Reinhart scores OT winner in final second. Takeaways from Panthers’ ninth-straight win
Sam Reinhart didn’t have much time left as the Florida Panthers started their final rush down the ice in overtime on Thursday.
Nine. Eight. Seven.
Reinhart crossed into the offensive zone, passed the puck to Aleksander Barkov and set up to the right of the Los Angeles Kings’ net.
Six. Five. Four. Three.
Barkov, in the high slot, sent a pass to Reinhart, who had one final chance to end the game.
Two. One.
Reinhart, with a flick of his wrists, lifted the puck past the Kings’ Cam Talbot with 0.7 seconds left.
Final score: Panthers 3, Kings 2.
“Time was running out,” Reinhart said. “Just tried to take it to the net as quick as possible.”
It was the cardiac-filled final moment that capped a thrilling comeback and extended Florida’s win streak to a season-long nine games and puts them at 27-12-2 at the halfway mark of the regular season.
It was also just the latest big moment for Reinhart in a dominant first half of the season.
Reinhart’s goal was his 30th of the season through 41 games. Half of those goals have come on the power play. Nine of those goals have been game winners.
“He’s been doing it for so long,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “His shot placement’s so good.”
But before Reinhart could seal the game, Matthew Tkachuk tied it at 2-2 with 2:18 left in regulation, shortly after the Panthers pulled Sergei Bobrovsky from the net for an extra attacker.
It was Tkachuk’s seventh goal over the past five games.
“Just try to throw everything at the net and get people at the net,” Tkachuk said. “Luckily it hit off my stick. There were a few close tips throughout the game for me, so I’m just happy that one went in.”
The Kings (20-10-8) had a 2-1 lead after two periods, scoring on a Trevor Moore wrist shot in the first period that beat Sergei Bobrovsky up high and a Drew Doughty power-play goal with 21 seconds left in the second period on a shot from the point got through traffic.
Sam Bennett scored Florida’s first goal, deflecting in a wide-angled shot from Eetu Luostarinen 10:58 into the second period to tie the game at 1-1.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Another big effort from Sergei Bobrovsky
While the late heroics get the limelight, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was once again stellar in net.
Bobrovsky stopped 31 of 33 shots he faced, including all nine in the third period and the one that came his way in overtime, for his seventh consecutive win. Over these seven games, Bobrovsky has a .923 save percentage (181 saves on 196 shots on goal) and has held opponents to two goals or fewer in five of the seven games.
Bobrovsky was also credited with the secondary assist on Reinhart’s overtime game-winner.
A rare overtime overtime game
Thursday marked just the fifth time this season and the first since Nov. 28 that the Panthers played past regulation.
Florida has won three of its games that have gone to overtime: Nov. 6 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nov. 8 at the Washington Capitals and Thursday. The Panthers lost in overtime to the Boston Bruins on Oct. 30 and lost in a shootout to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 28.
The homestand continues
The Panthers have four more games at home over the next eight days.
Next up are the New Jersey Devils at 6 p.m. Saturday followed by games against the Anaheim Ducks at 1 p.m. Monday, Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Minnesota Wild at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19.
