Florida Panthers Have Their Best Game of the Season in Win Over L.A.

After dropping flat against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Florida Panthers rebounded in high fashion, cruising their way to victory over the L.A. Kings.

To compare tonight’s game and the previous game would be like comparing the night and the day. The effort all around from the Florida Panthers was all in for sixty minutes, something we haven’t seen for much of the season.

It took some time for the Cats to get on the board, but once one came, the rest started to follow. Around the halfway mark in the first, Vincent Trocheck wristed his sixth of the year to put Florida on the board first.

The Kings, unfortunately, answered back quickly off a Keith Yandle turnover. And, while those turnovers can really sink one’s confidence, the Panthers never looked back nor gave up.

From there, it sparked that extra adrenaline in their veins, allowing them to go on a free-flow scoring run during the second frame.

Coming out of the box after serving his penalty, Jonathan Huberdeau took a loose puck which was in his direction and bolted down the length of the ice to pot his 17th of the season, short-side on Jonathan Quick.

Five minutes later on the man advantage, Panthers captain, Barkov, doubled Florida’s lead with a beautiful wrister from around the blue line area (3-1 FLA).

Then, no more than a minute following Barkov’s goal, Yandle got in on the scoring party, tripling the Panthers’ fortunes (4-1, PPG).

It was at this point in the second period where L.A. realized that they had no answers to this Panthers’ pressure. They simply couldn’t keep up with the Cats.

Things continued to go downhill for the visitors in the final frame when Jamie McGinn and Ian McCoshen scored 30 seconds apart, completely losing their composure in this hockey game.

With a five-goal lead next to their name, the Florida Panthers closed out the match in high regards, cruising past the L.A. Kings by a score of 6-1.

I have to say, after coming out flat against the Carolina Hurricanes the other night and losing in frustrating fashion, the Panthers completely patched up all those holes tonight and competed with a strong, full effort.

Of course, we must remember that it’s the L.A. Kings and by no means are they a good hockey club at this current moment, but it’s always nice to see the Panthers display a full effort for sixty minutes – something that’s been a rare sighting on the season.

It may be too late for the team to make a playoff push, but I’m hoping this win will inspire them to compete this way on a more consistent basis. Because in truth, it’s always more fun when the Panthers tear it up and win in front of their fanbase.

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