Florida Panthers cap road trip with win over Red Wings to continue franchise-best start
The Florida Panthers’ mind set early this season has been well known.
“Let’s collect as many points as we can now,” defenseman Keith Yandle said, “and keep riding this.”
Consider Sunday’s road trip finale the latest success on that front as they continue the best start in franchise history.
Patric Hornqvist, Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe each scored goals and Chris Driedger stopped 32 of 34 shots to lead the Panthers to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings to sweep the back-to-back weekend series.
Florida won the first game 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.
The Panthers are now 5-0-1 on the season and remain one of two teams without a regulation loss along with the Washington Capitals.
They went 3-0-1 on their four-game road trip that featured two games apiece against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Red Wings.
“There’s a new vibe around here,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think the attitude’s fresh. A lot more enthusiasm. ... Obviously getting off to a good start certainly enhances that attitude but I still think that nobody’s taking anything for granted.”
A lot of close games
While Florida has racked up points in each of its first six games, it hasn’t come easy.
The Panthers have been a striking example of a trend early this season of games going beyond regulation.
Heading into Sunday, 36 of 126 NHL games — 28.6 percent — were decided in overtime or a shootout.
“We’re seeing an abnormal number of tie games around the league,” Quenneville said Saturday. “... The games are exciting. The games are on the line from start to finish.”
The Panthers know that first-hand. Four of their first five games this season — including the first three games of this road trip — were decided via an overtime goal or a shootout. Florida won three of those four contests, splitting a pair of shootouts in Columbus against the Blue Jackets and winning in the five-minute overtime period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the BB&T Center on Jan. 19 and against the Red Wings on Saturday.
In fact, Florida’s win on Sunday marked the first time the Panthers had a lead in the third period and won a game in regulation since their 5-2 Opening Night win against Chicago on Jan. 17.
“We don’t care if it’s overtime, shootouts or regulation,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “We want to win. We want to get two points.”
The new guys stepping up
The Panthers can credit a lot of their success on this road trip to the new players they acquired in the offseason.
Hornqvist and Verhaeghe lead the team with five goals apiece this year. Verhaeghe scored three goals over the four games. Hornqvist scored two and had the game-winner in Florida’s shootout win over Columbus on Tuesday.
Anthony Duclair has a team-leading six assists, including dishing a pass to Aleksi Heponiemi the led to the overtime win against Detroit on Saturday.
Driedger’s confidence rising
Through three games this year, Driedger has stopped 89 of 95 shots that have come his way for a .937 save percentage and was in net for both of the Panthers’ regulation wins.
“I feel good,” Driedger said. “Every game is a little more confidence in your back pocket. Obviously with wins comes more confidence, too. It’s been a good start for us.”
As Panthers figure out goaltending, backup Driedger making case for more playing time
Strong special teams
After giving up three power-play goals on five attempts in their two home games against Chicago to start the season, Florida gave up just one on 16 attempts — a 93.8 percent penalty kill efficiency — over the four road games.
They were 6 for 6 on the penalty kill in Tuesday’s shootout win over Columbus, 4 for 4 on Saturday against Detroit and 3 for 3 in Sunday’s road trip finale.
Meanwhile, the Panthers scored four power play goals on the road trip, all coming in their two games against Detroit.
“It basically won us the games,” Barkov said of the Panthers’ special teams work in Detroit.
Coming back home
The Panthers will play their next six games at the BB&T Center. The schedule includes a back-to-back with the Nashville predators on Thursday and Friday (both 7 p.m. starts), two games against Detroit on Sunday (3 p.m.) and Feb. 9 (7 p.m.) and a pair against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13 (both 7 p.m. starts).
