RECAP: Mammoth 4, Panthers 3

SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers saw their winning streak snapped at three games with a disappointing 4-3 loss to the Utah Mammoth at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday.

With the loss, the Panthers now sit at 28-21-3.

“They played hard,” forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “I know they’re on back-to-back nights, but they hung around. They got some nice goals. We weren’t good enough.”

Despite the Panthers being on the power play, the Mammoth broke the ice late the first period when Nick Schmaltz scored on a shorthanded breakaway to make it 1-0 at 15:46.

A tight start, the Panthers led 9-6 in scoring chances after 20 minutes.

Netting the first goal of his NHL career, Sandis Vilmanis, playing in just his ninth game, evened the score for the Panthers in the second period when he took advantage of a turnover after some strong forechecking from his teammates and quickly sniped a shot past Utah goaltender Vitek Vanecek from the slot to make it 1-1 at 2:52.

“Every goal is nice to score, especially if it’s your first one in the NHL,” said Vilmanis, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. “Big thanks to the guys. They worked their asses off for me there behind the net.”

But just 54 seconds later, Sean Durzi put the Mammoth back on top 2-1 at 3:46.

With his first goal already in his back pocket, Vilmanis locked down the first multi-point game of his NHL career when he set up fellow youngster Cole Scwhindt for a goal with a beautiful drop pass that evened the score for the Panthers and made it 2-2 at 9:55.

“He’s big and he’s got some speed,” head coach Paul Maurice said of Schwindt, who’s recently returned from a broken arm and has scored three goals in 16 games this season. “With the injury he had, it would take him a little while to get right. I thought he’s back battling on pucks. I like the way he’s played.”

After absorbing a big hit late in the second period, Anton Lundell stayed in the locker room did not return for the third for the Panthers. After the game, Maurice said that Lundell, who ranks fifth on the team with 36 points, sustained an upper-body injury but should be OK.

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Maurice said.

Despite the Panthers continuing to generate most of the offense, the Mammoth managed to regain the lead when Mikael Sergachev skated through the slot and tipped a point shot from Durzi past Sergei Bobrovsky and into the right side of the cage to make it 3-2 at 11:05.

After pulling Bobrovsky for the extra attacker late in regulation, the Panthers were denied what could’ve been a game-altering power play when Matthew Tkachuk was whistled for embellishment after being sent flying to the ice on a clear-as-day trip from the Mammoth.

Following that upsetting turn of events for the Panthers, the Mammoth pushed their lead to 4-2 when Barrett Hayton cashed in on the empty net with 56 remaining on the clock.

Not going down without a fight, the Panthers, after pulling Bobrovsky again, trimmed their deficit to 4-3 with 16.1 seconds in regulation on a snipe from Verhaeghe. But even after generating a few more looks after that, the final horn sounded before they could tie things up.

In defeat, the Panthers led 30-19 in scoring chances.

“We had lots of good chances,” Verhaeghe said. “Vitek played an awesome game against us. It’s tough. We need the points, but we’re right back it. It’s a lot of games in a small amount of time, so hopefully we can rebound here.”

THEY SAID IT

“He’s been awesome. Such a great player. Everyone was so happy for him. I’m so happy for him. He’s had a lot of good looks in the last couple games and he’s playing so well.” – Carter Verhaeghe on Sandis Vilmanis’ first NHL goal

“We had that good pressure, but we should’ve put more pucks to the net and someone in front, someone next to the goalie, so they can get those rebounds off.” – Sandis Vilmanis on the Panthers not getting enough past Vitek Vanecek

CATS STATS

- Evan Rodrigues won a team-high six faceoffs.

- Sandis Vilmanis recorded a team-high five hits.

- The Panthers led 38-27 in shot attempts at 5-on-5.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Back on the road they go.

The Panthers will look to bounce back from their loss to the Mammoth when they travel to St. Louis for a showdown with the Blues at Enterprise Center on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

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