Sam Bennett did the heavy lifting Tuesday night, and the Florida Panthers left Nationwide Arena with a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Bennett struck twice, including the game-winner, while Jacob Markstrom turned aside 37 of 38 shots to help Florida control the night despite being outshot 38-28. The Panthers also cashed in on their lone power-play chance, a key edge in a game that tightened briefly before Florida pulled away.
The opening goal came early in the second period when Bennett scored on the power play at 2:00, with Anton Lundell and Seth Jones picking up the assists. Florida stretched the lead to 2-0 at 4:17 of the second when Lars Eller scored. Columbus answered late in the period, as Ivan Provorov cut the deficit to 2-1 at 19:41.
That was as close as the Blue Jackets got. Bennett scored again at 14:29 of the third to restore a two-goal cushion, and Sam Reinhart sealed it with an empty-net goal at 17:44.
Lundell finished with two assists, Aaron Ekblad also had two assists, and Eller and Reinhart each found the net for Florida. Cam Talbot stopped 24 of 27 shots for Columbus.
The result moved the Panthers to 10-7-2 and kept them seventh in the Eastern Conference. Columbus dropped to 7-9-0, sits 15th in the East, and has now lost two straight.
Florida also took the season series 2-0 after winning the first meeting 7-3 on Oct. 13.
Next up, the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Blue Jackets return home to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
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For a club that has already had to navigate a lot of moving parts, the uncertainty around Heinen adds another layer to the picture. The latest around the league also includes injury news for Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin, a fine for San Jose forward Mason Marchment and, from Floridas side, the encouraging sight of Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand back at practice even if neither is fully ready to return yet. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face A Big Test Tonight With Lineup Questions Looming
The Blue Jackets get another measuring-stick night against Florida, and they do it with some lineup uncertainty hanging over the room. Columbus enters at 27-22-8 and has generally handled the Panthers well at home, where it has gone 17-8-4 in the matchup, but the bigger question is how the group holds up if the projected forward mix gets altered before puck drop. For a team trying to keep its footing in the standings, these are the kinds of games that can reveal how much depth matters.
The injury picture is part of what makes this one worth watching beyond the opponent. Isac Lundestrom has been lightly skating after Achilles surgery, which at least offers a hint of progress, while Conor Garlands status remains unsettled after he was scratched with an upper-body injury. With the game on the schedule and the usual broadcast options in place, the Blue Jackets will have to navigate both the Panthers and the uncertainty around who is actually available to play. [Read more 🡒]