In a thrilling turn of events, Sam Reinhart's dramatic goal with just 0.7 seconds on the clock in overtime secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory for the Florida Panthers over the stumbling Los Angeles Kings. The win yesterday night marked the Panthers’ ninth consecutive triumph, etching the streak as the third-longest in the history of the franchise, as reported by Local 10.
Clawing back from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 goals, Florida showcased resilience, with Matthew Tkachuk delivering a late equalizer that forced the game into overtime, setting the stage for Reinhart's last gasp heroics, while Sergei Bobrovsky fended off 31 shots plus chipping in with an assist on the winning goal, as seen in ESPN. “This was a really tough test tonight, I liked our battle, I liked our compete... It was a fun one to play,” Reinhart told Local 10, reflecting on the intense contest that saw the Panthers rally from behind twice in the game.
The Kings, on their part, are dealing with a frustrating winless streak having notched up 0-3-4 in their last seven outings, squandering third-period leads in their last three games, a fact not lost on coach Todd McLellan who expressed concern about the team's ability to channel frustration productively, as added by Local 10. With the loss still fresh, Kings' defenseman Drew Doughty managed to notch his first goal since December, a fact that ultimately was overshadowed by the night's defeat and Florida's stirring comeback.
As the overtime clash peaked, Florida capitalized on a critical power play with less than two minutes to go after Kings' Adrian Kempe was penalized for cross-checking; although Los Angeles killed off the bulk of the ensuing penalty, Reinhart snatched the win by slinging the puck over Cam Talbot’s shoulder to notch his 30th goal of the season according to ESPN, Reinhart's effort not only kept the Panthers' streak alive but also established him as the second player in the NHL to hit the 30-goal mark this season, trailing Toronto's Auston Matthews.
"He's amazing,” Tkachuk said of Reinhart. “Just a huge goal," he told ESPN, offering praise for his teammate whose clutch performance clinched the nail-biter for the Panthers and disappointed the Kings, who now must regroup and find a way to reverse their slide as they continue through the season.
