Vilmanis gets two goals, two assists to help Panthers hold off Blackhawks

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Sandis Vilmanis had two goals and two assists for the Florida Panthers in a 5-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday.

It was the forward’s first multipoint game in the NHL.

“It means everything,” said Vilmanis, who was playing his 34th career game. “It’s a special night that I will remember for sure.”

Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists, and Carter Verhaeghe added a goal and an assist for the Panthers (9-5-2), who have won four of their past five games. Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves.

The line of Verhaeghe, Reinhart and Vilmanis combined for nine points (four goals, five assists). 

“They were our first line tonight,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “That’s how good they were. They were good at both ends, so, they didn’t cheat to get that. They were responsible and I really liked the way all three played.”

Frank Nazar scored twice for the Blackhawks (4-11-1), who have lost four straight (0-3-1) and seven of their past eight (1-6-1). Connor Bedard and Ethan Del Mastro each had two assists, and Spencer Knight made 25 saves. 

“You would like to have this miracle switch where you just turn it around, but that’s not how it happens,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. 

Vilmanis gave Florida a 1-0 lead on the rush at 4:43 of the first period. Reinhart found him at the back door from the right face-off circle following a Blackhawks turnover in the neutral zone.

“It’s too hard of a League to give away free goals,” Blashill said. “There were a lot of guys who competed their (tails) off, and a couple guys who played off their end of their stick and we cannot have that.”

Verhaeghe made it 2-0 on the power play at 12:29. Matthew Tkachuk fed brother Brady Tkachuk down low on the right side, and Brady sent a between-the-skates pass to Verhaeghe, who went high on Knight at the back post by one-timing the bouncing puck.

Seth Jones scored on his former team for a 3-0 lead at 13:20 of the second period when he put a wrist shot under Knight’s pad from the right circle off a cross-ice pass from Vilmanis.

“We shot ourselves in the foot sometimes,” said Bedard, the Blackhawks captain. “We played really well in stretches. It’s about consistency.”

Roman Kantserov cut it to 3-1 at 16:48. Bedard started the play by winning a puck battle against Lars Eller along the left boards and passed to Del Mastro down the left wing. Del Mastro sent the puck on net from a sharp angle, and it went off the skate of Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling before Kantserov poked it in off of Markstrom’s right arm.

Nazar then pulled Chicago within 3-2 on a short-handed breakaway at 9:31 of the third period, scoring with a backhand over Markstrom’s right pad.

Vilmanis restored Florida’s two-goal lead by making it 4-2 at 11:01. After Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola's point shot was blocked by Ian Cole, Verhaeghe stole the puck from Cole at the left hash marks, and Vilmanis got to the loose puck in the left circle and scored under Knight’s right arm.

Nazar’s second goal of the game made it 4-3 at 16:09. He scored with a wrist shot from the right point to the far side.

Reinhart scored into an empty net at 18:33 for the 5-3 final.

“I think we were on our toes from the start,” Reinhart said of why the Panthers had success Wednesday. “When our ‘D’ are aggressive, it’s because our forwards are allowing them to be in there. … It’s a tough game to play against. So that’s where our offense seems to come from, and that’s the way we have to play.”

NOTES: Mikkola left the game at 2:23 of the third after taking a Bedard shot off his right leg. The defenseman returned to play one more shift before leaving the game for good midway through the period. “He’s a little sore tonight,” Maurice said. “We think he’s going to be fine.” … Reinhart scored his 198th goal with the Panthers, tying Jonathan Huberdeau for the second-most in franchise history. Aleksander Barkov is first with 286. Reinhart also ran his point streak to five games (eight points; four goals, four assists). … Verhaeghe also has a five-game point streak (seven points; three goals, four assists). … Florida pushed its home winning streak against Chicago to 10 games, which is its longest active run against a single opponent. … Kantserov extended his point streak to six games (six points; four goals, two assists) and became the eighth Blackhawks rookie in the past 40 years (since 1986-87) with a run of that length.