To alter a NHL slogan, history was not made when the Florida Panthers met the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. But didn’t you just get that odd feeling when the shootout began?
Only 14 more rounds in the shootout would’ve tied those two teams for the NHL record in a deciding skills competition, which was set Tuesday by the, um, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals.
Remember that? Good times.
No, the Panthers needed only six rounds to defeat the Flyers. Dave Bolland played the hero this time, scoring the winner, as Florida went on to a 2-1 victory. Florida has won three of its last four games, with all of them being decided in either overtime or the shootout. The Panthers are on a three-game winning streak in the shootout.
#FlaPanthers Gerard Gallant on 3rd straight SO win: "..they would all even out. We've been in so many, we should be getting good at them.''
— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) December 19, 2014
The same can’t be said for the Flyers, who continue to struggle in the shootout.
#Flyers 10 straight losses via shootout is the 3rd longest skid in NHL history.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 19, 2014
On the other hand, it’s a significant win for goalie Roberto Luongo, too.
According to NHL.com, that’s Luongo’s 385th career victory, which ties him for 12th on the all-time list with Mike Vernon.