Lars Eller scores late goal as Panthers beat Blackhawks 3-2

The Florida Panthers secured a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, with Lars Eller scoring his first goal of the season late in the third period, WSVN 7News reported. Eller’s goal came with 2:23 remaining, capitalizing on a Chicago line change to beat goalie Spencer Knight with a high shot.

Matthew Tkachuk and Sandis Vilmanis also scored for the Panthers, who ended their two-game losing streak. Chicago’s goals were scored by Roman Kantserov and Ryan Greene, according to CBS News Miami. The Blackhawks have now lost three consecutive games.

The Blackhawks struggled on the power play, failing to score on seven opportunities, including two brief 5-on-3 advantages, which lowered their NHL-worst conversion rate to 8.33%, WSVN 7News noted. Chicago defenseman Bowen Byram missed his fourth game due to an upper-body injury, with Kevin Korchinski filling in.

Florida forward Carter Verhaeghe marked his 500th NHL game and recorded an assist during the match. The Panthers outshot Chicago 15-6 in the first period and took a 2-1 lead early, WSVN 7News reported. The Panthers are set to play their final game of a four-game road trip in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Chicago will continue their seven-game homestand by hosting the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, CBS News Miami stated.