FLORIDA PANTHERS vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
MARCH 15, 2021
BB&T Center – Sunrise, Fla.
| FLORIDA PANTHERS | CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS |
| 6 | 3 |
- For the first time in more than 24 years, the Panthers occupy first place in the NHL standings beyond their second game of the season. The last such instance before Monday was through games played Dec. 28, 1996 (20-8-9, 49 points).
- Florida overcame 1-0 and 3-1 deficits to win their fourth straight game, their longest win streak of the season. The Panthers now have five multi-goal comeback victories, which ranks tied with WPG for the most among NHL teams this season.
- The Panthers improved to 19-5-4 and 9-3-3 at BB&T Center, and own the fewest regulation losses among all NHL teams. They have earned at least one point (3-0-2) in each of their past five games at home.
- Florida did not allow a goal on the penalty kill (8-8) over their two games vs. CHI.
- Aaron Ekblad tallied his seventh power-play goal, and 10th overall goal of the season. He has produced at least 10 goals in a season six times in his seven-season career. Only Jay Bouwmeester (3x) has recorded multiple 10-goal campaigns as a defenseman with the club.
- Ekblad is the fastest Panthers defenseman (28 games played) to reach 10 goals in a season in franchise history.
- Aleksander Barkov recorded his second consecutive three-point (1-2-3) performance, including Florida’s first shorthanded goal of the season.
- Barkov has produced six points (3-3-6) over his past two contests and four goals over his past three games. He won 12 of his 17 faceoffs (71%) tonight.
- Barkov played in his 507th NHL game, surpassing Bill Lindsay for 10th-most games played in franchise history.
- Playing in his 200th NHL game, MacKenzie Weegar notched an assist to extend his point streak to five games (1-6-7). Weegar is the 20th defenseman to play at least 200 games with the club.
- Sergei Bobrovsky earned his sixth consecutive win (his longest win streak with Florida), and did not allow a CHI power-play goal over the past two games. He has not lost in regulation over his past eight starts (7-0-1).
- Gustav Forsling tallied his first goal as a Panther and added an assist (1-1-2). He has produced four points (1-3-4) over his past four games.
- Carter Verhaeghe notched two points (1-1-2), extending his point streak to four games (3-3-6). He leads the Panthers with 11 even-strength goals.
- Owen Tippett scored a goal, extending his point streak to a career-long four games (3-1-4).
- Jonathan Huberdeau produced two assists (0-2-2). He leads FLA with 11 multi-point outings this season.
- Alex Wennberg recorded two points (1-1-2) and led FLA with two blocked shots (tied – Forsling).
- Florida scored two power-play goals for eighth time this season. The Panthers out-shot CHI 36-29 and won 40 of 65 faceoffs (62%).
- 11 different Panthers registered at least one point, and five Panthers produced at least two.
PANTHERS POSTGAME QUOTES – MARCH 15, 2021
Head Coach Joel Quenneville
“He’s [forward Aleksander Barkov] been outstanding in every way, in all situations…He’s having a tremendous year, and his line has been dominating.”
“They had a lot of energy tonight, they were into it…Very noticeable that the guys are finding ways to win, that’s an important thing.”
“I thought we did a great job denying lanes and seam passes (on the penalty kill). We had some clears tonight that were effective, getting in the shooting lanes and Bob [goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky] had some tight plays that he cleaned up and anticipated as well.”
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad
“Pretty much every shift, guys are left with their jaws hanging on the floor… He’s [forward Aleksander Barkov] a role model for all of us, day in and day out.”
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and we know that. We’re going to take a few days here to rest, recuperate and get ready for the next one.”
“Our PK (penalty kill) was rolling, we’re taking pride in it. Every team we jump over the boards we’re a little more excited to be out there and make a difference and change momentum on the PK.”
“We’re just going to take it day by day, go into the next game and try and win it. That’s going to be the mentality that we need to have and not worry about anything else.”
Forward Aleksander Barkov
“All I want to do is work hard for this team and give everything I have on the ice. I want to win and we’ve been winning, so this is a lot of fun.”
“We’ve been winning games, playing really well, really good hockey. Everyone is having fun on the ice and that’s when everyone starts to notice you. Half of the season right now, we’re in a good spot so we’ve just got to keep playing and keep building our game.”
Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar
“I think we’re just a different team this year. We’ve got a veteran presence in the room, we’ve matured a lot…We’ve taken a big step as a team, not losing two in a row, keeping it rolling and keeping things positive, keeping it light around the room.”
“We’re getting lots of wins here and it’s fun to be in South Florida.”
“I love playing with Barky [forward Aleksander Barkov]. I completely agree with Bob [goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky], I think he’s the best player in the world. To watch him every single night give it his all, really leading by example every night and is work ethic, it’s really inspiring.”
