Panthers defeat Kings in OT Thriller, Extend Win Streak to Nine

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers were back at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night to deliver another Cardiac Cats worthy performance in their 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings.

Matthew Tkachuk tied the game late to force overtime and Sam Reinhart won it with 0.7 seconds remaining. 

The Panthers extended their season best win streak to nine straight with the victory.

Here’s some takeaways from the game. 

Sam Bennett gets eighth goal of the season

Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk have been having a ball as of late in the points department. 

Entering Thursday’s matchup against the Kings,  Tkachuk had 13 points in his last five games, while Verhaeghe had 10 points.

The third member of that Florida second line, Sam Bennett, had less of an offensive impact over that span with four points.

With the Panthers trailing 1-0 against the Kings, Bennett would tie the game with his eighth goal of the season 10:58 into the second. 

As Florida’s power play winded down, Bennett led the rush through the neural zone, drove the net and deflated in Eetu Luostarinen’s pass to get the Panthers on the board. 

Bennett has 15 points in 29 games this season.

Tkachuk saves the day

We’ve already highlighted the great stretch Matthew Tkachuk has had over the last few contests. 

He did it again on Thursday.

Down one, goalie pulled, Florida needed a goal. Tkachuk delivered. 

With 2:18 left in the third, Carter Verheaghe fired a shot near the right circle and Tkachuk got a stick on it to deflect the puck up and over Cam Talbot –tying the game at 2-2.

“[We] just try to throw everything at the net and get people to the net,” Tkachuk said when recalling the goal. “Luckily it hit off my stick.”

Tkachuk extended his point streak to seven and goal streak to five on Thursday. Verhaeghe also extended his point streak to seven.  

Sam Reinhart hits 30 goals, scores last-second OT winner 

Florida clawed back to tie the game with 2:18 left in the third period to force over time.

In the extra frame, the Panthers got a glorious opportunity —  they’d go to the power play with 1:23 remaining after Adrian Kempe cross-checked Brandon Montour. 

On the 4-on-3 power play, Florida wasn’t generating a whole lot of offense, getting just one shot on goal on the power play until the final seconds. 

With the clock running down, LA cleared the zone one final time. With just a few seconds remaining, it seemed as if this game was going to a shootout. 

The Florida crowd urged the Panthers to make one final push — and they did. 

After entering the zone with less than ten seconds to go , Aleksander Barkov hit Sam Reinhart in front of the Kings’ net. 

Reinhart wired a backhand shot top shelf over Cam Talbot, beating the clock with just 0.7 seconds remaining to win the game, and get his 30th goal of the season. 

“It’s going well for us. We’re really in the moment, taking it day by day,” Reinhart said. “This was a really tough test… I liked our battle, I liked our compete.”

After tonight’s contest, Reinhart has scored 30 goals, 53 points in 41 games. He’s on pace for 60 and 106. 

Panthers notes

Florida is back at home on Saturday, Jan. 13 against the New Jersey Devils

Sam Reinhart is second in the NHL with 30 goals

Sergei Bobrovsky won his 21st game of the season.