Panthers finally solve Predators goalie as Florida gets a shutout victory vs. Nashville

If Juuse Saros made that save, the Florida Panthers might’ve walked off the ice.

The host Florida Panthers beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 on Saturday afternoon. And yes, there was an empty-net goal by Anthony Duclair with 15 seconds left.

But this game came down to the captain, Aleksander Barkov, finally getting a shot past Predators goalie Juuse Saros with 10:45 left in the second period.

Saros had beaten the Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night, making 40 saves. He was just as good or better on Saturday, stopping 47 shots to tie a career high, including 22 in the first period.

“Saros is an aggressive goalie coming out to the top of his crease,” Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle told Fox Sports Florida after the first period. “If we can keep him in his crease, shoot pucks and get screens, that’s the best way to beat any goalie.”

As it turned out, the way to beat Saros was to get him on his back.

On the Barkov goal, Duclair flicked a centering pass that was bobbled. As Barkov worked on gathering the puck, Saros ran into a teammate and tripped, falling with his back to the action.

It was then that Barkov lifted a backhander that almost missed, hitting the crossbar … dancing along the iron … and finally — mercifully for the Panthers — dropping into the net.

Barkov, who has five goals in his past nine games, didn’t much care how it went in … as long as it crossed the line.

“We didn’t play our best game last game, so we wanted to go even harder, and that’s what we did,” Barkov said. “Almost 50 shots on goal — we could’ve scored more, but their goalie was good.”

Saros being merely “good” was an understatement as the Panthers had 76 shot attempts to just 42 for Nashville.

The Panthers went 0-for-5 on their power play, another indication of Saros’ brilliance.

Saros, who fell one save short of his career high, stopped a pair of breakaways — by Alex Wennberg in the second period and by Barkov in the third.

Panthers goalie Chris Driedger, who had 21 saves, was solid. He earned his second career shutout and his first since his Panthers debut on Nov. 30, 2019.

Ironically, that first shutout was also against Nashville.

Driedger’s best stop came with 17:13 left in the second, stoning Nick Cousins with a dramatic glove save that left the goalie flat on his back.

“I usually try to be more technical than that,” Driedger said with a laugh. “There was not a lot of technique going into that save.

“I was a bit late coming across on the two-on-one, and sometimes you have to ‘sell the farm.’ Fortunately, I got a piece.”

Driedger was relieved to get the win, considering how well Saros played.

“Those games when the other goalie is putting on a show can get a little dicey,” Driedger said. “You have to make sure you are sharp. One mistake, and it’s overtime.”

Duclair, who had an assist to go with his empty-net goal, gave credit to his linemates, Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe.

“Anytime you reunite with those two guys, you get a little extra step,” Duclair said. “You just put the puck in the area for ‘Barky’, and he will figure out the rest. [That was a] great skill play by him.”

Next up, the Panthers visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday afternoon. The two Florida franchises are battling for first place in the Central Division, and both have to be considered among a handful of Stanley Cup favorites at this juncture.

Duclair said the Panthers’ chemistry should not be discounted.

“With COVID [protocols], we’re spending way more time together,” Duclair said. “On the road, we’re stuck in the hotel, but we’re bonding as a team. This is probably the tightest team I’ve ever played on.”

This story was originally published March 20, 2021 at 6:08 PM.