Sam’s Club Re-Opens: Florida Panthers 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers welcomed star rookie Connor Bedard to Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday.

And he lived up to every bit of hype he has received so far.

The 18-year-old scored two goals, but the Panthers got the last laugh in a 4-3 win.

Sam Reinhart did not disappoint either, continuing his hot start to the season with a two-goal, four-point performance of his own.

He outshined the other Sam — Sam Bennett — who did not get on the scoresheet in his return to the lineup from a lower-body injury.

Reinhart finished the afternoon tied for second in the NHL in goals with 11.

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Reinhart also helped start things up with an assist just 39 seconds into the game.

He found Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a nice tic-tac-toe play seconds after the opening draw.

Jason Dickinson tied the game up 7:04 into the first with a shot that dribbled through Sergei Bobrovsky’s five-hole.

Reinhart and Bedard took over after that.

Florida’s leading scorer got things started there, deflecting a Matthew Tkachuk shot past Arvid Soderblom with 8:07 to go in the first.

Uvis Balinskis nearly got his second of the game with 2:06 to go in the first but it was waved off as Reinhart was determined to be interfering with Soderblom on the play.

Bedard then scored on a wide-angle shot 1:10 later to tie the game.

Reinhart gave the Panthers the lead back seven minutes into the second period.

Bedard then re-tied it with a quick goal off the rush 1:16 later.

Carter Verhaeghe got on the board, putting a Reinhart rebound past Soderblom on the power play 2:44 into the third to restore Florida’s lead.

That goal marked the first time the Panthers scored multiple power play goals in a game through 14 games in the 2023-24 season.

They finished 2-for-4 on the night.

The Panthers’ penalty kill stayed hot, too, killing off all three Chicago power plays with relative ease.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Panthers 1, Blackhawks 0 (0:39, 1st): Oliver Ekman-Larsson tapped in a feed from Sam Reinhart on a quick tic-tac-toe play from the top line.
• Blackhawks 1, Panthers 1 (7:04, 1st): Jason Dickinson stuffed in a rebound that dribbled through Sergei Bobrovsky’s five-hole.
• Panthers 2, Blackhawks 1 (11:53, 1st, PPG): Reinhart deflected a Matthew Tkachuk shot past Arvid Soderblom on the power play.
• Blackhawks 2, Panthers 2 (19:04, 1st): Connor Bedard stripped Kevin Stenlund of the puck and beat Bobrovsky with a wide-angle shot.
• Panthers 3, Blackhawks 2 (7:00, 2nd): Reinhart banked a shot off the back of Soderblom’s leg for his 11th goal of the season.
• Blackhawks 3, Panthers 3 (8:16, 2nd): Bedard scored his second of the game with a quick wrist shot off the rush.
• Panthers 4, Blackhawks 3 (2:44, 3rd): Carter Verhaeghe put a Reinhart rebound past Soderblom on the power play.

COLBY’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

1. Sam Reinhart, Florida

2. Connor Bedard, Chicago

3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Florida

PANTHERS ON DECK

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ SAN JOSE SHARKS

• When: Tuesday, 10:30 p.m.
• Where: SAP Center; San Jose, Calif.
• Streaming ONLY: ESPN+/Hulu
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5 FM-2; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932; NHL App
• Last season: Florida won 2-0
  
• This season — Florida Leads 1-0: @Florida 3, San Jose 1 (Oct. 24); @San Jose, Tuesday
• All-time regular season series: Florida leads 22-13-1, 7 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m. (BSF)