Matthew Tkachuk scores twice as Panthers crush Coyotes

Field Level Media|published: Wed 24th January, 22:07 2024

Jan 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save as Arizona Coyotes center Alexander Kerfoot (15) closes in during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. credits: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, and Carter Verhaeghe dished three assists as the host Florida Panthers defeated the Arizona Coyotes 6-2 on Wednesday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Defenseman Gustav Forsling, who missed one game for the birth of his son, returned and had two assists.

Panthers winger Sam Reinhart scored his 35th goal of the season. He entered the game second in the league in goals, trailing only Auston Matthews (38).

Reinhart extended his points streak to 11 games and has 12 goals and four assists during that span. Reinhart has 17 goals over his past 15 contests.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (22-10-2) made 31 saves to snap his personal three-game losing streak. Bobrovsky, who had allowed 10 goals in his previous three games, ranks first in the Eastern Conference in wins.

Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich also scored for Florida.

Tkachuk has 15 goals this season, which ranks third on the team behind Reinhart and Verhaeghe (24). Tkachuk has just two multi-goal games this season. Last season, when he scored 40 times, he had seven multi-goal games.

The Panthers got good news before the game as center/captain Aleksander Barkov returned after missing the previous three games due to a lower-body injury.

Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka allowed the six goals on a rough night for Arizona, which had its two-game win streak snapped. Vejmelka made 38 saves.

Arizona, which went 1-for-7 on its power play, managed a third-period goal by Dylan Guenther. The Coyotes trailed 6-0 before his goal. Guenther then added an assist on a goal by rookie Logan Cooley.

The first period featured two fights and three goals as Tkachuk, Reinhart and Bennett scored.

Tkachuk scored his second of the game at 4:14 of the second period and Lundell added a goal at 18:17 to push the lead to 5-0.

Gadjovich's goal — just his fifth in 98 NHL games and his first with Florida — gave the Panthers a 6-0 lead at 2:27 of the third period.

Arizona then spoiled Bobrovsky's bid at a shutout on Guenther's goal with 16:35 left in the third.

—Field Level Media

Latest