Recap: Panthers fall to Penguins in shootout

In last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Florida Panthers lost for the third straight contest. This time, however, they were defeated during the shootout by a final score of 3-2.

In the first period, Penguins forward Teddy Blueger got the scoring started after a beautiful feed from Kris Letang. However, a little over three minutes later, Frank Vatrano responded with a goal of his own. Rookie Anton Lundell was the true star of the play, though, as he created a two-on-one after making a beautiful move around Brock McGinn.

The Panthers seemed to dominate the flow of play during the second period. They had 10 shots on goal during it, while the Penguins only had six. However, that ultimately did not matter in the end, as Evan Rodrigues would score the only goal of the period on a short breakaway. Jason Zucker’s nice pass was responsible for it.

The Panthers started off the third period with a bang, as captain Aleksander Barkov scored his ninth goal of the season just two and a half minutes in. From here, the Panthers had another strong period, as they once again led the Penguins in shots. However, this would be the lone goal of the third, as both Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky stood on their heads.

Each team only had two shots during the overtime period and then went to the shootout. During the second round, Jonathan Huberdeau scored. However, Bryan Rust saved the Penguins when their backs were against the wall by scoring on the very next shot. After Patric Hornqvist was robbed, it went to a fourth and final round. From here, Jeff Carter scored the winner.

Some positives for the Panthers after the tough loss

• For his first game back from his injury, Bobrovsky played quite well. Although they ended up losing in the shootout, he made 29 saves on 31 shots. Thus, he ultimately did his part to keep them in the game.
• Lundell is looking more confident with each game that passes. Sometimes it’s hard to forget that he’s just a 20-year-old rookie. In 10 games on the campaign, he now has three goals and seven points.
• Vatrano’s been off to a slow start this year offensively, but his snipe last night could be what sparks a much-needed hot streak for him. Keep an eye on him next game.

The Panthers play next tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Here’s to hoping their losing streak ends at three, but the Lightning aren’t an easy team to go up against. Thus, they will need to bring their A games, for sure!