The Florida Panthers visited Nationwide Arena for a second time this season, picking up another victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, this time by a 4-1 score. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, a player from the Cats scored two goals, coming ever closer to another hat trick; this time, Sam Bennett potted two, for his second multi-goal contest of the season. Between the pipes, Jacob Markström had arguably the best performance in his return tour with the Panthers, turning away 38 shots, preserving his fifth win of the season.
Claw: Panthers continue their multi-goal scoring trend
The Panthers have played only 19 games so far, and with Bennett’s two goals against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the team now has 13 individual multi-goal performances by seven different players. Brady Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe lead the way with three apiece, but now the two Sams, Bennett and Reinhart, are tied with two apiece. In addition, the youngsters have joined in on the party with Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Sandis Vilmanis, each having one. At the moment, Florida ranks 14th in the NHL with 60 goals scored, producing a goal differential of just plus-4, one of the main reasons they continue to hold on to fifth place in the Atlantic Division and a second wildcard spot.
Flaw: Panthers win despite being outplayed statistically
The Blue Jackets didn’t pose much of a threat the last time the two teams met a few weeks ago; however, Tuesday’s contest could have gone totally differently. The home team dominated in the faceoff circle, 61.4% to 38.6%, while out-hitting the usually physical Panthers team 27-24. Oh yeah, let’s not forget that Markström was busy with 38 saves, since Columbus had 39 shots on goal, while Florida only managed 29. For stretches, the Blue Jackets carried the play and kept the Panthers on their toes. Despite their best efforts, though, the visitors stood strong and capitalized on their one power-play opportunity, while the Blue Jackets didn’t, a key difference in the final outcome.
Claw: Barkov and Marchand inch closer to returning
At the moment, there is still no update on the status of Vilmanis, who exited last Saturday’s contest after a nasty hit from behind by Tom Wilson, but is listed as day-to-day. Despite missing a player here and there over the last few weeks, two of the team’s biggest stars, Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, are trending toward returning by the end of November. In Columbus, both players took part in the team’s morning skate, and head coach Paul Maurice gave the public a “two-week” timeframe.
Considering both are recovering from lower-body injuries, it would be best for them to ease their way back into the lineup to not risk another injury. As many know, Barkov came back after an entire year off and got injured in just his second game. Meanwhile, Marchand had offseason surgery and got hurt in his second game. When healthy, both multi-time Stanley Cup champions make the Panthers that much more difficult to play against.
What’s next for the Panthers?
The road-tested Panthers return home for a single contest on Thursday night, welcoming the Detroit Red Wings to Amerant Bank Arena. At the beginning of the month, the Original Six club defeated the Cats by a 5-3 score at Little Caesars Arena in the Motor City.
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