WASHINGTON — The “Comeback Cats” are back again — in playoff form.
Known for their propensity to play from at the rear of and gain on the way to the NHL’s ideal standard time, the Florida Panthers at last delivered a minimal of that magic in the postseason, and not a moment as well late.
Sam Reinhart tied it late in regulation, Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in Match 4 Monday evening to tie the initially-spherical series.
No workforce experienced additional comeback victories than Florida’s 24 this period, and now it has house-ice edge again heading into Game 5 on Wednesday night time in Sunrise.
“I come to feel a ton of have faith in in them that they’ll make anything happen,” interim mentor Andew Brunette reported. “They’ve accomplished it all yr and they continued to do it tonight.”
The Panthers were just more than two minutes absent from facing the prospect of receiving knocked out at household. Then, with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky pulled for an additional attacker, Reinhart collected a unfastened puck just after it bounced off Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway and defeat Ilya Samsonov with 2:04 remaining in the 3rd interval.
“Those are the form of predicaments you want to be in as a hockey player,” Reinhart claimed. “It’s a recreation that can genuinely go possibly way at the finish of it and we trapped with it and we’re delighted with the end result.”
Brunette was pleased he didn’t get in touch with Bobrovsky to the bench quicker. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner made a proper pad save on Marcus Johansson with 3:24 still left — 15 seconds right before likely off and a handful of shifts ahead of Reinhart scored.
“It’s substantial possessing him again there,” Reinhart claimed. “He’s been sound all series and gives us all the assurance in the world to make plays.”
Supplied the blend of nerves and playoff inexperience that contributed to Florida’s struggles in the collection, Reinhart’s aim could convert out to be the one particular that saved its time. Verhaeghe’s 2nd goal of the recreation 4:57 into OT gave the Panthers an more shot of adrenaline for the flight residence.
“We needed to come in and have our most effective sport of the series, and I believe we did a quite superior career,” said Verhaeghe, who performed eight games in the 2020 playoff bubble for the Tampa Bay Lightning when they received the first of consecutive Stanley Cup titles. “It’s just kind of a constructing block. We know we have another level to get to, and we’re a great group, so I believe it’s just creating some self confidence.
The Panthers outshot the Capitals 32-16 and search to be acquiring their sport even amid some trouble finishing. They went for 4 on the electricity perform to make it for 13 in the series and couldn’t set the puck in the net at 5 on 5. Verhaeghe’s 1st purpose came at 4 on 4.
Washington enable a late direct slip absent following likely up 2-1 on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s purpose with 10:29 remaining in regulation. T.J. Oshie scored a electrical power-perform purpose in the 1st for the Capitals, who have not gained consecutive playoff game titles sine 2019.
“At the conclusion, it was bad bounces and it goes in,” captain Alex Ovechkin reported. “It is likely to be a tricky, prolonged collection, so shift on. Forget about about it, go on.”
Holding on would have presented the Capitals an prospect to finish off the Panthers on Wednesday. Blowing the guide is a blow for a team now playing without having suitable winger Tom Wilson and now needing to earn at least the moment a lot more on the street.
“In 3rd interval, it was all the things in our arms,” Kuznetsov reported. “We’re likely to perform greatest-of-a few ideal now. There is no panic. Continue to rather fantastic prospect.”
The Panthers truly feel the exact same way immediately after clawing again in a series that has viewed the teams trade wins. But they’re attempting to continue to be even keel given the large anticipations on them to make a operate and the climb they experienced to make to tie matters up.
“Glad to go home even in the collection 2-2,” captain Aleksander Barkov mentioned. “Just continue to keep operating. Retain acquiring superior. Preserve discovering techniques to gain.”
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