Sam Bennett, Aleksander Barkov lift Panthers over Golden Knights

Sam Bennett scored two targets to carry the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 on Thursday evening.

Aleksander Barkov scored his 2 hundredth NHL purpose and five hundredth NHL level, and had an help, and Mason Marchment had an empty-net purpose. Spencer Knight made 24 saves for the Panthers, who improved to 22-3-0 at residence.

“These are the milestones you’re going to consider after the season, after the profession,” Barkov stated. “I’m joyful to get it out of the best way. We (held) our sport collectively and performed a very tight sport. If we gave them something, (Knight) was there.”

Zach Whitecloud had the lone purpose for Vegas, which had a three-game level streak come to an finish. Robin Lehner stopped 28 pictures.

“I assumed we did a very good job of producing alternatives,” Whitecloud stated. “They do a very good job of getting you in your personal finish and making you defend. We had some beauty, they simply didn’t go in.”

Whitecloud gave Vegas a 1-0 lead when he fired the puck from the suitable circle over Knight’s proper shoulder at 7:51 of the primary.

Barkov tied the rating at 1 on his shorthanded purpose, a shot from the suitable circle that bought previous Lehner.

Bennett put the Panthers forward 2-1 with a wrister from above the left circle that bounced off Lehner’s shoulder and into the online 1:18 into the second.

“That’s a very good crew,” Bennett stated. “They play onerous, playoff-style hockey. I believe we matched them nicely tonight and it was a strong 60-minute effort from our crew.”

Marchment added an empty-net purpose with 53.9 seconds left to make the rating 3-1, and Bennett’s second purpose got here with an empty internet with 28.3 left to stretch the result in 4-1. The purpose was the twentieth this season for Bennett, a profession excessive.

“I noticed plenty of effort and somewhat little bit of an absence of execution,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer stated. “We had been simply off somewhat bit.”

NOTES: Panthers D Gustav Forsling performed his 2 hundredth NHL sport. … F Maxim Mamin was a late scratch and is day-to-day, in response to Panthers coach Andrew Brunette…Vegas F Max Pacioretty performed his first sport since Dec. twenty eighth after to wrist surgical procedure. … RW Reilly Smith returned after lacking two video games as a result of NHL COVID-19 protocol, after showing within the first 41 video games.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: Go to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Panthers: Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.