Sunrise, FL – Immediately after the Florida Panthers traded away Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, a 2019 2nd round pick, and two 2019 4th round picks, the Cats hosted the Pens, welcoming home their former sons. It would be a bittersweet return for the now Penguins, as they would not be successful in a revenge campaign. Although, McCann made sure the Cats would know what they gave up.

Watching Jared McCann score against the #FlaPanthers like pic.twitter.com/ds71clhsB4

— y – Jacob @ PantherPourri, a @FlaHockeyNow Podcast (@PTPJacob) February 8, 2019

It was a typical Panthers game. They took the lead and gave it up like a sex addiction… twice! No one ever falls off the wagon just once, and the Panthers are pioneers on the Oregon Trail who are dying of dysentery.

Evgenii Dadonov got his Cat Daddy swag going in the 1st period, scoring on a power play. Coming into Wednesday’s game, Pittsburgh owned the NHL’s best road power play percentage. The last time the Penguins were in town, Dadonov scored a hat trick and the Panthers won 6-5. Spoiler alert, the Cats gave up the lead in that game too…

Here’s where McCann came through for the Pens. The Cats were on a power-play, where they hold down the #2 NHL ranking in power-play percentage. However, who none other than Jared to know exactly what the Panthers were about to do? McCann caught Florida snoozing in the middle of a line switch and countered, going top shelf on Roberto Luongo.

JARED MCCANN WITH A GORGEOUS SHOT ON THE ODD-MAN RUSH! SHORTY!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/wRbY7kaIbO

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 8, 2019

The two clubs would trade goals because the Panthers can’t keep a lead. Florida’s next goal was scored by Colton Sceviour, assisted by Aleksander Barkov for his 300th NHL point!

🚨@Sceviour7 comes up big! The @FlaPanthers take the lead back as @Barkovsasha95 notches his 300th NHL point, assisting Sceviour.
Cats lead 2-1 in the 2nd intermission.#FLAPanthers #OneTerritory 😼 pic.twitter.com/WU42mUxcW3

— Lemon City Live (@LemonCityLive) February 8, 2019

The Penguins would inevitably tie it up again and send the game into overtime off a 3rd period Marcus Pettersson goal. Same old Cats, right? Wrong! Jonathan Huberdeau was handing out Huby Snacks and Mike Matheson‘s got a sweet tooth. He received the puck right in front of the net and beat out Pens goalie Casey DeSmith for the game-winner.

Pittsburgh is now 1-3 in games that Evgeni Malkin has missed due to injury. The Panthers have quietly won five of their last seven games, four of which were at home.

🚨#GameWinner!@mmatheson19 gives the @FlaPanthers the overtime win over the @penguins!
Cats win 3-2!#FLAPanthers #OneTerritory 😼 pic.twitter.com/VsyhaQoXGj

— Lemon City Live (@LemonCityLive) February 8, 2019

Slap Shots:

• Sidney Crosby ties Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh Penguins franchise record of 915 games played.
• The Panthers have scored eight power-play goals over their last six games.

Photo by Eliot J. Schechter