Vilmanis scores twice as Panthers beat Blackhawks 5-3
Sandis Vilmanis finished with four points, while Frank Nazar scored twice for Chicago.
Florida held off a third-period push from Chicago for a 5-3 home win Wednesday, with Sandis Vilmanis contributing two goals and two assists. It was his first NHL game with more than one goal.
Vilmanis put the Panthers ahead at 4:43 of the first period. Carter Verhaeghe followed on the power play at 12:29, and Seth Jones extended the lead to 3-0 in the second. Roman Kantserov answered before the second intermission.
Frank Nazar scored on a short-handed breakaway at 9:31 of the third, bringing Chicago within one. Vilmanis responded 90 seconds later to make it 4-2. Nazar struck again at 16:09, but Sam Reinhart finished the scoring into an empty net with 1:27 remaining.
Reinhart also supplied two assists. Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots for Florida, which improved to 9-5-2 with its fourth win in five games.
Connor Bedard and Ethan Del Mastro each assisted on two Chicago goals. Spencer Knight made 25 saves as the Blackhawks fell to 4-11-1 and lost their fourth straight game.
