The Panthers picked up a big win on Saturday night, shutting down the high-powered Vegas Golden Knights on home ice thanks to a strong effort in goal and by an unexpected youngster.
The Florida Panthers looked very much like the Florida Panthers that we’ve gotten used to on Saturday night in Sunrise.
Hosting the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida set the defensive tone from the start and skated to a resounding 3-0 shutout win.
It was the first regulation loss for Vegas and improved the Cats’ record on home ice to 4-1-0.
Considering the up-and-down season the Panthers have had to this point, it was nice to see them get back to doing what has made them such a successful squad over the past several seasons.
Their homestand doesn’t get any easier and will continue on Tuesday when they host the Anaheim Ducks before wrapping up on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.
Let’s get to Saturday’s takeaways:
COLE COMES THROUGH
Playing in just his 50th NHL game and first since being claimed off waivers earlier this season, Cole Schwindt had a very solid night for the Panthers.
The 24-year-old former third-round pick by Florida back in 2019 centered a line with veterans A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich, a unit that proved to be very strong and consistent against a potent Vegas squad.
On a night where the Panthers were able to roll their lines basically the whole game, Schwindt’s unit accounted for two goals and two assists.
“Well, I liked it,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said of Schwindt’s game on Saturday. “What you like most is how it affects other people. So that line looked like it had looked for us in the past. They got on the forecheck, scored the goal (by Schwindt), and then AJ (Greer) got another one. They were on the puck and really responsible.”
SHUTDOWN CITY
Aggressive, five-man defensive hockey is where the Panthers make their money.
It hasn’t been as easy to get to so far this season, which will happen when you remove perhaps the best defensive player on the team from the roster.
But that didn’t keep the Cats from locking in on the defensive side of things on Saturday.
Vegas came into Saturday’s game among the top teams in the league in scoring, shots on goal and on the power play.
They were held to just 17 shots on 49 attempts, including no shots on their two power play attempts.
“I think we had really good sticks, but they were driven by our legs,” Maurice said. “We worked hard to get into shot lanes, but also take away some of the shot lanes. We worked hard tonight.”
BIG GAME FROM BOB
On a night where the Panthers played one of their best defensive games of the young season, their goaltender was there to clean up anything that squeaked through the cracks.
Sergei Bobrovsky has been incredibly consistent for Florida over the past several years, and Saturday was a microcosm of that success.
Bob was solid and steady between the pipes for the Cats against Vegas, coming up with several big saves when called upon while exhibiting his usual calmness between the pipes and adding in some very solid rebound control.
He finished with 17 saves, including all four of the high danger shots that Vegas sent his way.
“Those are hard games, and I think you need a mature goalie,” Maurice said. “When we play well, like we did tonight, you'll go stretches of not seeing a lot. But when you're playing a team like that, they're going to get an elite player in alone or close to it, and he was always good in those situations.”
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