5 Takeaways: Blackhawks Rally Late to Top Panthers in OT

SUNRISE, Fla. - The Florida Panthers saw a two-point win quickly turn into a one-point loss on Saturday night, as the Blackhawks tied the game with 1.8 seconds left in regulation before Erik Gustafsson scored at 2:32 of overtime to secure a 5-4 win for Chicago at BB&T Center.

Leading 4-2 after 40 minutes, Florida's two-goal lead evaporated in the third period, starting with Alexandre Fortin's shorthanded goal at 9:52 to get the Blackhawks's within one. Then, with less than two seconds left in regulation, Alex DeBrincat scored to make it 4-4 and force overtime.
"We didn't give them anything in the first 20 minutes," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. "We were leading 2-0. Then we just gave them opportunities, gave them chances, let them play their own game. We just kind of sit down and watch them play. It's been happening the whole season. It's got to stop right now."
In overtime, Gustafsson scored the game-winner to end Chicago's eight-game losing streak.
"We were a second away from it tonight, from getting two points," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "You don't get that opportunity at home on a nightly basis. It's tough to give up those goals, but we'll figure it out. It wasn't for a lack of guys not competing or playing hard. I thought we had a lot of compete."
The Panthers (8-9-4) will continue their eight-game homestand on Monday against New Jersey.
"Tonight, we sort of beat ourselves," Boughner said. "It hurts. It's something we're going to have to deal with as a team. We're going to have to look at it, we're going to have to learn from it and we're going to have to get better."
Here are five takeaways from Saturday's loss in Sunrise…

1. BIRTHDAY BOY

Happy birthday, Mike Hoffman! Hoffman, who turned 29 on Saturday, incredibly found his way onto the scoresheet for the fifth straight time on his birthday, blasting a one-timer on the power play from his usual spot inside the right circle to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead at 5:48 of the first period.

A serendipitous stat, Hoffman now has four goals and three assists over five career games played on his birthday. With two points against the Blackhawks, he extended his team lead in goals (12) and points (22). Hoffman's franchise-record 17-game point streak ended on Friday.
After a 1-for-3 night against Chicago, Florida's power play is now 15-for-42 in its last 12 games.

2. BROUWER POWER

If you had Troy Brouwer leading the Panthers in fights through 21 games, raise your hand.
Now put it down because you're a liar.
Brouwer picked up his second fighting major of the season on Saturday night, going toe-to-toe with Chicago's Brandon Manning at 6:58 of the first period. After absorbing a couple punches, Brouwer answered with a few shots in rapid succession, knocking Manning to the ice for a win.
In his first season with Florida, Brouwer has been excelling in his bottom-six duties. In addition to the toughness and leadership he brings to the rink every contest, the 33-year-old has also already registered six goals - the fifth-most on the team - including three in his last four games.
"He's provided leadership and some physicality," Boughner said after Saturday's morning skate. "He's scored some big goals for us. He's a guy that you can rely on. As a coach behind the bench, you know what you're going to get when he comes over the boards every shift. That's a good feeling for a coach. He's a consistent guy that's been around and doesn't seem to get phased by much."

3. McCANN'S BACKHAND

Jared McCann found the back of the net for the second time in four games on Saturday night, taking a pass from Colton Sceviour before going to his backhand and roofing the puck over goaltender Cam Ward's shoulder to double Florida's lead to 2-0 at 13:40 of the first period.

With Vincent Trocheck out of the lineup indefinitely after having surgery to repair a fractured ankle sustained during Monday's 7-5 win in Ottawa, McCann is likely to see his role expand in the coming weeks. In 20 games this season, he's registered three goals and four assists.

4. ANOTHER EK-BLAST

Aaron Ekblad is carrying a hot stick. In yet another play started by an Aleksander Barkov faceoff win in the offensive zone - he went 17 for 30 against the Blackhawks in the dot - the Panthers started a sequence that ended with Ekblad dropping to one knee and blasting home a powerful one-timer from the left circle to put Florida back on top 3-2 at 8:08 of the second period.

After going without a goal for the first 14 games of the season, the 22-year-old defenseman now has four goals in his last seven outings. A big minutes eater and one half of Florida's shutdown pairing alongside Mike Matheson, Ekblad ranks third on the team in average ice time (22:35).

5. FROM THE BOX TO THE NET

The story behind this goal starts and ends with Frank Vatrano.
After being sent to the box for two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct, Vatrano watched as his Panthers teammates frantically killed off the penalty, spending nearly the entire duration fending off shots in the defensive zone before getting the game back to even strength.
Energized by the kill, the Panthers pounced the moment Vatrano stepped out of the box. On the ensuing offensive possession, the 24-year-old forward tipped a pass from Jonathan Huberdeau out of mid-air and in to make it 4-2 at 11:30 - just 40 seconds after he was sprung from the box.

Vatrano is tied for third on the Panthers with seven goals this season.