“I Just Want You All TO…” – Miller Gives Stunning Interview After Scoring The Winner Against Panthers.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks secured their first win of the season with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. J.T. Miller scored the decisive goal just 2:09 into overtime, ending Vancouver’s tough streak in the state of Florida.
Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes also contributed goals for Vancouver (1-1-2), while goalie Kevin Lankinen made 26 saves. On the other side, Florida’s Anton Lundell scored his fourth goal in three games, and Jesper Boqvist found the back of the net as well. Panthers’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots in the losing effort.
Florida played without key forwards Aleksander Barkov, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, and Matthew Tkachuk, who was sidelined due to illness.
Takeaways
For the Canucks, scoring early hasn’t been an issue, as they have taken the first lead in three of their four games so far. However, it was Miller’s overtime goal that saved the game and gave Vancouver a much-needed win, improving their record to 2-8-0 in their last 10 games played in Florida.
For the Panthers, rookie Mackie Samoskevich recorded his first career NHL point with an assist on Boqvist’s goal. The 24th overall pick from the 2021 draft has now reached a significant milestone in his 13th NHL game.
Key Moment
Hughes’ goal at 6:30 in the second period gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead, but it came with controversy. The Panthers argued that the puck was not properly dropped by the linesman and thought it should have been called a hand pass. The NHL reviewed the play and disagreed, allowing the goal to stand, with Nils Aman credited with an assist.
Key Stat
Anton Lundell has been stepping up for the Panthers in Barkov’s absence, scoring four goals in the past three games. His current three-game goal-scoring streak matches a career-best performance, making him a crucial part of Florida’s offense during this stretch.
Up Next
Both teams return to action on Saturday. Vancouver will head to Philadelphia to face the Flyers, while Florida will stay home to take on the Vegas Golden Knights, a clash between the last two Stanley Cup champions.