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The Panthers got a win in their first preseason contest of 2026 on Sunday night in Florida, with much of their roster made up of players expected to make the roster on Opening Night, as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 in front of a loud sellout crowd at Amerant Bank Arena. Much of the attention was on the newest Panther, Brady Tkachuk, who made his debut in a Florida sweater. The younger Tkachuk brother didn’t disappoint as he finished with a Gordie Howe hat trick with two goals, an assist and a fighting major. (The Hockey News)
He also earned some brownie points, as his fight with Charles Alexis Legault was a direct response to a hit just moments earlier on new team captain Sasha Barkov. Brady, who also saw some time on Florida’s top power play unit, was on the ice for 14:09 and finished with a game-high seven shots on eight tries. His line, with Barkov and Sam Reinhart, combined for three goals, five points, 13 shots and a plus-7 on-ice rating. “I thought it was a good first game,” Tkachuk said of the line. (The Hockey News)
“I thought we made good small area plays to one another. It’s nice. It was our first crack at it and I’m excited about what level we can get to.” He wasn’t the only player to collect three points, however. (The Hockey News)
Cats defenseman Niko Mikkola scored a nice goal on a shot from the point while adding a pair of assists, all during the second period. Mikkola’s goal was aided into the net by Barkov, who parked himself in front of the net and provided a large screen on goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. (NHL.com)
Sunday was a big day for Barkov, playing in his first game on his home ice since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. (NHL.com)
There didn’t appear to be any rust on Barkov, which is no surprise after his impressive showing back in May when he helped Finland claim gold at the IIHF World Championships. (NHL.com)
He sniped a goal on a breakaway after being led into Carolina’s zone by Brady Tkachuk, a nice return of the favor after Barkov assisted on Tkachuk’s first period power play goal. (NHL.com)
Cole Reinhardt had a solid game on Florida’s fourth line, coming away with a couple of goals while skating on a line with Cole Schwindt and Jack Devine. (NHL.com)
Next up for Florida will be a road date with the Hurricanes on Tuesday night in Raleigh. Carolina left most of their NHL regulars at home in Raleigh, which could mean the Panthers will be in for a tougher test. (NHL.com)
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