Behind Reinhart, Lundell, Barkov, Florida Panthers rally to beat Penguins in shootout
After dropping four of six games on the road over the past two weeks, and with the race for the top of the Atlantic Division so tight coming down the stretch of the regular season, the Florida Panthers knew they needed to start this homestand on a strong note.
Their effort Sunday wasn’t the prettiest early on, but the Panthers showed resiliency to overcome a two-goal deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena.
Sam Reinhart scored twice, Anton Lundell had the game-tying goal late in the third period and Aleksander Barkov scored the lone goal in the shootout to seal the comeback win.
With the win, Florida (43-25-3) maintains its spot at the top of the Atlantic Division with 11 games left to play.
“Every game is big,” Lundell said. “As we all know it’s tight in the standings. We want to get points and wins.”
Sunday was a good bounceback after Florida was trounced 6-3 at the Washington Capitals one night earlier. That game against Washington was one in which Florida struggled to contain the Capitals’ rush chances and found themselves in too deep of a hole to rally back.
After Florida initially took a 1-0 lead on a Reinhart snap shot 11:25 into the game, Pittsburgh (29-33-10) got a pair of goals from Bryan Rust to take a 2-1 lead after the first period. Evgeni Malkin added to the Penguins’ lead with a slap shot on the power play 6:51 into the second period to put Pittsburgh up 3-1.
“They come out so fast and their sticks are world class with some of the players that they have,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Back to backs are not easy in this league.”
The Panthers adjusted after falling into the two-goal deficit, getting back to their defensive-minded way and slowing down the Penguins’ attack.
And they capitalized on their chances down the stretch.
Reinhart got Florida within 3-2 with a power-play goal 9:25 into the second after he skated up ice, split two defenders and put the puck between Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry’s skate.
And then Lundell scored on a one-timer after a great pass from linemate Eetu Luostarinen with 5:31 left in regulation to tie the game and eventually force overtime.
“Our game just rounded, and we got better,” Maurice said. “And then you end up with the tying goal — a kind of very skilled play that you just don’t make unless you’re at the right level. Really, really happy with the way they they fought for it.”
After giving up 16 shots on goal in the first period, Florida held Pittsburgh to nine shots over the second and third periods combined and then just two more in the five-on-five overtime period.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 24 of 27 shots faced, then stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout — attempts by Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby and Rust — to back up Barkov’s shootout goal to seal the comeback.
“He was amazing once again,” Barkov said of Bobrovsky. “Every game, he just gives us a chance.”
Florida now has a rare block of time off before its next game, not playing again until it hosts the Utah Hockey Club on Friday (7 p.m., Scripps). That will be the start of a stretch of 11 games in 19 days to close out the regular season.
▪ Center Sam Bennett did not play the final 5:48 of regulation or any of the overtime period after taking a puck to the knee early in the third period. Maurice said Bennett had some bruising that made it tough for Bennett “to come out and skate the way you would need to at the end of that game” but does not expect the center to miss time.
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