Florida Panthers vs Anaheim Ducks Recap
The Florida Panthers are currently in the race for the last wildcard spot, and the Anaheim Ducks might be picking number one overall. The Panthers were -425, while the Ducks were +330, with the over/under at 7.
Game Recap
The Panthers fell behind 2-0 early despite outshooting the Ducks for the whole first period. In the second period, the Panthers were able to rally back after goals from Eric Staal and Marc Staal. This was the 15th time in their careers that both Staal brothers scored in the same game.
In the third period, the Ducks answered back to make it 3-2 after a power play goal from Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers answered back when Ryan Lomberg scored the game-tying goal to end the scoring in regulation.
The Panthers had many chances to end it in regulation, including a breakaway from Matthew Tkachuk where he tried his signature between-the-legs shot, for the second time, that missed the net. The Ducks also had a power play after the game was tied but failed to have any real scoring chances.
Overtime
The chances started right away for the Panthers after Cam Fowler skated into his own teammate, but the Panthers couldn’t close the deal. After a counterattack from the Ducks, a 50/50 puck in the neutral zone was up for grabs.
Thanks to a great forecheck from his teammates, gaining possession, and a pass to Carter Verhaeghe, he was able to break away and finish with a beautiful shot placed where grandma hides the cookies.
The Panthers are currently two points ahead of Pittsburgh for the final wildcard spot. In a game they could not afford to lose to the lowly Ducks, the Panthers dodged a bullet at home.
Betting Recap
For a team that was -425, the Panthers should make their bettors sweat this one out. If you bet on the Ducks, this was a heartbreaker as they blew two leads and had many chances to win it at the end of regulation.
As far as the Over/Under goes, the under bet this game was a brutal push as John Gibson had 50 saves while still allowing four goals. Based on these two teams in their last 10 games, as well as overall, the under looked favorable. When Lomberg scored the game-tying goal to make it 3-3, all that went down the drain with the inevitable 4-3 final for either team.
Overall, any future bets for the Ducks to have the first pick still look possible, and for the Panthers to make the playoffs still look profitable.
