Thursday, March 25, 2021 08:00 PM (ET)

Blackhawks blank Panthers for sweep of two-game series

Field Level Media
Mar 25, 2021

Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel both had a goal and an assist to back a 41-save shutout by Kevin Lankinen as the host Chicago Blackhawks defeated Florida 3-0 on Thursday night for their second straight victory over the Panthers.

Chicago stymied six Florida power plays to remain perfect to start a six-game homestand. The Panthers fell to 0-3 on a five-game road trip while losing for the fourth time in five games overall.

Lankinen stopped 17 shots in the second period, including a save on Jonathan Huberdeau as the Panthers were unable to capitalize on a 3-on-0 rush with just under three minutes remaining in the period. The Blackhawks exhaled midway through the period when Anthony Duclair hit the crossbar on a short-handed breakaway opportunity for the Panthers.

The Blackhawks earned their third shutout of the season, with Lankinen contributing his second. He previously blanked Detroit 2-0 on Feb. 17.

Chicago managed a meager 20 shots against Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, but a flurry early in the second period stood up as the only offense the club would need.

Kane opened the scoring on a power-play goal at 1:05 of the period, sliding in amid heavy traffic in front of the net and flipping a loose puck over a sprawling Bobrovsky. Pius Suter made it 2-0 just 2:29 later, kicking a rebound of an Alex DeBrincat shot to himself before gathering the puck and shooting it into an open net.

Hagel added an empty net goal at 18:36 of the third period.

Florida was blanked for the second time this season and first since falling 3-0 to the visiting Dallas Stars on Feb. 24.

Panthers leading scorer Aleksander Barkov missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Florida coach Joel Quenneville said before the game that Barkov is "feeling way better" after being a late scratch Tuesday, and the team will assess whether Barkov might play during the team's back-to-back series in Dallas on Saturday and Sunday.

--Field Level Media

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