3 most impressive Florida Panthers players from 3-0 win over Calgary Flames feat. Evan Rodrigues

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers handed former players Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar a rough homecoming on Saturday, shutting out the Calgary Flames 3-0 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

Huberdeau and Weegar, who spent years in Florida before their blockbuster 2023 trade for Matthew Tkachuk, returned to familiar ice, but the Panthers denied them a warm welcome. Florida secured its eighth win in 10 games, improving to 37-21-3, while Calgary fell to 28-23-8.

Tkachuk, sidelined with an injury, was absent from the Florida lineup, but the Panthers still dominated behind a strong defensive effort and efficient scoring.

While there was no scoring in the opening 20 minutes, the Panthers broke the ice in the second period with a goal from Jonah Gadjovich, his third of the season. Later in the period, Evan Rodrigues scored his 14th goal, extending the lead to 2-0.

In the third period, the Panthers struck again thanks to a goal from Mackie Samoskevich, his 10th, to cap the scoring.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky held down the fort, making 23 saves for his third shutout of the season. Calgary’s Dan Vladar did everything possible for his team, stopping 39 of 42 shots.

3 most impressive Florida Panthers players from 3-0 win over Calgary Flames

#1. Evan Rodrigues

One of the unsung heroes of the Panthers’ Stanley Cup run last spring, Rodrigues came through in the clutch once again.

He tied for a team-high two points in the win against the Flames while finishing with a plus-2 rating and five shots on goal. He was all over the ice and made a considerable impact in securing two points.

#2. Sergei Bobrovsky

Reliable as ever for the defending champions, Bobrovsky wasn’t overly busy, facing just 23 shots, but he stopped all of them for his third shutout of the season.

He stopped four attempts each from Mikael Backlund and Connor Zary, along with four shots from former Panther MacKenzie Weegar.

#3. Sam Bennett

One of the key players for Team Canada in the recently completed Four Nations Face-Off tournament, Bennett played a key role in Florida’s victory over Calgary with two assists.

He also had five shots on goal and three hits.