RECAP: Devils 4, Panthers 1

SUNRISE, Fla. – All good streaks come to an end.

Tasting defeat for the first time since Oct. 22, the Florida Panthers saw their winning streak end at seven games with a 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday.

Even with the loss, the Panthers are still sitting pretty at 11-4-1.

“It was a couple plays,” said forward Sam Reinhart said, who scored his team-leading 12^th goal of the season in the loss. “I thought both teams, for the most part, really stuck to their game plan. It was a couple breaks that they made us pay [on]. It was a tight-checking game, and I thought both teams did a good job.”

Prior to puck drop, the Panthers suffered a blow to their lineup when second-line center Sam Bennett was scratched due to tightness, according to head coach Paul Maurice.

“He came in and tightened up this morning before the morning skate and didn’t loosen up over the course of the day so we couldn’t play him,” Maurice said. “He may come back in tomorrow and be 100% fine. If not, it wouldn’t be a long-term situation.”

Opening the scoring on the road, Jack Hughes one-timed a stunning cross-ice backhand pass from Jesper Bratt into the cage to put the Devils up 1-0 at 8:30 of the first period.

Closing out the period, the Panthers came up empty on an extended 5-on-3 power play.

Making their next power play count, the Panthers evened the score when Reinhart tipped in a shot from Uvis Balinskis to make it 1-1 at 8:41 of the second period. Entering the night operating at 25%, they’ve scored on the power play in six of their last seven contests.

Keeping the game tied, Spencer Knight robbed Dawson Mercer on a breakaway at 9:22.

One of the best fights in recent memory, Jonah Gadjovich and Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon brought fans to their feet when they exchanged a flurry of punches at 10:05. In the end, Gadjovich, despite having his jersey pulled over his head for much of the brawl, came out on top.

"He stepped up,” Gadjovich said of Dillon. “We were both willing to go. It ended up being a good fight. Nothing but respect for him. It seemed to get the fans into it. It was good."

At 17:29, Timo Meier buried a blocker-side snipe to put the Devils up 2-1

In the third period, the Panthers mustered 10 scoring chances, but couldn’t get the pucks they needed to slip past Jacob Markstrom in New Jersey’s net. Standing tall between the pipes, the veteran goaltender stopped 34 of 35 shots in the win, with all 34 of those saves coming at 5-on-5.

“There will be three or four mistakes that end up being the difference,” Maurice said. “There weren’t a lot of them. Both teams checked pretty hard. Good sticks. It was hard to generate. You’re looking to clean up those mistakes up as best you can.”

Following a few missed calls and controversial embellishment penalty on Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers were also denied at least one deserved trip to the power play late in the period.

After Paul Cotter scored to give the Devils a 3-1 lead at 15:07, Ondrej Palat locked in the win with an empty-net goal that increased Florida’s deficit to 4-1 with 1:02 left in regulation.

An immediate chance for payback, the Panthers will host the Devils again on Thursday.

“You get a little bit of that playoff atmosphere in the middle of the season,” Reinhart said. “Opportunities like that have to excite you. A couple teams that have been there the last couple years, playing extra months. It’s going to be a fun one. A couple adjustments on both sides and right back to battle.”

THEY SAID IT

"That's an old schooler. The linesmen didn't jump in too early and let two guys hammer away. Jonah has been injured for a while. The best part might be that he's clearly 100% healthy. I love when he's in the lineup." – Paul Maurice on Jonah Gadjovich’s fight

“Sometimes the little details will bite you in the butt. I thought overall we had a good game going, did a lot of right things. At the end of the day, they just capitalized on their chances.” – Jonah Gadjovich on tonight’s loss

CATS STATS

- The Panthers led 24-21 in scoring chances at 5-on-5.

- The Panthers led 36-25 in hits.

- Sam Reinhart extended his point streak to eight games.

- Aleksander Barkov went 14-for-17 (82.4%) in the faceoff circle.

- Five of Florida’s six defensemen registered multiple hits.

WHAT’S NEXT?

It’s a double dip with the Devils.

With a chance to get some revenge, the Panthers will host the Devils at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

For tickets, click HERE.