Panthers Fall Late to Blues in Heartbreaker, Drop Second Straight
Thursday night in St. Louis was one the Florida Panthers would like to forget - but probably won’t anytime soon.
With just 8.4 seconds left in regulation and the game tied 4-4, Jimmy Snuggerud buried a one-timer from the left circle on the power play, lifting the Blues to a dramatic 5-4 win and handing Florida its second consecutive loss. The Panthers had clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit and nearly forced overtime, but the final moments unraveled in brutal fashion.
“It’s heartbreaking,” head coach Paul Maurice said postgame. “You fight and you get back into it, and you get so close to killing it off.
Great blocks, great battles. That’s a tough one.”
He wasn’t wrong. Florida killed off the first 40 seconds of a 4-on-3 power play after Niko Mikkola was called for goalie interference - a call that came with some controversy, as Mikkola appeared to be nudged into St.
Louis netminder Joel Hofer by Blues forward Jonatan Berggren during 4-on-4 play. But the penalty stood, and the Panthers’ penalty killers, already gassed, couldn’t hold off the final push.
“Some tired guys on the ice,” Snuggerud said. “It was a great play.”
The loss stings even more considering the Panthers had stormed back into the game thanks to a second-period surge. After falling behind 4-2 just 41 seconds into the second frame, it was Matthew Tkachuk who stepped up - and once again, he did it against his hometown team. Tkachuk scored twice in under two minutes, tying the game at 4-4 and injecting life back into the Florida bench.
It was Tkachuk’s first two-goal game of the season, and it came at a moment when the Panthers needed it most.
Earlier, A.J. Greer opened the scoring to give Florida a 1-0 lead, but the Blues responded with two quick goals.
Sam Reinhart answered with a power-play tally to tie it at 2-2, but St. Louis struck back with another pair to go up 4-2.
“We did some things we don’t do in the first period and gave them some really good chances,” Maurice said. “After that, I liked a lot of what we did. I liked our game.”
That’s the hard part - for large stretches, Florida played well enough to win. They battled back, matched the intensity, and had the Blues on their heels. But a late penalty and a perfectly placed shot were enough to tilt the outcome.
Adding to the frustration: the Panthers played the third period without Brad Marchand. The veteran winger had just returned from a seven-game absence due to a lower-body injury, suiting up last weekend in Minnesota. Maurice didn’t provide an update postgame, only saying Marchand would be evaluated.
Florida now finds itself in a precarious spot. Just a few days ago, they’d pulled within three points of a playoff spot after a third straight win in Chicago. But after back-to-back losses, they’re now eight points behind Buffalo, Montreal, and Boston - albeit with a game in hand on the Canadiens and two on the Bruins.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. The Panthers have four games left before the Olympic break, three of them at home, starting Saturday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets.
“Urgency is high,” Reinhart said. “You’re going to need these, and these next couple of games are as important as ever.
It’s disappointing right now to let some points slip away. There’s nothing else to say about it, really.”
Up Next: Game 54 - Jets at Panthers
When: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
TV: Scripps Sports (WSFL 39 Miami/FTL, WHDT 9 WPB, LAFF 36.3 Naples/FTM)
Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
Radio: WQAM, WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach), WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys), SiriusXM
Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
Season Series: Florida leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Panthers won 2-1 in a shootout on Jan. 22 in Winnipeg
All-Time Series: Winnipeg/Atlanta leads 55-32-9, 5 ties
Next Game: Monday vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers don’t have time to dwell. With the playoff race tightening and the Olympic break looming, every shift, every point, every bounce matters. Saturday’s matchup with Winnipeg is more than just another game - it’s a chance to reset the tone and regain momentum.