The Florida Panthers got exactly what they needed out of their quick trip up to Nashville.
They picked up two points in a game they can be happy with, and everyone came out the other side unscathed.
While the Cats may not have been at their best, which is understandable considering they were far from full strength, Florida did plenty of the little things right against the Predators.
The Panthers also received some crucial contributions from some of the youngest players on the roster.
Let’s get to Tuesday’s takeaways.
SOURDIF FIT RIGHT IN
American League call-up Justin Sourdif sure didn’t look like someone playing their first game of the season with the Panthers.
The third-year pro is enjoying his strongest season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and earned his spot as the next man up when Florida needed a forward.
Sourdif played just under 10 minutes for the Panthers, showing the dedication and tenacity in all three zones that shows he understands the assignment that comes with playing for Paul Maurice.
His hard work was rewarded with his first NHL goal, which game on a play that started with Sourdif defending behind Florida’s net.
He quickly transitioned when Niko Mikkola forced a turnover and got the puck back to Sourdif in the neutral zone.
A quick give-and-go with Jesper Boqvist later and Sourdif found himself at the top of the crease with the puck on his stick.
NHL (@NHL) on X FIRST NHL GOAL ALERT! 🚨 Congrats, Justin Sourdif! 😼
“He’s a more mature player, and that’s what you hope for for these young guys,” Maurice said. “He’s really had a good year in the American Hockey League, so now he’s playing the game. He looked really quick, make good decisions with the puck, great level of confidence and a great finish on the goal. But that’s what you’re hoping for, that’s for the value of your American League, and we got a really good program there in Charlotte. Geordie Kinnear and his staff do a fantastic job, so when they come up, the systems aren’t an issue anymore. They know exactly what they’re doing.”
LEFT SOME ON THE TABLE
First of all…yes, the Panthers did escape Nashville with an impressive 4-1 win.
That being said, the game did leave a bit to be desired.
The Panthers only got off 25 shots while having almost the same amount, 23, blocked.
Considering the final score, it’s the kind of night where it turns out to be okay that the Cats weren’t on the receiving end of any puckluck.
“I thought we played fast offensively,” Maurice said. “We got more shots blocked than I’d like, but they’re a good shot blocking team. There’s a whole lot of offense that we just didn’t get a handle on. It wasn’t a lack of compete or effort, we just had some strange bounces, because we were in alone a little bit, close to the net, and then I thought our readouts were really good, because we knocked a lot of pucks back on them when they were creating a rush.”
SOLID (K)NIGHT FOR SPENCER
There wasn’t anything particularly memorable about Tuesday’s win from the goaltending perspective.
Spencer Knight finished with 18 saves for the Panthers, seven of which were of the high danger variety, while earning his 12th victory of the season and third in as many starts.
Speaking about his goaltender after the game, Maurice made a comparison to Sergei Bobrovsky that indicates a growing confidence in the young netminder.
“We didn’t give them too many pucks that he’d have to worry about tonight, but that’s a hard game to play for a goaltender,” Maurice said. “I think we’ve talked about this in the past, about Sergei (Bobrovsky’s) veteran-ness, right? That he could sit 10 minutes without a shot or have a quiet night and be really strong in the last five minutes. So I think with Spencer, you’re just seeing the maturation of a goaltender, to be able to be able to play in the game where he’s not under a lot of duress, but then the pucks around the net are dangerous.”
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