Florida Panthers middle Eric Staal (12) goes for the puck towards Pittsburgh Penguins middle Ryan Poehling (25) and proper wing Josh Archibald (15) through the first interval of an NHL hockey recreation, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
AP
On an evening once they had been taking part in shorthanded towards one of many hottest groups within the league, the Florida Panthers knew they wanted a top-notch effort to return away with a win on Thursday.
The effort was there, particularly contemplating they solely had 11 forwards and had been with out Matthew Tkachuk, who was scratched as a result of an sickness.
The remaining end result they wished was not in a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at FLA Live Arena. Florida falls to 14-13-4. The Penguins enhance to 18-8-4 and have now picked up a minimum of one level in eight consecutive video games.
Look to particular groups because the crux of Florida’s demise on Thursday.
Each of Pittsburgh’s three objectives towards Sergei Bobrovsky got here on particular groups. Kris Letang tied the sport at 1-1 4:17 into the second interval with a shorthanded objective earlier than Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin added power-play objectives to go up 3-1. Both power-play objectives had been redirected, with Guentzel’s objective entering into after a Malkin shot bounced off his skate with 7:18 left within the second interval and Malkin’s taking a Sidney Crosby slap shot off his proper knee that went into the web with 11:55 left to play.
Bobrovsky went an ideal 30 for 30 when the groups had been at full energy and stopped 35 of 38 photographs he confronted general.
The Panthers lower their deficit to at least one on a Sam Reinhart one-timer from the left circle with 9:46 left in regulation however would get no nearer. Guentzel sealed the sport with an empty-net objective with 1:18 remaining in regulation.
Ryan Lomberg opened scoring 5:30 into the sport by amassing a rebound from an Eric Staal shot try and pushing the puck previous Tristan Jarry, who stopped 32 of 34 photographs he confronted. Pittsburgh then scored three consecutive objectives to go forward for good.
And the highway isn’t getting simpler for the Panthers. Their subsequent three video games are towards division leaders. It begins with a two-game highway journey towards the Metropolitan Division-leading New Jersey Devils on Saturday and Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins on Monday earlier than dealing with the Devils once more on Wednesday at FLA Live Arena. Florida then faces the New York Islanders on the highway on Dec. 23 earlier than a five-day break.
