Best: John Gibson
The Anaheim goaltender came to play tonight. Gibson stopped 35 of 37 Florida shots and did all he could to keep his team in the game. His best stretch came on 1:55 of 5v3 play in the second period. It will be interesting see if Gibson’s play suffers after February 4th, which is the day the NHL mandates that all goalies switch to streamlined pants. Most goalies have opted to wait until the last moment to get as much practice time in as possible with the new gear.
Worst: Everyone Else
The physical Anaheim skaters were no match for the Panthers’ speed.