Panthers Close Out Road Trip in Style, Power Past Blackhawks 5-1
The Florida Panthers wrapped up their three-game road swing with authority, riding a four-goal third period to a commanding 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. It was the kind of complete effort that speaks to the depth and resilience of a team eyeing a serious playoff push.
Björnfot Breaks Through - Twice
Tobias Björnfot picked a perfect night to break his scoring drought - and then some. The 22-year-old defenseman not only notched his first goal since 2021, but added a second late in the third for the first multi-goal game of his NHL career.
His opening tally came with just under five minutes left in the second period, when he jumped on a clean offensive zone faceoff win by Cole Schwindt, circled the net, and beat former Panther Spencer Knight on a wrap-around. That goal also marked Björnfot’s first point in a Panthers sweater.
He wasn’t done. With the game winding down and Knight back in net after being pulled for an extra attacker, Björnfot joined the rush and ripped a shot over the blocker to cap off his breakout night. Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell picked up the assists, with Lundell collecting his 21st apple of the season.
Blackhawks Briefly Answer, But Panthers Take Over
Chicago managed to even things up before the second intermission. With just 30 seconds left in the period, Wyatt Kaiser made a strong play to keep the puck in at the blue line, then found Ilya Mikheyev cross-ice. Mikheyev fed Tyler Bertuzzi in front, who went backhand-to-forehand to beat Daniil Tarasov and tie the game 1-1.
But Florida came out flying in the third and never looked back.
Mackie Samoskevich ended an 18-game scoring drought in style, picking up a loose puck off a Gustav Forsling dump-in and skating into the right circle before firing a shot that trickled through Knight. It wasn’t the prettiest goal, but it counted all the same - and stood up as the game-winner.
Verhaeghe added to the lead just over two minutes later, taking a short feed from Evan Rodrigues and ripping a wrister past Knight. Forsling earned the secondary assist, his second of the night, after starting the play with a clean breakout pass.
Sam Reinhart would seal it with an empty-netter from center ice at 18:11, his team-leading 26th goal of the season. That marker also pushed him to the 50-point mark - the first Panther to hit the milestone this year. Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen picked up the assists.
Tarasov Stays Hot in Net
While the Panthers’ offense stole the show in the third, Daniil Tarasov quietly continued his strong run between the pipes. The netminder turned away 19 of 20 shots to earn his fourth consecutive win. Over that stretch, he’s posted a sparkling .944 save percentage and a 1.22 goals-against average - numbers that speak for themselves.
Verhaeghe Keeps Climbing
Verhaeghe’s third-period snipe was his 15th goal of the season, and the assist on Björnfot’s second goal gave him a team-leading 25 on the year. He’s now the fourth Panther to reach the 40-point plateau - a testament to his consistent production on both ends of the ice.
What’s Next
This win pulls Florida to within three points of the Boston Bruins for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. With momentum building and contributions coming from all over the lineup, the Cats are starting to look like a team no one wants to face down the stretch.
They’ll return home for a Tuesday night tilt against the Utah Mammoth - and if this road trip was any indication, they’re bringing more than just their luggage back to Sunrise.