5 Takeaways: Vatrano Nets a Pair as Panthers Down Blue Jackets

SUNRISE, Fla. - There's a rubber rodent infestation brewing at BB&T Center.
In a one-of-a-kind display that will only continue to pick up steam as the playoffs approach, the plastic rats came flying down on the ice after Frank Vatrano scored a pair of goals to help the Florida Panthers open up their four-game homestand with a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
With the victory, the Panthers (29-12-5) are now tied with the Hurricanes (29-10-5) for the most points in the Central Division. And with two head-to-head matchups on the docket for later this week, Carolina only holds a tiebreaker over Florida due to having played two fewer contests.

"For every game from here on out until the end, we have a playoff mentality," Panthers forward Anthony Duclair said. "We all know that. We're still battling for the first spot in our division. For us, it doesn't matter who we play, we're motivated to keep going and build some good habits."
While he's earned the nickname "Mr. Clutch" due to his frequent late-game heroics this season, Vatrano flipped the script against the Blue Jackets tonight, breaking the ice at 11:40 of the first period when he jumped on a loose puck in the slot and rifled it home to put the Panthers up 1-0.
Adding to the lead, Sam Bennett, who's been red-hot since coming over at the trade deadline, made it 2-0 when he finished off a nifty tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau with a goal from right on top of the crease just 59 seconds into the second period.
Getting the Blue Jackets on the board, Oliver Bjorkstrand continued to play the role of public enemy number one when he beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a shot from the high slot to make it a 2-1 game at 13:22 - his fifth goal in seven games against the Panthers so far this campaign.
Swinging momentum back in Florida's favor less than a minute after Bjorkstrand's goal, Radko Gudas beat Elvis Merzlikins with a booming one-timer to make it 3-1 at 14:03. While Merzlikins tried his best to sell an interference call, the score was quickly reviewed and upheld by officials.
Making things interesting in the third period, Zac Dalpe jammed in a rebound to make it 3-2 and pull the Blue Jackets within striking distance at 8:01. But with Bobrovsky standing tall, the Cats held on until Vatrano cashed in on an empty net to make it 4-2 with 1:22 remaining in regulation.
Merzlikins finished with 35 saves, while Bobrovsky stopped 34 of 36 shots he faced.
"The guys have done a great job pulling for each other and getting the victories," Gudas said when asked about the uptick in intensity down the stretch. "They start piling up and piling up. I think everybody is feeling better and better, and the chemistry is developing more and more."
Here are five takeaways from Monday's win in Sunrise…

1. VATRANO'S GOALS

This opportunity was so juicy that Vatrano was literally licking his chops afterwards.
With the puck bouncing off the skate of Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones behind the net and then sailing straight into the slot, Vatrano jumped in and immediately rocketed the rubber past Merzlikins and into the back of the cage to make it a 1-0 game at 11:40 of the first period.

"He's a shooter," Gudas said of Vatrano, who earned his first multi-goal game of the season with his empty-netter late in regulation. "He's fun to watch. He's been great for us. I'm really happy the way the puck goes in for him. He shoots really hard."
Netting seven goals in his last 10 games, Vatrano has pushed his total on the season 17. That number is not only tied for second on the Cats, but is also one more than the 16 he scored last season. Even more impressive is the fact he surpassed last season's total in 23 fewer games.

2. A NEW FAN FAVORITE

It's only been two games, but Bennett had already endeared himself to fans in South Florida.
After racking up two assists in his Panthers debut on Saturday, the 24-year-old brought the home crowd to its feed against the Blue Jackets tonight, taking a pass from Huberdeau and sending a shot past Merzlikins to make it a 2-0 game just 59 seconds into the middle frame.

"Bennett has come in here out of Calgary and had a couple nice games for us," Quenneville said. "He brings some presence physically and does what he has to do. That line has some fun growing between the three of them. He's one guy that's been nice to watch."
Garnering an even louder cheer than his gold, Bennett then dropped the gloves with Gavin Bayreuther after the Blue Jackets defenseman went up high with a hit on Duclair at 12:27.
"He knows I appreciate that very much," Duclair said. "I know all the guys appreciate that. Obviously, it was huge to see. He's a team-first guy. ... He's a great teammate. We're lucky to have him. That was a huge play for us."
After recording 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 38 games with the Flames before being traded to the Panthers last week, Bennett has already posted a goal and two assists in just two games with his new club while also doing an exceptional job of helping control play at 5-on-5.

3. GUDAS GETS IT DONE

These things tend to come in bunches, I suppose.
Just three games after netting his first goal of the season, Gudas found the back of the net once again tonight when he teed up a pass from Duclair and blasted a heavy one-timer through traffic and straight past Merzlikins to extend Florida's advantage to 3-1 at 14:03 of the second period.

"A great feed, right in my wheelhouse" Gudas said of Duclair's pass. "It was a great pass to me there and to then beat the goalie. It was good for me to get one of those in. I'm really happy."
Now up to eight points (two goals, six assists) on the season, that offensive output from Gudas is really just a bonus more than anything else. Overall, his greatest contributions to the team are his veteran leadership and the physicality that he brings to the blue line each and every contest.
Striking fear into Florida's opponents, he leads the team with a whopping 204 hits.

4. THE DUKE'S STREAK

Duclair has officially found his groove.
By chipping in two assists during tonight's win, the 25-year-old forward extended his point streak to six games. In that span, he's posted three goals and four assists for eight points. And in four games since returning from a roughly two-week injury, he's notched two goals and three assists.
Asked about his success, Duclair gave a lot of credit to his linemates, Bennett and Huberdeau.
"I'm playing with some great players," Duclair said. "The acquisition of Bennett was huge for us. He's a big force down the middle. Huby is obviously one of the best playmakers in the league. Like I've said before, he'll find me out there."
Helping win the possession battle against Columbus, the Cats led 21-12 in shot attempts and 12-5 in scoring chances at 5-on-5 when Duclair was deployed tonight, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
"The consistency that we're looking for from Duke has been in place," Quenneville said of Duclair. "He's come back and been very noticeable in adding that type of element to our team."

5. BOBROVSKY WINS AGAIN

The wins are starting to pile up for Bobrovsky.
In turning aside 34 of 36 shots against the Blue Jackets tonight, the 32-year-old goaltender improved to 17-7-2 on the season. As of now, those 17 wins are tied for sixth-most in the NHL.
Of his saves tonight, six came on shots from high-danger areas, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
"It was a good game," Bobrovsky said. "Sometimes it's not easy to play those games when the opponent has nothing to lose. I thought guys were strong and played solid offensively and defensively when it was needed. It was a good game. We got two points and we keep fighting for the first spot in our division."
Going 5-2-0 over his last seven starts, Bobrovsky boasts a .924 save percentage in that span.