Amid all the boredom that comes with COVID-19, Florida Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau made it more exciting by featuring in the NHL Player Gaming Challenge.
Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau isn’t only good at hockey, in case you didn’t know. The star-studded winger is no slouch at the game NHL 20, either. If you follow Huberdeau on social media, he has (in the past) posted videos on his Instagram story, showcasing his NHL 20 skills during self-quarantine practice.
He put those skills to the test against Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov as the two were paired to square-off against one another in a best two-out-of-three series.
In the first game, Huberdeau totally toyed with Kuznetsov, winning 7-3 in a comfortable fashion. Coincidentally, Huberdeau scored on the first shot of the game – his first-ever NHL Player Gaming Challenge game – with his own character, matching the same feat that he achieved in real life when he scored on the first shot in his first NHL game. What are the odds of that?
https://twitter.com/JonnyHuby11/status/1258518342949715969?s=20
In the second game, where Kuznetsov was looking to even the series up, he remained more competitive throughout the match – figuring out Huberdeau’s style and play – but couldn’t quite pull through as Huberdeau, once again, convincingly defeated the Russian forward by a score of 5-2, sweeping the series altogether.
As a result, the two-game series between the two was a lot of fun to watch and engage with. It was refreshing to see both of them lay back and have some fun while putting on an entertaining show for fans and streamers alike.
My favorite moment of the series came when Kuznetsov made a small jab at Aleksander Barkov’s character when Huberdeau decided to pass the puck with Barkov instead of shoot, citing to Barkov’s pass-first mentality. Of course, the subtle joke was all in good humor, and for those who know Barkov’s playing style well enough, the joke couldn’t have been timed more perfectly.
With that said, with all the fun that comes from these games, the NHL Player Gaming Challenge is all for a good cause as EA Sports donated $50,000 – which was matched by the NHL – combining for a total of $100,000, which will go towards the CDC Foundation to support efforts combating COVID-19.
Stay tuned for more relating to your Florida Panthers as we anxiously wait for a decision from the NHL pertaining to the remainder of the 2019-20 season.