There was a lot going on around Florida Panthers before the puck ever dropped on Opening Night.
That’s life when you’re the Stanley Cup Champs.
A lavish championship ring ceremony and a Stanley Cup Champions banner raising were on the checklist of things to get done ahead of actual hockey being played.
Once the Cats got to the game, though, they picked up right where they left off last season, picking up a solid 3-2 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.
It was the Blackhawks who picked up the game’s opening goal, and it came right after the visitors killed off the night’s first power play.
Speedy sophomore Frank Nazar got behind Florida’s defense and beat Sergei Bobrovsky on his stick side to give Chicago a 1-0 lead just past the midway point of the opening period.
It was a lead that lasted all of 63 seconds.
With Florida’s fourth line putting on some post-goal pressure, a point shot from Gus Forsling was stopped by Knight through a screen, but A.J. Greer was waiting at the doorstep to bang home the rebound and quickly tie the game.
Just 3:01 later, Florida took their first lead of the game.
Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov was called for his second minor penalty of the period, and this time Florida cashed in when Carter Verhaeghe found himself with the puck on his stick and all kinds of time and space to the left of Spencer Knight.
Verhaeghe’s first of the season made it 2-1 Florida with 5:52 left in first period.
Florida held a 17-3 shot advantage after the opening period, but it took the Blackhawks all of 69 seconds to log two shots and a goal once the middle frame began.
Connor Bedard was stopped by Bobrovsky on a breakaway, but moments later Teuvo Taravainen finished off a great feed from Nazar on a 2-on-1 to knot the score at two.
Soon after, with the Blackhawks on the power play, Evan Rodrigues needed help getting off the ice after blocking a point shot with the inside of his right knee.
Fortunately for the Panthers, both Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart, who left the ice after taking a Seth Jones backhand clearing attempt off the face, were back on the ice later in the period.
The game remained deadlocked at two until the 9:40 mark of the third period.
Mackie Samoskevich chased down a puck dump in the corner to the left of Knight and sent a backhand feed to the front of the net.
Flying down the slot, Jesper Boqvist choked up on his stick and batted the puck out of midair and into the net to give the Cats a 3-2 lead.
Florida continued to put the pressure on, but couldn’t solve Knight, who came up with big save after big save.
It was all good for the Panthers, as they earned the big two points on Opening Night.
On to the Flyers.
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Photo caption: Oct 7, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) celebrates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
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