Reinhart scores with 0.7 seconds left, Panthers top Kings 3-2 in OT for 9th straight win
The Florida Panthers team celebrate the winning goal by center Sam Reinhart in overtime during an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Kings 3-2. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier
SUNRISE, Fla. — Sam Reinhart scored on a backhander with less than a second to play in overtime, Matthew Tkachuk scored late in regulation to tie the contest and the Florida Panthers rallied past the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Thursday night to push their winning streak to nine games.
Sam Bennett also scored for Florida, which trailed 1-0 and 2-1 before pulling out the win. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots for the Panthers, plus got one of the two assists on Reinhart's winner.
“This was a really tough test tonight,” Reinhart said. “I liked our battle. I liked our compete. ... It was a fun one to play.”
Trevor Moore and Drew Doughty scored for the Kings. Cam Talbot made 37 saves for Los Angeles, which is 0-3-4 in its last seven games. The Kings have also wasted third-period leads in each of their last three games.
“There is going to be an element of frustration. I would be concerned if there wasn’t,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Frustration is a dangerous emotion if you don’t channel it the right way and I think our group has done a pretty good job of it. When you go on a streak that’s not going your way, sometimes you are really upset at the effort and the overall intensity of the club as a whole, but we don’t have that concern right now. It’s there.”
The Kings' Adrian Kempe was called for cross-checking Florida's Brandon Montour with 1:23 left in overtime, giving the Panthers a 4-on-3 edge. The Kings killed off the first 1:22 of that power play, but Reinhart got his 30th goal of the season — going over Talbot's shoulder — with seven-tenths of a second left to keep the winning streak alive.
Florida's nine-game winning streak is the third-longest in franchise history. The Panthers won 12 consecutive games in the 2015-16 season, then had their other two longest streaks in 2021-22 — eight straight wins to open that season, then 13 in a row toward the end of that season.
Los Angeles Kings left wing Trevor Moore (12) makes a shot on goal as Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier
Doughty got his first goal in his last 15 games — he hadn’t scored since Dec. 7 — about eight seconds into a Los Angeles power play late in the second for a 2-1 lead, and the Kings nearly made it hold up. But with Bobrovsky pulled for an extra attacker, Tkachuk scored with 2:18 left to pull the Panthers into a tie. It was the fifth consecutive game Tkachuk had a goal.
Both teams had chances in the extra session, before Reinhart got the one that mattered most. He became the second player in the NHL to hit the 30-goal mark this season, behind only Toronto's Auston Matthews.
“He's amazing,” Tkachuk said of Reinhart. “Just a huge goal.”
UP NEXT
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson (44) takes control of the puck from Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier
Kings: Visit Detroit on Saturday.
Panthers: Host New Jersey on Saturday.
