Bobrosvky makes 31 saves for Panthers in win against Golden Knights

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves for the Florida Panthers in a 2-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.

Bobrovsky preserved a one-goal lead with 10 saves in the third period.
"It is huge to have a goalie like that, playing at a level like that," Florida captain Aleksander Barkov said. "It is amazing, and we are really confident playing in front of him."
Barkov and Ryan Lomberg scored for the Panthers (32-27-6), who won their second game in a row to end a stretch of 11 games alternating wins and losses.
Florida is three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"Every game is huge for us, and we want to win them all," Barkov said. "We're playing one period at a time, that's what we are doing here. I think we could have played better, especially in that second [period], but [Bobrovsky] was excellent in the game, as always, and kept us in it."
Shea Theodore scored, and Adin Hill made 40 saves for the Golden Knights (38-20-6), who had won three in a row and nine of 12 (9-1-2).
Vegas is tied for first with the Los Angeles Kings, who have played one more game, for first in the Pacific Division.
"We weren't ready to start the game," Theodore said. "That's kind of where it came down to bite us. Thought we played great in the second and third, but you definitely need better starts down the stretch here."

Lomberg gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 4:25 of the first period with a shot from the high slot after a turnover at the Golden Knights' blue line.
"We needed a big start, and I think the guys responded," Lomberg said. "For the last chunk of games, there has been no doubt that guys are going to show up. These are all big games, and this was a big win for us."
Barkov made it 2-0 at 4:05 of the second period, one-timing Anthony Duclair's centering pass past Hill's blocker.
Theodore cut it to 2-1 at 13:23 with a power-play goal when he beat Bobrovsky with a shot from the point.
"We stayed in the game, which was good," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "The way we start, we're never going to hang our hat on that, that's for sure. But after the first period, you sort of wonder, how's it going to go? And we eventually got ourselves in the game just because we were more competitive.
"When we start competing, we have good skill in the room, good talent, and all of a sudden, that'll start to surface. But you've got to be ready when the puck drops. And they were, we weren't. So, we'll take that part, the second part of the game."

Florida, which defeated Pittsburgh 4-1 on Saturday, is 2-1-0 on its season-long seven-game homestand.
The Golden Knights opened a five-game road trip that continues Thursday at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"We've had stretches where we've bounced back really quick," Theodore said. "I think especially this time of the year that's what we need to do."
NOTES: Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk left with about six minutes remaining in the third period with an apparent lower-body injury after blocking a shot but later returned. … Vegas forward Jack Eichel's assist gave him 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his past 12 games.