Sandis Vilmanis records four-point night as Florida Panthers beat Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 at Amerant Bank Arena

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers received a breakout offensive performance from Sandis Vilmanis and held off the Chicago Blackhawks for a 5-3 victory at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday. Vilmanis finished with two goals and two assists, the NHL’s first multipoint game of his league career, as Florida improved to 9-5-2.

Florida’s top line production was matched by two other Panthers who logged multi-point games. Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers and added two assists, while Carter Verhaeghe contributed a goal and an assist to help set up Florida’s scoring rhythm through the first two periods and defend the lead in the third.

Between the pipes, Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for the Panthers. Chicago answered with offence from multiple players, including Frank Nazar, who scored twice for the Blackhawks. Chicago also saw contributions from Connor Bedard and Ethan Del Mastro, who each recorded two assists, though the Blackhawks finished unable to overcome Florida’s two-goal cushion at several key stretches.

Spencer Knight made 25 saves for Chicago. The loss extended a difficult stretch for the Blackhawks, who entered the game having lost four straight and seven of their past eight. Despite that run, Chicago kept pace into the third period, when Nazar scored to pull the team within one.

Vilmanis opened the scoring for Florida at 4:43 of the first period, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead on the rush. The play began when Reinhart found Vilmanis at the back door from the right face-off circle, and Vilmanis converted for his first goal of the game.

Florida pushed the lead to 2-0 on a power play at 12:29. Carter Verhaeghe finished the sequence after Matthew Tkachuk fed his brother, Brady Tkachuk, down low on the right side. Brady then sent a between-the-skates pass to Verhaeghe, who scored high on Spencer Knight at the back post to extend the Panthers’ advantage.

The Panthers increased their margin in the second period with a goal that gave them their first three-goal lead of the night. At 13:20, Jones scored for a 3-0 advantage at the 13:20 mark after putting a wrist shot under Knight’s pad from the right circle. The play was set up by a cross-ice pass from Vilmanis.

Chicago responded before the middle frame ended. Roman Kantserov cut the score to 3-1 at 16:48 after a sequence that started with Bedard winning a puck battle against Lars Eller along the left boards. Bedard then sent the puck to Del Mastro down the left wing, and Del Mastro released a sharp-angle shot that went off Gustav Forsling’s skate. Kantserov followed to poke the puck in off Markstrom’s right arm.

Nazar brought Chicago back within one early in the third period with a short-handed goal at 9:31. On a short-handed breakaway, he scored with a backhand over Markstrom’s right pad to make it 4-2 and set up a late push from the Blackhawks.

Vilmanis restored Florida’s two-goal lead at 11:01 to stem that momentum and put the Panthers back in control. After Niko Mikkola’s point shot was blocked by Ian Cole, Verhaeghe stole the puck at the left hash marks. Vilmanis then collected the loose puck in the left circle and scored under Knight’s right arm for his second goal of the game and Florida’s 4-2 advantage.

With the score still in play, Nazar added his second goal at 16:09 to pull Chicago within one again. He converted with a wrist shot from the right point to the far side, making it 4-3 and keeping the Blackhawks within reach as the final minutes approached.

Reinhart then sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal at 18:33. With Florida in front late, Reinhart scored into the open net to set the final score at 5-3.