Panthers Snapped a Two Game Losing Streak

The Florida Panthers got back into the win column Tuesday night, riding a two-goal performance from Sam Bennett to a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida snapped a two-game losing streak while continuing its recent dominance against Columbus, earning its 12th victory in the last 13 meetings between the teams.

Bennett scored twice, while Lars Eller and Sam Reinhart also found the back of the net. Aaron Ekblad contributed three assists, and Anton Lundell added two helpers as Florida received contributions throughout its lineup. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 37 shots to help the Panthers secure the victory, while Cam Talbot made 24 saves for Columbus.

Panthers Take Control in Second Period

After a scoreless opening period, Bennett opened the scoring just two minutes into the second period, converting a power-play opportunity off the rush to give Florida a 1-0 advantage. The goal continued the Panthers’ strong performance with the man advantage, marking their seventh game with a power-play goal in their last eight contests.

Eller extended Florida’s lead to 2-0 at the 4:17 mark, putting the Panthers in control. However, Columbus managed to respond late in the period when Ivan Provorov scored with just 20 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 2-1 heading into the third. The Blue Jackets have struggled significantly in the middle period this season, having been outscored 23-8 through their first 16 games.

Bennett Delivers Again as Florida Pulls Away

Bennett provided some breathing room for Florida in the third period, scoring his second goal of the night at 14:29 to restore the Panthers two goal advantage. Matthew Tkachuk picked up an assist on the play, extending his team leading assist total to 23 and continuing both his assist and point streaks to five consecutive games.

Reinhart put the finishing touches on the victory with an empty-net goal at 17:44. It was his 17th goal of the season and his 43rd career point in 32 games against Columbus. Markstrom was instrumental in preserving the lead, finishing with 37 saves as Florida improved to 6-0-0 this season when leading after two periods. Columbus, meanwhile, continued to struggle when playing from behind. The Blue Jackets fell to 0-9-0 when trailing after two periods.

Up Coming NHL Games for Panthers and Blue Jackets

The Panthers will look to build on Tuesday night’s victory when they return home to host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. The Blue Jackets will also be back in action Thursday, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning as they look to get back on track.