Latest news with #Vanecek
Miami Herald
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Panthers outlast Sabres in shootout, keep faint hopes alive of hosting a first-round playoff series
The Florida Panthers' long shot home ice hopes have extended into the final week of the NHL season because their backup goalie played like a top-flight starter Saturday and their unconventional shootout lineup did just enough to eke out the team's third win in a row. The No. 1 reason the Panthers survived the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at Amerant Bank Arena Saturday is because second-string goalie Vitek Vanecek was excellent in regulation, overtime and the shootout. Vanecek turned away 26 of the 28 Buffalo Sabres shots he faced in regulation and overtime and made Anton Lundell's shootout goal hold up. Because he did, Florida moved into a tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in the Atlantic with the regular season's finish line in sight. Florida (80 games played) and Tampa Bay (79) both have 98 points heading into Sunday's games. The Lightning will host the Sabers Sunday and then the Panthers on Tuesday before ending the season against the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden Thursday. The Panthers (47-29-4) host the Rangers Monday before ending their season in Tampa. Because of tiebreakers, the Panthers probably need to win out and get help from either the Sabers and Rangers. If they don't, the Lightning will have home ice in a likely first-round matchup between these fierce rivals, which could begin as soon as Saturday. No matter how the playoff picture shakes out, Panthers coach Paul Maurice has to love the effort he got from his band of backups Saturday. The Panthers were without six key players Saturday: Aleksander Barkov (rest), Sam Reinhart (rest), Sam Bennett (upper body), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), and Aaron Ekblad (suspended). Tkachuk hasn't played since injuring his groin in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in February, but Maurice told reporters before the game he is hopeful that his star forward to return to practice next week. 'You never know what's gonna happen with the other games ... but I like how serious the guys were,' Maurice said. 'It wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but they took their jobs seriously. I liked their professionalism.' And, presumably, their tenacity. Saturday was a grind. The Sabres led 1-0 after a clunky first period thanks to a give-and-go power play goal with 19 seconds left before intermission. Rasmus Dahlin scored his 17th on the season, finding an open net after Vanecek committed to stop Jason Zucker on his left. It was just Buffalo's seventh shot of the game. The Panthers tested Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen just nine times, and couldn't solve him in the opening 20. But every bit of the middle 20 minutes belonged to the home team. Florida got goals from Carter Verhaeghe (his 19th of the season) and Jesse Puljujarvi (his fourth, and first with the Panthers) to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. Verhaeghe tied the score exactly five minutes into the second when he gathered a loose puck in front of the net and beat Luukkonen with a backhander. In doing so, Verhaeghe posted his fourth straight season with 50 or more points. Some 10 minutes of game time later, Puljujarvi — who was likely playing Saturday only because of the Panthers' many missing pieces — redirected a shot by Uvis Balinskis past Luukkonen with one hand to give the Panthers their first lead. Balinskis set the table in his 100th career game, which Verhaeghe had the secondary assist to reach the career 300-point milestone. The vibe took a decidedly hostile turn late in the period when Jonah Gadjovich delivered a high shoulder that connected above Jiri Kulich's chest, setting off a melee that took some time to settle down. The officials reviewed the play, and ultimately determined that Gadjovich's hit was clean. The Sabres, of course, didn't appreciate any of it, and less than three minutes into third period, tried to do something about it. Alex Tuch convinced Gadjovich to drop the gloves during an early faceoff — a decision he likely regretted. Gadjovich, perhaps Florida's feistiest player, put Tuch on his backside with a series of powerful rights. The rough stuff continued, and it cost Florida its lead. The Sabers' J.J. Peterka scored on a two-man advantage midway through the third with both A.J. Greer (roughing) and Mackie Samoskevich (unsportsmanlike conduct) in the box. The game remained tied until the shootout decided it. ▪ * Prior to the game, the Panthers signed 2022 seventh-round pick Jack Devine to his rookie contract. Devine, a forward whose college career at the University of Denver ended with a loss in the Frozen Four Thursday, had the option of entering free agency. Instead, he signed with the franchise that took him 221st overall. Devine, a two-time national champion who scored 163 points in 162 games with the Pioneers, will begin his pro career immediately with the Charlotte Checkers.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers surrender another late 2-goal lead, lose on Long Island 4-2
Mar 16, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) makes a save on a shot on goal attempt in the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images) For the second time in a week, the Florida Panthers saw a third period two-goal lead slip through their fingertips. This time it was Sunday night, with Florida playing on the second night of a back-to-back and facing a desperate New York Islanders team trying to keep pace in a packed Wild Card race. Advertisement Holding a 2-0 lead entering the final frame, the Panthers couldn't find their usual, aggressive form until it was too late, losing on Long Island 4-2. If the Panthers weren't happy with their performance on Saturday night, it sure didn't show during the first period on Long Island. Florida was lucky to get out scoreless after being outshot 12-1 in the opening frame, putting up only eight shot attempts and giving up a pair of power play opportunities. An early shift in the second period by the Cats' top line would lead to the game's opening goal. Standing at the side of the goal crease, Sam Reinhart first deflected a point shot by Gus Forsling before jumping on a quick pass by Sasha Barkov at the one-minute mark of the middle frame. Advertisement Exactly 3:48 later, Reinhart fired a shot from the right half wall that deflected off the backside of Barkov and up and over the shoulder of Ilya Sorokin to give Florida a sudden 2-0 lead. The Islanders finally got a puck past Vitek Vanecek, and it came immediately after he made his latest impressive save. Sliding to his left, Vanecek got his leg pad on a shot by Marc Gatcomb, but the feisty forward picked up the rebound and skated behind the net, wrapping the puck inside the far post to cur Florida's lead to 2-1 with 13:31 to go. The Islanders continued to put the pressure on, and eventually Mike Reilly found Maxim Tsyplakov behind the Cats defense and he beat Vanecek five hole to tie the game. Advertisement Just 17 seconds later, Noah Dobson picked up the puck in the neutral zone and quickly beat Seth Jones to the net, firing the puck over Vanecek's glove. Just like that, not only was Florida's lead gone but they were also losing the game. A couple big saves by Sorokin down the stretch pushed the Islanders over the finish line, as the puck dribbled across Florida's vacated goal line with six seconds to go. On to Columbus. QUICK THOUGHTS Barkov's assist on Reinhart's goal was his first point in four games. Reinhart has logged eight points over his past six games, but he's scored only two goals in a 14-game span. Advertisement Vanecek stopped the first 47 shots he saw as a Panther, a shutout streak that lasted 106 minutes and 29 seconds. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov leaves Panthers game early after suffering upper-body injury Panthers challenging road trip continues with stop on Long Island Three takeaways: Panthers struggle again with Montreal, Maurice quite unhappy with result Smoked meat: Panthers can't complete uphill climb, fall 3-1 in Montreal Panthers road trip continues against Montreal squad fighting for playoff spot
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Islanders score four unanswered goals as Panthers lose for the third time in four games
Marc Gatcomb, Maxim Tsyplakov and Noah Dobson scored in a span of a little more than six minutes in the third period Sunday night for the New York Islanders, who stormed back to beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 in Belmont Park, New York. The Islanders (30-28-8) were outshooting the Panthers 27-12 when Gatcomb began the comeback by collecting his own rebound and scoring on a wraparound at the 6:29 mark of the third. New York tied the score with 8:44 left when Mike Reilly sent a clearing pass through the neutral zone to a streaking Tsyplakov, who nudged a shot through Vitek Vanecek's legs to cap the breakaway. Reilly returned to action Sunday after missing more than four months following surgery to address a heart condition discovered after he suffered a concussion on Nov. 1. Dobson collected the game-winner just 17 seconds later. The defenseman intercepted a pass by Uvis Balinskis and the puck bounced to Anders Lee before Dobson picked it up, bore in on Vanecek and flicked a shot over his glove. The Panthers (41-24-3) pulled Vanecek with a little under two minutes remaining. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped three shots during a pair of frantic pileups in the crease before New York won a faceoff and Simon Holmstrom scored an empty netter from his own end with 6.3 seconds left. The win was just the second this season in which the Islanders overcame a two-goal third-period deficit. They beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3, in a shootout on Nov. 5. Sorokin made 22 saves Sunday for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) and moved within four points of the New York Rangers in the race for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. Sam Reinhart scored one minute into the second and Aleksander Barkov doubled the lead at the 4:48 mark for the Panthers, who lost for the second time in as many nights and for the third time in four games (1-3-0). Florida fell 3-1 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Vanecek recorded 30 saves for Florida, which visits the Columbus Blue Jackets next on Thursday.
Miami Herald
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Islanders score four unanswered goals as Panthers lose for the third time in four games
Marc Gatcomb, Maxim Tsyplakov and Noah Dobson scored in a span of a little more than six minutes in the third period Sunday night for the New York Islanders, who stormed back to beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 in Belmont Park, New York. The Islanders (30-28-8) were outshooting the Panthers 27-12 when Gatcomb began the comeback by collecting his own rebound and scoring on a wraparound at the 6:29 mark of the third. New York tied the score with 8:44 left when Mike Reilly sent a clearing pass through the neutral zone to a streaking Tsyplakov, who nudged a shot through Vitek Vanecek's legs to cap the breakaway. Reilly returned to action Sunday after missing more than four months following surgery to address a heart condition discovered after he suffered a concussion on Nov. 1. Dobson collected the game-winner just 17 seconds later. The defenseman intercepted a pass by Uvis Balinskis and the puck bounced to Anders Lee before Dobson picked it up, bore in on Vanecek and flicked a shot over his glove. The Panthers (41-24-3) pulled Vanecek with a little under two minutes remaining. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped three shots during a pair of frantic pileups in the crease before New York won a faceoff and Simon Holmstrom scored an empty netter from his own end with 6.3 seconds left. The win was just the second this season in which the Islanders overcame a two-goal third-period deficit. They beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3, in a shootout on Nov. 5. Sorokin made 22 saves Sunday for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) and moved within four points of the New York Rangers in the race for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. Sam Reinhart scored one minute into the second and Aleksander Barkov doubled the lead at the 4:48 mark for the Panthers, who lost for the second time in as many nights and for the third time in four games (1-3-0). Florida fell 3-1 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Vanecek recorded 30 saves for Florida, which visits the Columbus Blue Jackets next on Thursday.
Fox Sports
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Vitek Vanecek earns 'Van-ny!' chants from Florida fans in strong Panthers debut
Associated Press SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Vitek Vanecek was traded to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. By Saturday night, Panthers fans were already chanting his name. Fans at Amerant Bank arena screamed 'Van-ny! Van-ny!' during a strong debut by the 29-year-old goaltender, who stopped all 21 shots he faced to help the Panthers beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 and extend their win streak to six straight games. 'I heard it, probably twice,' Vanecek said of the chants. 'That's really beautiful. The fans are great here. I mean, it's my first game, but I played a couple times (here) on different teams. I know they've always been great.' The former San Jose Sharks goalie recorded his first shutout of the season and the ninth of his career on Saturday in a dominant Panthers effort. Vanecek became just the third Florida goaltender to have a shutout in his debut, joining Chris Driedger (vs. Nashville on Nov. 30, 2019) and Jose Theodore (vs. New York Islanders on Oct. 8, 2011). 'He had to make saves tonight," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said, "and tough saves. That team, they've got some offense, and they're dangerous. And he earned that shutout.' Vanecek was one of several acquisitions Florida made ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline, as the defending Standley Cup champions gear up for a run at another cup title. Veteran stars Brad Marchand and Seth Jones were among Florida's splashy new additions. But Vanecek — added for depth after Florida sent away goalie Spencer Knight in the trade for Jones — showed Saturday how he can be a boost behind two-time Vezina Trophy-winning starter Sergei Bobrovsky. 'He's very efficient, very square like Sergei,' Maurice said. "I always found them to be fairly similar ... efficient, square and calm, and then fight. Fight for pucks and in the scrums and battle, so there's good compete in the net.' Vanecek denied Buffalo's Peyton Krebs on a breakaway in the first, then made a huge sliding save against Sabres Ryan McLeod in the second. That's when Panthers fans gave him an ovation and a rowdy applause. 'Confidence builder right away for him," said Vanecek's former Sharks teammate Nico Sturm, who joined the Panthers in a separate trade this week. "You get your first win, your first game under your belt. And then it's just all routine from here on out.' The Sharks (17-38-9) are eighth in the Pacific Division and in a completely different situation than Florida (40-21-3) which is first in the Atlantic. Sturm, who also made his debut on Saturday and got some action on special teams, said it felt nice to play meaningful hockey for the first time in a while. 'I haven't won a lot of games in the last couple of years, unfortunately,' Sturm said. "And so I think for the role that I play, it means something — like it has an impact on the game. If you kill penalties and you still give up five goals in the game, it feels like your role's a little bit irrelevant. "But today, even though I'm not on the scoresheet, we kill big penalties, get a big block, the team wins. That's your reward. It feels good." Florida has recorded three shutouts in its past four games. The Panthers have only allowed one goal during that stretch — the first team to do that since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020-21 en route to their second consecutive Stanley Cup title. And they've done it without one of their best players, star forward Matthew Tkachuk, who hasn't played since the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last month because of a lower-body injury and isn't expected to be back for at least a few weeks. Maurice credited this impressive stretch to the Panthers' top-end veterans who have put in a lot of work with the team, but he noted those key acquisitions at the trade deadline made a big impact. 'All of the teams that are in that top three in their divisions, they all just got better,' Maurice said. 'And and we did, too. For us it was specific to our needs. So we got very, very good players that came in, in the holes that we needed filled. It makes a big difference.' ___ AP NHL: recommended
