The Florida Panthers played one of their best games of the 2026-27 season in St. Louis, defeating the Blues by a 4-1 score on the first night of the annual dads and mentors trip.
What made the night even more special was the Blues honoring Keith Tkachuk for his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. For the opening faceoff, his sons and Panthers stars Matthew and Brady squared off with St. Louis captain Robert Thomas, who lived with the Tkachuks after making his NHL debut.
It was only fitting that the game’s first goal came off Brady’s stick with a helper from his brother. Before anyone knew it, Florida had more goals (three) than the Blues had shots. Overall, it was a dominant performance from the Cats, who needed those two points, while Jacob Markström stood tall in goal with 24 saves.
Claw: Panthers ball out against a hot goaltender
The Blues started Joel Hofer on Saturday, who was coming off a 1-0 shootout victory over the Utah Mammoth in his previous start. Before that, he picked up a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, giving up just two goals in two starts and producing a .967 SV%. That didn’t seem to faze the Panthers, who got two past him in the first 6:29 of the game. Moreover, they peppered him with 10 shots in the first period and 20 through two periods to build up a very comfortable 4-0 lead. In the end, Hofer finished the night with 24 saves and a humbling .857 SV%, his second-lowest save percentage of the season.
Flaw: Markström’s shutout slips away late
If we are being honest, Markström’s performance was flawless against the Blues. He may have only finished with 24 saves, but he was impressive from start to finish. The only real flaw in the game was that the 36-year-old wasn’t able to secure his second shutout of the season. He’s definitely had some great stretches of hockey this season and some rather questionable ones too, yet in St. Louis on Saturday, Markström gave one of his best performances, a reminder of what he’s capable of on a contending team. There wasn’t a single person to blame for the lost shutout, just a small letdown in an otherwise brilliant performance. After facing only 12 shots through two periods, Markström turned aside 12 of 13 in the final 20 minutes.
Claw: Panthers get help from unexpected places
As usual, Florida got goals and points from their top players, including both Tkachuk brothers, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett, players the fanbase counts on to produce and win games. However, Anton Lundell picked up an assist to extend his point streak to three games, while Sandis Vilmanis had a helper in his second game back from injury. Meanwhile, Dmitry Kulikov tallied his first goal of the season, and his first lamplighter since Mar. 11, 2025, against the Boston Bruins. Getting contributions from unexpected spots in the lineup is always a positive, even when the offense doesn’t extend to all four lines and all three defensive pairings.
What’s next for the Panthers?
The Panthers are back at it again on Sunday night, visiting the Dallas Stars, who just celebrated Jamie Benn’s historic 1,000th point on Saturday night in a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. After that, there will be no rest for the weary as the Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers back to Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night.
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