The Vancouver Canucks secured their first win of the season with a 3-2 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. J.T. Miller scored the game-winning goal just 2 minutes and 9 seconds into the extra period. Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes also found the back of the net for the Canucks, with Kevin Lankinen making 26 saves in goal.
On the other side, Anton Lundell continued his impressive form for the Panthers with his fourth goal in the last three games. Jesper Boqvist also scored for Florida, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for the Panthers, who were missing key players Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk due to injury and illness.
The Canucks have been strong starters in games this season, taking the lead in three out of their four matchups. However, they have struggled in Florida recently, with just two wins in their last 10 games in the state.
A controversial moment in the game came in the second period when Quinn Hughes scored to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead. The Panthers argued that the play should have been called back for a hand pass, but the officials disagreed, and the goal stood. Despite the setback, Lundell’s impressive goal-scoring streak has been a bright spot for the Panthers in Barkov’s absence.
Looking ahead, both teams will be back in action on Saturday. The Canucks will travel to Philadelphia, while the Panthers will host the Vegas Golden Knights in a matchup of the last two Stanley Cup champions.
Overall, it was a hard-fought game between the Canucks and the Panthers, with Vancouver ultimately coming out on top in overtime. The Panthers will look to bounce back in their next game and continue their strong start to the season, while the Canucks will aim to build on this win and gain momentum moving forward.
