was the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s night.
Blame Bobrovsky if you want.
But he did not take all of those penalties, nor did he allow the Red Wings to drive the net unencumbered.
And, like most good teams do, the Red Wings focused on the defense up a pair of goals.
Knight only faced four shots the rest of the way with Cam Talbot making 23 stops in the third.
Detroit got an empty-net goal from Dylan Larkin, his second tally of the night, and the Red Wings partied as if they were headed to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
The Wings are just 21-19-4 but three points back of Boston for the final wild-card spot.
They are playing better since McLellan took over, of that, there is no doubt.
The Panthers, meanwhile, have let things slip.
Yet the defending Stanley Cup champions are fully entrenched in a playoff spot and remain three points back of Toronto for first place in the Atlantic Division.
As bad as things seem to a vocal minority on Panthers social media, they’re doing just fine.
Thank you very much.
“We’re always going to look at things we can do better,’’ Paul Maurice said. “We’ll deal with that tomorrow. I liked our start. Coming off a back-to-back, you’re worried about your start and you’re worried about your physicality and both those were there in spades.
”There’s enough there to feel like you have a positive attitude going into next game. We’ll deal with some areas.
“Clearly we’ll work on the special teams.”
Clearly.
ON DECK: GAME No. 47
ANAHEIM DUCKS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Saturday, 6 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: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- This Season — At Anaheim: Tuesday. At Florida: Saturday.
- Last Season: Tied 1-1
- All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 22-15-2, 3 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Tuesday at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.
