The Florida Panthers are playing the rest of the season with high stakes as the team chases the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jonne Niemeläinen,
STT Sports
The Florida Panthers in the ice hockey NHL Anton Lundell scored his team’s opening goal as the Panthers claimed an important 3–2 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lundell’s goal came at the end of the first minute of the game Eetu Luostarinen input.
Luostarinen grabbed the puck in front of the Toronto goal and passed to Lundell, who shot accurately for his tenth goal of the season.
In a last-minute twist at the end of the third period Sam Reinhart tied the game for Florida and took the game to overtime where Brandon Montour decided the match for Florida captain Alexander Barkov input. Montour and Barkov, who sailed through the entire field, were able to attack two against one.
– Barkov didn’t have much space to pass me. He is indeed one of the best in the world and he cheats others in big chances, Montour praised the Finnish star who started the winning goal.
The final result of the match was close, because in the second period, Toronto’s Swedish striker Calle Järnkrokin the goal scored was disallowed after a challenge from the coach.
Florida captain Barkov praised the goalkeeper after the game To Alex Lyon, who saved only his eighth NHL game of the season. The 30-year-old Lyon recorded 38/40 saves.
– He saved a penalty shot and made a couple of huge saves in overtime. He’s the kind of guy who brings joy to the dressing room. Everyone wants to play well in front of him. I do think that we could have played better today, but Alex did the job, Barkov praised Lyon, who was chosen as the second star of the match.
The win moved Florida to within a point of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. The Panthers now have seven games left to make the playoffs. The final playoff spot in the conference is held by Pittsburgh, who have one game less played than Florida.
– We all know what the table looks like. We have nothing to lose, so we shouldn’t fear anything or be nervous, Lyon, who appeared in 23 games in the AHL this season, said.
Florida’s playoff hunt continues on the night between Thursday and Friday when the Panthers face the Canadiens in Montreal.
Rantanen is very cold
Mikko Rantanen starred Colorado Avalanche experienced a stinging 2-4 home loss to the Minnesota Wild in the top match of the central division. With the win, the Wild held onto the division win more strongly, as the team is now three points away from second place Colorado.
Colorado took the lead in the third period and tried to even the game in the last minute with superiority without a goalkeeper, but the Wild scored on empty goals 4–2.
Rantanen (-3), who is two goals away from the 50 goal mark, was left without power points in the match. No Finnish player has been able to break the 50-goal mark in the NHL in the 2000s.
Minnesota is also fighting for the victory in the Western Conference, as the top team Vegas is only one point away.
See the NHL tables via this link (Teksti-TV).
The results of the NHL round:
Washington–NY Islanders vl 1–2
Toronto to Florida and 2–3 FLA: Lundell 1+0, Luostarinen 0+1, Barkov 0+1
Colorado–Minnesota 2–4