5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers shut out Blackhawks for record 28th win at home

SUNRISE, Fla. -Standing tall in the crease, Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside all 37 shots he faced to lead the Panthers to a 4-0 win over the Blackhawks at FLA Live Arena on Thursday.
Holding onto first place in the Atlantic Division with a stellar record of 46-15-6, the Panthers set a new franchise record by registering their league-leading 28th win of the season on home ice.

"It's been great," said Bobrovsky, who's gone 21-3-0 at home. "We have unbelievable support. The building energizes us. It's just so much fun to play. It's home, and it really feels like home."
Having already had a goal taken off the board earlier in the first period after officials deemed he kicked the puck in, Aleksander Barkov left no doubt the second time around when he walked into the low slot and tucked a shot through Collin Delia to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 18:24.
Aggressively setting the tone in the second period, Radko Gudas kept momentum firmly in Florida's favor and really brought the building to life when he zeroed in on Kirby Dach and flipped the Blackhawks forward over with a clean and stunning hip check along the boards.
Not long after that, Ryan Lomberg, who was promoted for the fourth to the second line for tonight's game, took a pass from Joe Thornton, zoomed down the ice, cut through Chicago's defense and ripped a shot past Delia from the right circle to double the lead to 2-0 at 7:23.
At 11:46, Gustav Forsling wired home a shot through traffic to make it 3-0.
"They have a really good team," Barkov said of the Blackhawks, who played hard all night long. "They have a lot of talent on their side. You all know what names you have to be aware of on the ice. When you play against players like that, you have that in the back of your mind."
Helping his longtime friend and teammate make history, Barkov extended the lead to 4-0 at 13:47 of the third period when one-timed a pass from Jonathan Huberdeau right past Delia.
Picking up his league-leading 71st assist on the play, Huberdeau broke a tie with Joe Juneau (70, 1992-93) to set a new NHL record for the most assists by a left winger in a single season.

"Really cool," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "To do it at home is pretty special for a guy that's been here as long as he has. To be in the NHL record books is obviously very special. I'm happy for him. He deserves it and he still has a way to go to pad that record."
Shutting the door, Bobrovsky stopped all 10 shots he saw in the third period.
"He gives us a chance to win every night," Barkov said of Bobrovsky's showing. "It was no different today. He's always unbelievable for us. We trust him and we're lucky to have him."
Winners in 11 of their last 14 games, the Panthers, who are getting closer and closer to clinching a playoff spot, will now pack their bags and hit the road for a pair of key afternoon contests this weekend against the Devils and Sabres on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
"There's still a lot of hockey left," Brunette said. "We're not content just breaking these little [team] records. We have our eyes on a bigger prize and we still have a ways to get there."
Here are five takeaways from Thursday's win in Sunrise…

1. TWO FOR SASHA

Barkov's career-high goal total is within reach.
Inching closer to surpassing the career-high 36 goals he scored in 2018-19, the captain scored twice against the Blackhawks to increase his team-high total on the season to a whopping 31.

"Everyone wants to score goals, and to get to 30 in this league is not easy," said Barkov, who has hit the 30-goal mark twice in his career. "I'm lucky I get to play with really good players."
Second on the Panthers in scoring despite missing a chunk of time earlier in the season due to an injury, Barkov, who's been carrying a hot stick, has produced 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) over his last 12 games to push his lofty point total to 68 (31 goals, 37 assists) in just 54 games.
Also sharp in the dot, he went 12-for-15 (80%) in the faceoff circle against Chicago.
As a result of the team's clean sheet tonight, Barkov's first goal would stand as the game-winner and propelled him past Olli Jokinen for most game-winning goals in franchise history with 37.
"I'm just playing with really good players," Barkov said. "They make plays and find you when you're open. Obviously, it's fun to play with this group of guys."

2. OH MY GUDAS

The Butcher carved up a nice piece of meat on this play.
Setting social media ablaze with a hit for the ages, Gudas brought fans at FLA Live Arena to their feet when he forcefully flipped Dach over along the side boards with a heavy hip check.
"We love Gudy, and we love to have him on our side," Barkov smiled. "When you play against guys like him, you always think, 'OK, he's on the ice.' You have to be aware of him. Thankfully we have him on our side and he gets us going with his hits and overall with his defensive play."

After leading the NHL in hits during the 2020-21 campaign, Gudas has been throwing the body just as much this season. With six more hits tonight, he pushed his league-leading total to 304.
Not just a physical presence, the beastly blueliner was also the "Corsi King" for the Panthers in tonight's win. Over the 15:46 that he spent on the ice at 5-on-5, the Panthers led 27-14 in shot attempts, giving him a team-high 65.85%, according to the numbers at NaturalStatTrick.com.

3. SPEEDING TICKET

The Lomberghini won't slow down.
Showing off his wheels, Lomberg collected a feed from Thornton in the defensive zone and flew straight down the ice before firing a shot past Delia to put Panthers up 2-0 in the second period.

"He's feeling it," Brunette said of the feisty forward. "He's got a little mojo going, a little shimmy shake. Nice goal. He's feeling it and, again, no one loves seeing him score more than I do."
Promoted to the second line after racking up a career-high three points (two goals, one assist) in Tuesday's win over the Canadiens, Lomberg rewarded that trust with another goal tonight.
In 46 games this season, he's already set career-highs in goals (9), assists (8) and points (17).
"He always had the skills, always had the speed," Barkov said. "Now he just has enough confidence to do it and believe in himself. It's a lot of fun to watch a guy like that. He's super skilled. He can make those plays like he did on the goal. He has a sneaky great shot."

4. THE GUS BUS

Forsling found the seam.
After receiving a pass from Sam Reinhart, Forsling threaded a shot straight down the slot through heavy traffic and past Delia to extend Florida's lead to 3-0 in the second period.
Chicago challenged for goaltender inference, but the score was upheld after a review.

After racking up a career-high 17 points during his first season with the Panthers in 2020-21, the Forsling has already accumulated 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 58 games this season.
Adding an assist on Barkov's first goal, he's now up to five multi-point games this season.

5. BOB-ROB-SKY

When Bobrovsky is in the zone, he simply can't be beat.
Registering his third shutout of the season, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner stopped all 37 shots that came his way to backstop the Panthers to another huge two points in the standings.
Improving to 33-6-3, he needs just two wins to tie Roberto Luongo's single-season franchise record.

"It was a good game," Bobrovsky said. "It was lots of shots. We played a great team game in all zones. Offense, defense, neutral zone, penalty kill, everything was solid. A full 60-minute performance."
Of his 37 saves, 10 were considered high-danger, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
"Bob was outstanding," Brunette said. "He kept us in the game there at different parts."