Bennett scores first goal with Panthers in win against Blue Jackets
Vatrano gets two goals, Florida extends point streak to four
By
Alain Poupart
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
Bennett was acquired April 12 in a trade from the Calgary Flames along with a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft for forward prospect Emil Heineman and a 2022 second-round pick.
"It's been nice to see new guys come in," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "Bennett has come in here from Calgary and has had a couple of nice games for us, giving us some presence physically, and that line (with Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau) looks like there's some fun growing between the three of them."
Frank Vatrano scored two goals for the Panthers (29-12-5), who are 3-0-1 in their past four games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 34 saves.
Oliver Bjorkstrand and Zac Dalpe scored for the Blue Jackets (15-23-9), who have lost six in a row (0-5-1). Elvis Merzlikins made 35 saves.
"We just have to keep motivating ourselves and make sure we don't just play out the season because of where we are in the standings," Bjorkstrand said. "We have to continue to play hard every night."
The Panthers are tied for first place with the Carolina Hurricanes in the eight-team Discover Central Division, one point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Columbus is eighth, 12 points behind the fourth-place Nashville Predators. The top four teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The teams will conclude the season series here Tuesday. Florida is 6-0-1.
Bobrovsky has won all five of his starts against Columbus. He played seven seasons for the Blue Jackets from 2012-19 before signing with the Panthers as a free agent.
"It's always fun to win, and definitely against your former team, it's maybe a little bit more special," Bobrovsky said. "It definitely gives you a little bit more fun. You know, I'm happy to be 5-0, to have those numbers against Columbus, but on the other hand it's also like every game is so important. "
Vatrano gave Florida a 1-0 lead at 11:40 of the first period with his third goal in four games. A clearing attempt from behind the Columbus net went off the skate of defenseman Seth Jones and to the front of the net to Vatrano.
Bennett made it 2-0 59 seconds into the second period with a shot from the slot after a three-way passing play with Duclair and Huberdeau. Bennett had two assists in his Florida debut, a 5-3 victory at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
"The acquisition of Bennett was huge for us," Duclair said. "He's a big forward down the middle. And [Huberdeau] is one of the best players in the League. We've built up a little bit of chemistry together and hopefully we can keep that going."
Bjorkstrand made it 2-1 at 13:22 with a long-distance wrist shot.
Radko Gudas made it 3-1 at 14:03 with a one-timer off a pass from Duclair. The goal was upheld by video review after Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella challenged for goalie interference. Columbus was assessed a minor penalty for delay of game for the unsuccessful challenge.
Dalpe made it 3-2 at 8:01 of the third period when he scored off a scramble in front of the Florida net.
"I know we only have 15 wins on the season, but you have to take some positives out of this," Dalpe said. "I thought we played hard right to the end. If we can clean up that stretch of the second period, I think we're in a lot more hockey games."
Merzlikins stopped Vatrano on a penalty shot at 12:30 to keep it a one-goal game, but Vatrano scored an empty-net goal at 18:38 for the 4-2 final.
"We've got some new guys, and we just keep building our game," Bobrovsky said. "Everybody keeps delivering. Everybody brings their energy to the table. And as I say, we've got some new faces and I think we really improved our team. So it's just a time of the year where things get tighter and that's more fun to play."
NOTES: Blue Jackets center Max Domi was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. … Bjorkstrand has five goals against Florida this season. … Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar missed the game because of an upper-body injury and is day to day. … Florida center Noel Acciari missed a second game with an upper-body injury and also is day to day.
