Tkachuk scores 2 more, Panthers defeat Sharks

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Matthew Tkachuk scored twice to extend his point streak to six games for the Florida Panthers, who defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.

Tkachuk has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) during his streak, which includes four straight multipoint games. Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers (17-9-2), who have points in six straight (5-0-1). Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves.

Florida has won 11 consecutive games against the Sharks dating to Jan. 21, 2019.

“I felt like we handled the game exactly the way we wanted to play it,” Tkachuk said. “We had the puck pretty much the entire night. Give them credit: They defended hard, and their goalie played really well. But I thought this was a really good game for us.’’

Tyler Toffoli scored a power-play goal for the Sharks (10-15-5), who were coming off an 8-1 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Mackenzie Blackwood made 51 saves.

Florida had 96 shot attempts to San Jose’s 58.

“Unbelievable,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Blackwood. “One of the best goalie performances I have ever seen. Stood on his head for us to be in that game. What he did was super impressive. Not surprised, though. We have to get better tomorrow individually and as a group. We need to get our swagger back. … The last two have been stinkers.”

Tkachuk put the Panthers ahead 1-0 just 23 seconds into the game, batting in the rebound of Sam Bennett’s shot at the top of the crease.

Tkachuk then made it 2-0 at 10:05 of the second. He picked up a loose puck at the blue line, drove to the net and lifted a backhand that went in off Blackwood’s shoulder.

“Sometimes the puck finds you,’’ Tkachuk said.

Coach Paul Maurice, who surpassed Jacques Martin as Florida’s all-time leader with 111 wins, said he has been very impressed with Tkachuk for the past couple of weeks.

“His hands are just on fire right now, he has done some great things with the puck,’’ Maurice said. “There are other parts of his game that drive us. He has been on a pretty good heater but has been really good his past six.”

Barkov made it 3-0 at 13:17 with a power-play goal, scoring on a one-timer from a tight angle below the right circle off a cross-ice pass from Carter Verhaeghe.

“It was pretty much a complete game for us,” said Barkov, the Florida captain. “I think we did the right things, had a lot of special teams today. Whenever they got their chances, [Bobrovsky] was there for us and kept us in the game. It was a good game by us.”

Toffoli scored with a redirection at the left side of the net on the power play with Blackwood pulled for the extra attacker to make it a 3-1 final at 18:35.

“[Florida] was the better team tonight and won the game tonight, and deservedly so,’’ San Jose center Nico Sturm said. “There is a lot you can learn from that team. The next step for us as a team is playing with the swagger and the belief in ourselves.’’

NOTES: Florida’s 11 straight wins against San Jose mark the franchise’s second-longest winning streak against a single opponent. The Panthers won 12 straight against the Pittsburgh Penguins from April 3, 2002, to March 29, 2006.