Panthers extend win streak to 11, score twice in 8 seconds
It’s no longer a matter if the Florida Panthers will win, as they extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. It’s how they’ll win; and against the Senators on Thursday night the answer was “score two goals in eight seconds.”
Reilly Smith scored at 12:01 of the first period, on a long shot from the right side that beat Craig Anderson. That came right after a big save from Roberto Luongo on Kyle Turris.
Then at 12:09, Vincent Trocheck turned a Fredrik Claesson turnover into a quick shot from the slot that beat Anderson for the 2-0 lead.
The Panthers have scored the first goal in 26 of their 42 games, going 21-3-2.
It wasn’t a team record, however: The NHL noted that Viktor Kozlov scored two goals in seven seconds back in 2004.
Ottawa got back into it with a Max McCormick goal at 5:38 of the second period, but Sasha Barkov scored from Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau at 7:30 of the third period to get it back. Milan Michalek made it 2-1 at 9:54 of the third.
But then it was the Roberto Luongo show, as it was all night.
Luongo made 30 saves, many of them impressive as the Senators doubled up the Panthers on shots, 32-16. He stopped 11 shots in the third period – the Panthers have only allowed 30 goals in the third, tied for third-fewest in the NHL this season.
Defense remains the story of the streak. In their 11 wins, the Panthers have only allowed 14 goals.
The Panthers are now 17-3-0 since Nov. 27. Luongo extended his career-best winning streak to nine straight. The Panthers tied a franchise record with their fifth straight road win.
“The road has been good to us. We keep our game simple and the guys have been focused on the game,” said coach Gerard Gallant earlier this week.
What a ride for the Panthers, who move five points up on the idle Montreal.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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