Panthers Down Kings

     The Florida Panthers dropped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night. The Cats were came off a four-game road trip and have now won three straight games. 

     Kings captain and center Anze Kopitar made his final appearance as a player in Sunrise. He will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. 

      Los Angeles(14-10-9) scooted out to a 1-0 lead on the power play with 6:21 left in the first period. Alex Lafferiere sent the puck from the left corner back to the left point. Brandt Clarke shot it from the top of the zone and Joel Armia redirected it in from the slot area past Daniil Tarasov for his eighth goal this season. 

      Florida(18-13-2) tied it up 1-1 at the 2:14 mark of the second period with the man advantage. Mackie Samoskevich angled a pass from the left wing. Aaron Ekblad snapped a shot from the top of the zone and Anton Lundell deflected it at the top of the crease by Anton Forsberg for his 11th goal of the campaign. 

      The Panthers moved ahead 2-1 at 7:04. Brad Marchand pushed the puck from the right wing and Jeff Petry took a one-time slap shot from the top of the zone which was saved. Carter Verhaeghe spun in the low right circle and squeezed in a forehand shot for his 11th goal of the season. 

       The Cats made it 3-1 only 10 seconds into the third period. Marchand intercepted a pass and then centered the puck from the left wing. Sam Bennett collected his 11th goal in 2025-26 when he deflected it in from the low left circle. 

       The Kings closed it to 3-2 at the 4:48 mark of the third. Following a right-circle faceoff, Gustav Forsling attempted to clear the puck from his own left goal line. It bounced off Kevin Fiala in the low right circle and into the Panthers cage for his 12th goal of the year.