With star forward Sam Reinhart sidelined due to a left knee injury, the Florida Panthers turned to Jesper Boqvist — and he stepped up in a big way.
Boqvist filled Reinhart’s spot in the lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night and quickly made his mark. With the score tied 1-1 in the third period, Boqvist scored the go-ahead goal, kicking off a stunning five-goal surge over nine minutes that led the Panthers to a dominant 6-2 win. Florida is now just one victory away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year.
“You have to stay ready,” Boqvist said after the game. And ready he was. He ended the night with a goal, two assists, and a plus-four rating.
“Bokey has been excellent every time he’s played,” said teammate Brad Marchand. “That goal gave us a lot of confidence to keep building.”
Reinhart suffered the injury during Game 2 when Carolina’s Sebastian Aho collided with him, making contact with his left knee. Reinhart struggled to skate off the ice, visibly in pain, and did not return to the game. The team has listed him as day-to-day.
Losing Reinhart is a significant hit for Florida. He scored the game-winner in last season’s Stanley Cup Final Game 7 and led the team this year with 43 goals, including playoffs. Since joining the Panthers four years ago, his 185 goals are far ahead of the next closest teammate.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice acknowledged the loss, saying, “It’s a major player out of our lineup. But we’ve dealt with this kind of adversity before. You need depth to survive in this league, and tonight was another example of that.”
Boqvist’s performance reinforced the Panthers’ belief in their depth. Florida has praised its roster balance throughout the postseason, and Game 3 proved that their bench can deliver in high-pressure moments.
Marchand echoed the sentiment: “Depth only matters if you use it the right way. That’s what we did tonight.”
Reinhart’s absence was felt on special teams as well — he leads the Panthers in power-play goals (80), game-winning goals (30), multi-goal games (29), and shorthanded goals (10) over the past four seasons. Yet even without their top scorer, Florida’s offense exploded.
Maurice emphasized the importance of being prepared: “Everyone has a role, and it’s important for guys to stay ready. You never know when your moment will come.”
Thanks to Boqvist’s readiness, the Panthers are one win away from another shot at hockey’s ultimate prize.
