The Florida Panthers dropped their third game of four out of the all-star break Thursday night, defeated 7-2 by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Florida Panthers were yet again in a position to take advantage of a game in hand. Toronto’s loss to New York Rangers on Wednesday meant Florida held their playoff spot, but needed a win tonight to build on it.
Simply enough, Vegas showed they wanted it more tonight. Florida looked like they could’ve matched Vegas in the offensive zone, but the defensive zone was a brutal one for Florida tonight, so many inexcusable mistakes shown by Florida.
No mean to call out any defenseman in particular, it was a combined result from all six on the ice. MacKenzie Weegar was ruled out of the lineup with just 15 minutes before puck drop, and nobody seemed to want to step up tonight. Peter DeBoer’s side struck early and often into periods to lift Vegas to victory.
Vegas would open their scoring on their first real effort at goal. Chandler Stephenson‘s shot was parried by Sergei Bobrovsky, and Mark Stone – who was easily the best player on the ice tonight- slotted home the rebound to make it 1-0 to the Golden Knights inside 2:30.
Florida did find a way back into the game, however. After Mark Stone took a penalty, Vincent Trocheck, who might have well been Florida’s best player tonight, excellently dished from the crease to Mike Hoffman for his 20th of the season to tie the game. Hoffman became the fifth Panthers player in history to score 20 goals in each of his first two seasons, and the score was leveled headed into the second.
Again, Vegas would start the second period strong. Mark Stone would score his second of the night, walking right past Panthers’ defenseman Mike Matheson, who failed to play the puck, to get his 20th goal of the season to restore the Golden Knights’ lead.
Florida had a big chance to get level with Brett Connolly getting tripped on a breakaway, resulting in a penalty shot. Connolly took his time, but was out-waited by Fleury on his first ever penalty shot, and Vegas remained ahead.
Eventually, the Panthers again got level. Vincent Trocheck, with an incredible burst of speed, took it across the neutral zone, into the Vegas defensive zone, wrapping around the goal from right to left to beat Marc-Andre Fleury, a really good piece of individual play to tie the game. The goal was Trocheck’s third in his last nine games, and the score was back to 2-2.
Just 27 seconds after that, Vegas would get back in front. Stone again got space to pass, finding Max Pacioretty in front. Pacioretty beat Anton Stralman to the front of the net, with Bobrovsky making the initial save, but following up his own shot to make it 3-2 Vegas.
This time, the Golden Knights wouldn’t look back. Nate Schmidt would score his sixth goal of the season 17 seconds in before Shea Theodore, Jonathan Marchessault, and Max Pacioretty would pile on goals number 5, 6, and 7.
The defense for Florida got progressively worse as the game went on. Shea Theodore, a defenseman, walked right in shorthanded, completely uncontested by neither Keith Yandle nor Riley Stillman before firing the puck past Bobrovsky.
The goals were just far too simple for Vegas to score. Vegas, similarly to Florida, are a team tied for third place in their division in desperate need for two points, they came out and played for it, fair and square.
For Florida, they suffer their worst loss since December 23rd, their third loss by five goals this season, their first of which at home. The defense was the worst it had been in months, with nobody (especially not Matheson or Stralman) putting in a good performance.
The Panthers will look to bounce back Saturday as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Florida won the first two matchups between the two this season. Puck drop from Sunrise comes at 7:00 P.M.