The Florida Panthers knew very well that these final two games before the Christmas break were crucial in terms of standing. But most importantly, while the Red Wings weren’t the ‘toughest’ of opponents, the Cats still needed to get off to a fast start.
Getting off to a fast start is exactly what the Panthers did. In the opening three minutes in the period on the man advantage, Mike Hoffman sniped his 16th of the season to give the Panthers an early lead.
The Red Wings, on the other hand, took matters into their own hands and took the play to Florida shortly after.