Panthers Top Kings 3-2, Sweep Season Series

Sunrise, Fla. Sam Bennett scored just 10 seconds into the third period, and the Florida Panthers held on for a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night at Amerant Bank Arena, completing a sweep of the season series.

The win marked Florida's sixth victory in its last seven games, improving the team's record to 18-13-2 and pushing it into a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 38 points. The Panthers, who sat near the bottom of the standings two weeks ago, have surged forward on a 6-1-1 run, positioning themselves firmly in the playoff race as the season approaches its midpoint. In contrast, the Kings extended their winless streak to four games at 0-2-2, matching an earlier skid from October.

Los Angeles struck first at 13:39 of the opening period on a power play, capitalizing on a double minor penalty to Florida's Sam Bennett for high-sticking. Brandt Clarke fired a shot from the point that Joel Armia deflected past Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov, giving the Kings a 1-0 lead.

Florida responded aggressively in the second period, tying the game at 2:14 on a power play of its own. Aaron Ekblad wristed a shot from the point that Anton Lundell tipped in...