Panthers level series with 5-1 win

(Sunrise) The Florida Panthers honored their title as the most productive offense in the regular season and crushed the Washington Capitals 5-1 on Thursday to tie the game 1-1 in their first-round series in the NHL.

Posted at 10:36 p.m.

Florida, which averaged 4.11 goals per game in the regular season and won the Presidents’ Trophy, was limited to two wins in a 4-2 loss on Tuesday.

Much of the Panthers’ success this season has been due to the production of its mainstays Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov who were shut out in the series opener. The two sidekicks have not been cleared in two consecutive duels this season.

They bounced back in the second clash. Huberdeau stood out with an assist while Barkov had a goal and an assist.

Vitek Vanecek stopped 13 shots in two periods before giving up for the third period. In relief, Ilya Samsonov, who had as many starts (39) this season as Vanecek, was perfect on 17 shots.

In the win, Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.

The clubs will head to Washington for the next two games in the series. They will resume the collar on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers only needed two periods

The Panthers opened the scoring late in the first period when Aaron Ekblad’s shot deflected off Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary and went over Vanecek’s shield.

Moments later, Anthony Duclair and Huberdeau — thanks to two superb fakes from the latter — set up Barkov’s net to double the Panthers’ lead.

Early in the middle frame, the Capitals cut the lead in half when Nicklas Backstrom surprised Bobrovsky with a shot from a tight angle.

Mason Marchment restored the Panthers’ two-goal lead 27 seconds after Backstrom’s goal with a shot that went through Vanecek’s pads.

The Panthers then gave themselves a serious option on the meeting with two goals at the end of the second period.

Sam Reinhart received a pass from Anton Lundell in front of the net and instantly handed it over to him. The rookie pushed the puck into a gaping cage.

Carter Verhaeghe, who had an assist on Lundell’s goal, made it 5-1 with a wrist shot from the top of the slot.


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