5 Takeaways: Reimer, Hoffman Lift Panthers Past Golden Knights

SUNRISE, Fla. -The Florida Panthers picked up their fourth win in their last five games after scoring a pair of unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Las Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 at BB&T Center on Saturday night.

"This game was good for us," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. "We just need to build from this."
Barkov got the scoring started for the Panthers (21-21-8) against the Knights, beating goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with a wicked wrist shot that made it 1-0 just 12 seconds after the puck had dropped. Not long after, Max Pacioretty tied the game for Vegas with a wrist shot of his own to make it 1-1 at 8:07.
That's when a bit of deja vu started to set in.
Just 24 hours earlier, the Panthers had pointed to their inability to find a crucial second goal in a 4-1 loss to Nashville. In that game, Florida carried a 1-0 lead into the third period only to watch it slip through their fingers as the Predators scored four straight goals to steal a victory in the first game of the break.
This time, however, things would be different.
After a loose-puck battle in the neutral zone, Mike Hoffman skated in all alone on Fleury and scored the go-ahead goal to make it 2-1 at 6:13 of the third period. From there, the Panthers locked things down on the defensive side of the ice before Frank Vatrano scored an empty-net goal to make it 3-1 at 18:44.
In net, James Reimer made 34 saves to pick up his second straight victory.
"We were in the same situation," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "Last night, unfortunately, we couldn't find the second goal when we needed it. Tonight, we did. The perfect guy got the breakaway… We had some chances. Fleury was good for them. I just liked the way we competed and our composure in a 1-1 game. And even when we made it 2-1, we did a lot of good things with the puck. Give credit to Reims, he came up with some big saves when we needed it. That's a big difference as well."
Here are five takeaways from Saturday's win in Sunrise…

1. WASTING NO TIME

The Panthers broke the ice before most fans found their seats on Saturday night.
After collecting a loose puck at center ice, Barkov skated into the offensive zone, stopping in the middle of the right circle before ripping a powerful wrist shot past Fleury to give Florida an incredibly early 1-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game.

Barkov's 18th goal of the season, the score stands as the fastest goal ever at home in franchise history.
"I couldn't believe I scored so early," Barkov said. "Of course when you score a goal it's always nice, but it was good to start a game with a 1-0 lead."
A mid-season contender for both the Selke and Lady Byng trophies, Barkov ranks second on Florida in points (49), including three goals and six assists over his last 12 games. The 23-year-old captain is also second in the NHL in takeaways (70), while his 22:56 of average ice time per game paces all forwards.

2. HOFF TO THE RACES

While he's known mostly for his lethal one-timer, Hoffman can also turn on the jets.
Beating Shea Theodore to a loose puck in the neutral zone, the 29-year-old sniper flew into the offensive zone, racing towards the net before slipping a deceptive forehand shot through Fleury's five-hole to put the Panthers on top 2-1 at 6:13 of the third period - his ninth goal this season in the final frame.

"I thought we had a lot of chances," Hoffman said. "Fleury made a few good saves; Reimer made some good ones, too. It seemed like whoever got that next [goal], it was going to be the deciding one."
His team-leading 24th goal of the season, Hoffman also leads the Panthers in a bevy of other offensive categories, including power-play goals (10) and shots on goal (161), while also ranking third on the team in points (43).
"It's kind of a building block," Hoffman said of the win. "We weren't too happy with our last game. I thought we played a lot better here tonight. Hopefully we can keep it rolling."

3. TOP BRASS

With the lone assist on Hoffman's goal, newcomer Derick Brassard registered his first point in his first game as a member of the Panthers.
"That was a nice goal by Hoff," Brassard said. "When the game was 1-1, we needed someone to step up and Hoff did a good job there. I felt like the energy of the team was really good all game long. We have a lot of games coming up here. We have to take advantage of it. We're in a big playoff push."
Deployed on the second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Hoffman, Brassard said he relished the great opportunity that was presented to him on his first day, saying that it's "obviously what I'm looking for."
"I know I can do the job with those two guys," said Brassard, who skated 15:32 in his debut. "They're talented players and they compete. That's obviously what I want. Hopefully we can make it work."
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins along with fellow forward Riley Sheahan and three draft picks on Friday morning, Brassard and Sheahan, who was slotted into a spot on the third line and saw 15:34 of ice time against the Knights, both earned highs marks from their new coaches and teammates.
"We love them," Barkov said. "Of course we loved Bjugy [Nick Bjugstad] and Canner [Jared McCann] … but Brass and Riley, they were awesome for us tonight. Riley is a really good centerman, good on the draws, and Brass is a skilled player. They were fun to watch. We're really happy to have them."

4. REIMER ON A ROLL

Even with ample time off between starts, Reimer appears to be getting on a roll.
The 30-year-old backup stopped 34 of 35 shots on Friday night to improve to 5-1-2 over his last seven games. After making a season-high 37 saves in his last start before the break on Jan. 19, he has now stopped 68 of the last 71 shots he's faced -- good enough for a .958 save percentage in that span.

"It's nice," Reimer said. "You obviously don't want to lose momentum over the break. That's a good team over there. We played hard and I think we were just a little more desperate. We were able to get the job done."
With the win, Reimer's record now stands at 10-8-5 on the season.
"Reims looked real comfortable in there," Boughner said. "He was battling hard. Even on the scrambles, he was big and strong and on top of his crease. He's played really well lately. It looks like he's found another gear to his game. That's great for us."

5. JOKINEN'S LEGACY

As part of the ongoing "Legacy Saturday" series, the Panthers honored former Panthers captain Olli Jokinen prior to Friday night's game. In addition to showing a highlight video, which featured many of his franchise-leading 188 goals, he also dropped the first puck with his diabetic daughter, Emma.
"It's nice to be back on the ice," Jokinen said. "I was very excited for my daughter to go there and drop the puck. She was very nervous. Everyone in my family said I looked more nervous than she did. It was a big thing for her."

Diagnosed in April of 2017, Emma and her family have since gotten involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to raise both awareness and donations to help support new research with hopes of one day finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes, which currently affects 1.25 million Americans.
Jokinen said the proceeds from his "Legacy Saturday" T-shirt sales will go directly to the JDRF.
"I understand that this night was supposed to be "Legacy Saturday" and about what I did here those seven, eight years when I played here, but it's a great thing that it's not about me," Jokinen said. "It's about a lot bigger things than some hockey player. For us, as a family, if we can raise awareness for what Type 1 diabetes is and if we can get our message out there and even save one life that's rewarding."

BONUS: A DEMON IN THE DOT

Of all the things Barkov does on the ice, his work in the faceoff circle might be the most underrated.
Entering the night winning 52.8 percent of his draws, the fantastic Finn won a team-high 11 faceoffs on Saturday night, going 11-for-19 overall. In his last 12 games, he's only finished under 50 percent in the faceoff circle once.