Five Takeaways from Panthers Win over Blue Jackets

Well the Panthers didn’t let last night’s 7-1 win against Dallas slow them down tonight against Columbus. 

Florida opened the scoring under a minute into the game and they didn’t look back, defeating the Blue Jackets 9-2 to end the home stand. 

Here’s tonight’s five takeaways. 

Transition game 

There’s a reason why Florida has the number one scoring offense off the rush in the NHL this season. 

The team doesn’t slow down. If they lose the puck they immediately track it down with their forecheck or back check and they take it away. 

Tonight against Columbus they did just that. All four forward lines and the defensemen were looking to head-man the puck, catch the Blue Jackets in transition and fire the puck towards goal. 

Not even talking about the multiple goals scored off the rush, every few seconds Florida had an odd-man rush or a dangerous transition opportunity tonight. 

NHL All-Star Jonathan Huberdeau 

Yes, that’s the takeaway, Jonathan Huberdeau. Another multi-point night for Huberdeau extended his point streak to eight games. It also moved him to the top of the NHL’s scoring list, he’s tied with a few players at NO.1. 

#Huby4Hart 

Goals, Goals, Goals and More Goals

It’s simple, score lots of goals and you’ll probably win games. Tonight’s nine goal performance by Florida was undeniably dominating. 

Columbus ruined Sergei Bobrovsky’s chance of a shutout with a power play goal, so what did Sam Bennett do? He scored immediately after. 

Fans at FLA Live Arena were chanting “We want 10”, after the ninth goal you could really hear the arena erupt after every opportunity that could have led to the tenth goal.

This team can score and they aren’t afraid to show it. In the last two games, Florida has 16 goals. 

Columbus couldn’t hang with the Cats 

Last time the Blue Jackets took the ice they thrashed Carolina 6-0. The Hurricanes are one of the top teams in the league; Columbus was not a team that should’ve been overlooked in tonight’s matchup. 

Unfortunately for Columbus, they were no match for the Panthers tonight. Florida started their scoring barrage just 46 seconds into the game when Carter Verhaeghe put the puck past Elvis Merzlikins. Anthony Duclair joined him, getting his team high 16th goal of the season 2:07 into the period. 

Florida put four past Merzlikins before he was pulled. Florida also chased Dallas’ Jake Oettinger last night. 

Joonas Korpisalo came in for relief, but it wasn’t really relieving has he gave up five goals himself after he went into the net.

The Blue Jackets got a few goals past Bobrovsky but it was more of a consolation prize at that point.

The Puck Movement was Beautiful 

Watching the Panthers enter the zone and make four to five passes almost instantaneously is beautiful. Tonight was like many nights with the teamwork by the ice cats. 

Florida had so much sustained offensive-zone time, due in large part to the fast but simple puck movement. This went hand-in-hand with the transition play. The defenseman took the puck away, they immediately moved it to the breaking forwards and the Panthers were in the opposing zone within seconds. 

This team is unselfish and it’s working, they are scoring five plus goals every night, or in tonight’s case, nine.