Florida scored a pair of third period power play goals while goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar down the stretch

The Florida Panthers will spend the next three days away from the hockey rink, with the NHL imposing its annual holiday break from Sunday to Tuesday.

That’s what makes Saturday’s win over the Vegas Golden Knights all the more sweeter.

Not only did the Panthers get a little payback on Vegas for their victory in last season’s Stanley Cup Final, but Florida now gets to go into the break feeling pretty good about themselves.

After 33 games, the Panthers hold a respectable 19-12-2 record, good for 40 points and a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division with Toronto.

Of late, however, Florida had slipped into a bit of a scoring slump, dropping four of its past five games entering Saturday, scoring a combined two goals in the four losses.

But four goals, including a pair on the power play, was just what the doctor ordered for the Cats.

While Florida didn’t get started lighting the lamp until the second period, it was the way they began the game that got the home team off on the right foot…er, skate.

Off to a great start

Florida came out firing on all cylinders in their rematch with Vegas.

The Panthers recorded the first 11 shots on goal and finished the opening frame with a 20-3 advantage in that department, a 14-2 edge in scoring chances and a 8-0 lead in high danger chances.

Vegas’ expected goals during the first period was 0.08 (though it was officially, according to Natural Stat Trick, rounded up to 0.1), compared to Florida’s 1.67.

“The first period is about stylistically as close to the game that we want to play as much as we can,” Maurice said afterwards.

Power play saves the day

The Panthers’ recent power play woes have been well documented.

That’s why it was so nice to see the team not only complete their comeback, but do it on the back of Florida’s much maligned man advantage.

Both of the Cats third period goals came while on the power play, off the sticks of Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart.

It was the first time since late November that Florida scored multiple power play goals in the same game.

“It's definitely huge going forward,” said Verhaeghe, whose goal on Saturday was also the game winner. “The Power play plays a big part in the game, and it definitely played a big part in the two points tonight.”

Bob solid on game of ebbs and flows

The Panthers dominating the early stages of Saturday’s game meant, aside from the team imposing its will, Florida’s goaltender was just chillin’ at the other end of the ice.

Vegas mustered just three shots on goal and two scoring chances during the first period, with nothing registering in the high danger department.

Things changed quickly during the second period, though, as the Golden Knights put up 13 shots, nine scoring chances and five high danger looks during the middle frame.

It can prove to be difficult for a goaltender to go from barely facing any action to enduring the wrath of one of the more potent and talented forward groups in the league.

Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves, including six of the seven high danger shots he ended up facing and all five of Vegas’ shots when they held a man advantage.

“What he did tonight is a veteran goalies wheelhouse,” Maurice said of Bobrovsky. “Sitting that long (without action), and then the quality of the shooters doesn't change on the other team, they're just not getting a lot. You know they're going to get some. (His work on the) power play in the third, especially the glove save, and then a couple other big saves, just that's a really hard thing to do that will be underappreciated, because when the other team gets the number of shots they did, you don't talk about your goaltender, and he was really good.”

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