LAS VEGAS – The Florida Panthers finished their four-game road trip with an even split following a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.
Sitting at 29-19-3, the Panthers went 2-2-0 on their trip out west.
“It was a step forward as a team,” forward Anton Lundell said of the trip. “The road trip always brings the team together a little more. We were able to play some good hockey, even if we didn’t get the result in this game. Overall, I think it was a good step forward and we can keep building on this.”
Despite a strong road start from the Panthers, the Knights broke the ice when Brayden McNabb buried a blast from beyond the left circle to make it 1-0 at 5:26 of the first period.
A good start on the road, the Panthers led 11-7 in shots on goal after 20 minutes.
“We came out right,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “I liked the way that looked.”
Making the most of their limited opportunities, the Knights, who were sitting on just seven shots on goal at the time, doubled their lead in the second period when Tanner Pearson beat Spencer Knight with a wicked shot from the right circle to make it 2-0 at 5:40.
Keeping the deficit manageable, the Panthers stood tall against Vegas’ top-ranked power play later in the period. The biggest moment of the kill came when Knight shut his five-hole to deny Tomas Hertl on a breakaway.
“I think it’s good,” Knight, who finished with 22 saves, said of playing in tight games. “It’s not going to be easy. Teams like Vegas, that’s a playoff team. It’s hard to generate offense on them and they’re just really good. Playing those games is probably better for us.”
Getting the Panthers on the board early in the third period, Lundell dug in his skates near the crease and tipped in a shot from Eetu Luostarinen to make it 2-1 at 1:56.