After a rather disastrous showing on special teams against Detroit, the Panthers rebounded with a solid game against Anaheim. The two points keep them in second place in the division behind the Maple Leafs. Florida’s 5v5 game has looked very good over the last few games, even if the wins haven’t all been there. The third line of Verhaeghe-Lundell-J. Boqvist continues to be the best line for the Cats, and they scored both goals tonight before Forsling got the empty netter. Spencer Knight showed out in a great game that earned him first-star honors and his second shutout of the season.
Even Strength Trending Positively:
As the Cats build their game for the playoffs, one piece where they want to be excellent is at 5v5. It was a great quality of their Cup-winning team last season, and it allowed them to wear down opponents if they got into a long series. Over the last few games, the Panther’s even-strength game has looked very good and is trending toward where they want it to be. While the offensive scoring is still struggling to get every line going, they did a much better job of limiting the high-danger chances for the Ducks after the first period. The defensive coverage was tighter, and the Cats were able to get their forechecking going. More discipline from Florida led to fewer penalties and less time spent on special teams. The biggest outlier was the five-minute major and game misconduct Reinhart was assed for kneeing. Reinhart was going to finish a check, and Lundestrom moved to avoid the check. Their knees made contact with each other.
Third Line Humming:
The Panthers’ third line continues to be a dynamic line and the best scoring line. Jesper Boqvist scored his 11th goal of the season, setting a new career high. In the second half of the first period, with assists from Nosek and Kulikov, Boqvist got to the bottom of the faceoff dot, where his shot snuck in under Gibson’s arm to break the ice. It wasn’t the prettiest goal, but it was an essential one to get Florida the lead, and he earned second-star honors. Over the last two seasons, the Panthers have played extremely well when they have the lead, and it was no different against Anaheim. Verhaeghe continues to be plagued by bad luck as he hit his second post in as many games but hasn’t gotten things to bounce his way. Verhaeghe looked like he had possibly scored, but it was waived off by the refs after he got shoved into Gibson by Dumoulin, and they cited goalie interference. Lundell extended the lead to 2-0 in the third period off a hard-working play. He forced a turnover in the neutral zone and then out-skated the Ducks’ defenders where his shot deflected off Dumoulin’s stick and into the back of the net. Like his linemate Boqvist, Lundell is on pace for a career year which is great news for Cats’ fans after he signed a six-year extension over the summer.
Knight Shines Bright:
After coming in to relieve Bobrovsky against Detroit, Spencer got the start against the Ducks. During the month of January, Knight has stopped 93 of 96 shots in the games he’s started in. His 34-save shutout earned him first-star honors and loud cheers from fans in attendance at Amerant Bank Arena. Knight didn’t have a super easy night either, as the Ducks had some very good chances, including four attempts at a short-handed goal that came all at once. He fought through traffic to get good looks and he was tracking the puck well. The Panthers’ defense stepped it up a notch and gave Knight great support including a fantastic play by Samoskevich to deny an open net chance for Anaheim. In his post-game interview, Knight thanked the crowd for their support and the team’s effort in front of him. He went on to say that when the team plays hard in front of you, it makes you want to play hard for them. Spencer also cited that he’s matured in his consistency both mentally and physically. Boqvist said in his post-game about Knight, “Unreal. The last couple of games he’s been playing here, he’s been really good. I’m so glad for him. He’s been working really hard to play like that. It’s a lot of fun to watch.” Lundell echoed the sentiment also saying Spencer was unreal, made some huge saves, and that he was hoping he would score a goalie goal. Lundell also said that he dodged the puck to see if it would go in for Knight. It was a good way to end the short homestand as the Cats get ready for their second West Coast road trip.
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