On Wednesday night, the Florida Panthers, last year’s Eastern Conference runner-up, overcame a deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals 4-3 in overtime. Evan Rodrigues tied the game early in the third period, and Sam Reinhart sealed the victory just 15 seconds into overtime.
Contributions from defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and team captain Aleksander Barkov also bolstered the Panthers’ performance. Moreover, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, made 25 saves to aid his team’s success.
Despite missing key players such as defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, as well as recently injured center Sam Bennett, the Panthers have displayed strong defensive prowess this season.
Florida’s recent victory marks their third win in the last four games, highlighting their consistent improvement and determination on the ice.
Despite putting up a competitive performance, the Capitals concluded their five-game homestand with a defeat. Forward Anthony Mantha scored two goals, including a short-handed goal by Connor McMichael, while Aliaksei Protas contributed with two assists. However, the loss was compounded by Mantha’s distressing injury in the third period.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper faced challenges and allowed four goals on 25 shots, with one goal coming after a turnover by young defenseman Alexander Alexeyev. Additionally, star player Alex Ovechkin’s goal-scoring has been limited this season, as he is currently stuck on two goals.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will next face the Carolina Hurricanes in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Final on Friday, while the Capitals are set to play against the New Jersey Devils in the first half of a New York-area back-to-back.
