Sam Reinhart's hat trick helps Panthers sail by Avalanche

Field Level Media|published: Sat 6th January, 19:04 2024

Jan 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Ryan Lomberg (94) gets tied up with Colorado Avalanche left wing Fredrik Olofsson (22) and defenseman Josh Manson (42) in the first period at Ball Arena. credits: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Reinhart scored three goals to notch his seventh career hat trick, Carter Verhaeghe had two goals, and the Florida Panthers beat the Colorado Avalanche 8-4 in Denver on Saturday for their seventh straight win.

Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and two assists and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kevin Stenlund also scored goals for the Panthers. Aleksander Barkov had four assists in his 700th career NHL game, Evan Rodrigues and Gustav Forsling had two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky turned away 23 shots

Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar had a goal and an assist each for Colorado. Jonathan Drouin and Josh Manson also scored, Mikko Rantanen had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev had 12 saves in relief of Ivan Prosvetov for Colorado.

The game was tied 4-4 in the third when the Panthers got an extended 5-on-3 when Ross Colton took a double minor and Logan O'Connor received another minor 25 seconds later. Reinhart cashed it in with this third goal of the game and 28th of the season at 5:59 of the third.

Stenlund scored at 8:59, his seventh, and Tkachuk made it 7-4 with his eighth at 16:17. Verhaeghe later scored into the empty net for his 22nd of the season.

Verhaeghe scored 1:10 into the game, Reinhart made it 2-0 at 3:02 and scored again at 7:41 of the first to make it 3-0.

The Avalanche rallied in the first minute of the second period. Makar made it 3-1 with a one-timer from the right circle 21 seconds in, his ninth of the season, and Manson's shot from the point just 32 seconds later trickled through Bobrovsky and in to make it 3-2.

It was Manson's fifth of the season.

Colorado completed the comeback on the power play when Nichushkin tipped in Makar's shot from the point at 4:35 off the second, his 20th goal of the season.

The Panthers regained the lead and chased Prosvetov when Ekman-Larsson scored on a shot from the point at 8:50 of the second, his eighth of the season.

Drouin tied it again when he scored his ninth goal of the season at 3:31 of the third period.

—Field Level Media

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