The severely depleted Blue Jackets faced the Panthers in sunny South Florida. Nylander was in the lineup after being a game-time decision, but unfortunately, there wasn’t nearly enough skill to overcome the talent gap. The 104-point team did exactly what you would expect them to do against this team.
1st Period
The Panthers scored less than a minute into the game. Off the rush, Tkachuk beat Greaves cleanly on the blocker side.
FLA Goal 1-0: Tkachuk (Ekman-Larsson, Cousins) 0:47
Werenski nearly scored a similar goal when he had a rush opportunity, but he sent the shot wide.