There is a certain NHL team that has 12 straight wins, the most goals in the Salary Cap era, has clinched the Atlantic Division crown for the first time since 2016, and has also clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time ever. I PRESENT TO YOU THE FLORIDA PANTHERS! LET’S GO HOME BABY!
The Florida Panthers had a huge night Thursday and it kicked off with a BANG with their 12th straight win, as they would sweep the season series against the Detroit Red Wings. Also, with the Tampa Bay Lightning beating the Leafs, the Florida Panthers clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 56-15-6 record and 118 points.
First Period:
Surprisingly, the Wings started out with a lot of momentum. After a couple of saves by both Bobrovsky and Nedelijvoic, the Wings would draw first blood with a little over four minutes gone when Sam Gagner worked the slot and put it home under Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove. The Panthers would tie the game when Joe Thornton jumped in on a forecheck from behind the net and he would find Noel Acciari for a bump-and-go to the low side.
The turning point of the game came on a Red Wings penalty when Michael Rasmussen would get called at 17:33 for roughing Gustav Forsling. The Panthers elite power play went to work, and they would take a 2-1 lead a minute and 20 seconds in when Aleksander Barkov would skate it from off the blue line and would find twine from the high blocker side. Not even a minute later, the Panthers blew the game open at 3-1 when Mason Marchment had a spin-o-rama at the goal line and it found its way behind the Red Wings net.
Second Period:
Despite being down 3-1, the Wings still found a way to stay in the game. After a fleury of shots saved by Nedeljkovic, Tyler Bertuzzi would answer back with a spin-o-rama goal of his own when he would spin around in the slot and snap the puck bar down under Bobrovsky’s glove. There would also be a fight after Michael Rasmussen had intentional contact with Sergei Bobrovsky.
10 minutes later, the Panthers would make it 4-2 when Mason Marchment would set up MacKenzie Weegar from behind the net and Weegar would set it home.
Third Period:
The feistiness would continue heading into the third frame. The Panthers would add another goal to lock it at 5-2 when the two Sams teamed up. Sam Bennett got the puck down low and would set up Sam Reinhart in the middle to push it past Nedeljkovic.
Next Up:
The Panthers will continue their home stand by playing the Leafs on Saturday and the Lightning on Sunday. Times are 7 PM and 6 PM, respectively.