Florida Panthers hold off desperate Chicago Blackhawks with overtime win

The Florida Panthers knew they were going to face a desperate Chicago Blackhawks team on Tuesday. Chicago had lost its first three games to open the season and never led in any of those contests. The Panthers, anticipating a scrappy performance from the Blackhawks, knew they couldn’t get complacent.

They needed a third-period rally and a few minutes in overtime to avoid defeat.

After Florida gave up three consecutive goals between the end of the second quarter and the start of the third period, Patrick Hornqvist deflected a Keith Yandle slap shot from the blue line into the net to tie the game and force overtime. Frank Vatrano scored the game-winner with 2:10 left in the three-on-three overtime period to lead the Panthers to a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks at the BB&T Center to sweep the two-game home series to start the season. Florida won its season opener against Chicago 5-2 on Sunday and is now 2-0-0 on the season. Chicago is now 0-3-1.

“We fought back,” Vatrano said. “... We’re a relentless team and that’s a good identity to have.”

Carter Verhaeghe also scored two goals, and Hornqvist added another power play goal in the first period to round out scoring for the Panthers. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 33 shots that came his way in his first start of the season.

“Huge win,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. “We’ll take it.”

Top line production

It seemed like only a matter of time before the Panthers’ top line broke through on Tuesday. The trio of Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair were dominant over their first handful of shifts against the Blackhawks but their scoring chances fell flat.

But finally, with about six-and-a-half minutes left in the opening period, Verhaeghe took a feed from Barkov on a breakaway, drove toward the net and fired a backhanded shot past Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen for his first goal as a Panther.

Verhaeghe’s second goal, which he easily flicked into an open net that Lankinen left exposed after stuffing a Duclair scoring chance, gave Florida a 3-1 advantage before the Blackhawks scored back-to-back goals to tie the game heading into the third period.

“We complement each other well,” Verhaeghe said. “I’m playing with some of the best players in the world – it’s easy to play with them.”

Verhaeghe has three points through two games this season after recording an assist on Eetu Luostarinen’s game-winning goal on Sunday.

Barkov has three assists on the season, including the primary assist on Vatrano’s overtime goal. Duclair recorded two assists on Tuesday.

Shaky season debut for Bobrovsky

The Panthers were looking for Bobrovsky to be their “brick wall,” as Noel Acciari described him, as he made his first start of the season after struggling in his first year with Florida, a start that came after missing a week of what was an already short training camp because he was deemed “Unfit to Play,” the NHL’s catch-all term for those not available for practices and games in the age of COVID-19.

While Bobrovsky made a few big saves, he also gave up four goals for the 20th time in 51 games since joining the Panthers on a seven-year, $70 million deal prior to the 2019-2020 season.

“He needs to play,” Quenneville said. “He missed that part of camp. We expect him to improve off today’s game.”

The first two goals he gave up — both by Dominik Kubalik — came on the power play. Kubalik’s first goal came when a one-timer from the right circle deflected off defenseman Riley Stillman’s shoulder before going under Bobrovsky’s extended glove and into the net. The second was a slap shot from the right circle on a feed from Duncan Keith.

Kane, who Bobrovsky denied on a penalty shot attempt with 5:32 left in the second period, tied the game with a backhanded shot with 49.9 seconds left in the second. It was the first goal the Panthers gave up at 5-on-5 strength.

Philipp Kurashev then gave Chicago its first lead of the season with a wrist shot past defensemen Yandle and Radko Gudas with 13:54 left in regulation.

Yandle evened the game with his power play goal one minute and 11 seconds later, and Vatrano sealed the game in overtime.

“There were a couple mistakes here and there by me that I have to clean it up,” Bobrovsky said. “... The most important thing for me is the win. The boys stepped up and scored five goals. It’s two points for us.”

Lineup changes

In addition to Bobrovsky in net, the Panthers made a pair of changes from their Opening Night lineup.

Vinnie Hinostroza took Ryan Lomberg’s place as the team’s fourth line left winger alongside center Noel Acciari and right wing Brett Connolly. Also, Stillman replaced Gustav Forsling on the team’s second defensive pairing with Anton Stralman.

With Forsling a scratch, Stralman took reps on the Panthers’ second power-play unit with forwards Alex Wennberg, Vatrano, Verhaeghe and Duclair.

Another schedule change coming for the Panthers?

For the second time this season, a Panthers opponent is dealing with issues surrounding COVID-19 that could impact Florida’s schedule.

The NHL postponed the Carolina Hurricanes’ road game against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.” The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported the postponement was due to a “Covid situation with the Hurricanes.”

Five Hurricanes players were on the NHL’s COVID protocol-related absences list Tuesday: forwards Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jordan Staal and Teuvo Teravainen as well as defenseman Jaccob Slavin.

The Panthers are scheduled to head to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday for two games against the Hurricanes on Thursday and Saturday.

Florida’s first two games of the season against the Dallas Stars last week were postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak inside the Stars organization.