Lars Eller's Late Winner Lifts Panthers Past Blackhawks 3-2

Florida needed this one. The Panthers had been sliding on the road, and a 3-2 win at the United Center stopped the bleeding. Lars Eller's go-ahead goal with less than three minutes left was the difference, and it gave Florida two points it badly needed. Chicago is young and still finding its footing, but the Panthers didn't make this easy on themselves.

Florida Panthers center Lars Eller (20) celebrates his game-winning goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Akira Schmid steadies after a rough start

With Jacob Markström on the shelf, the crease belongs to Akira Schmid, and the early minutes weren't kind to him. He has developed a habit of conceding early goals, and this time the opener came off one of the strangest bounces of the season. It's the kind of goal a goaltender can't do much about, but it still put Florida behind and tested his composure.

What matters is how he responded. Schmid settled in and finished with 19 saves on the afternoon, good for a .905 save percentage. It's his first start of the season with a final save percentage above .900, and that's a meaningful marker for a netminder who has had to earn every bit of trust in a Florida net that has been tested. My read is that the bounce-goal problem is more about timing than talent. A goalie who keeps his game steady after a soft start gives his team a real chance to come back, and that's what happened here.

Discipline is the problem again

Here's the thing: Florida has now taken the most penalties in the NHL this season, according to StatMuse's league-wide tally. That's not a new concern, but Sunday showed how quickly it can turn a manageable game into a dangerous one. The Panthers handed Chicago seven power-play opportunities, which is the kind of number that usually decides a result on its own.

The penalty kill deserves real credit for holding that line. Seven chances against a team that has been trying to find an identity is a lot of work, and the unit kept Chicago from turning those opportunities into a comeback. Still, relying on the kill to bail you out every night isn't a sustainable plan.

The bigger worry came on a play that never got a whistle. Radko Gudas threw a flying elbow at a young Blackhawks forward. No official on the ice saw it, but on replay the contact landed up high rather than on the chest, which is exactly the sort of hit that draws a major penalty and a game misconduct. Had that happened, Florida would have been short-handed for five minutes and without a defenseman. We haven't seen many plays like that from the Panthers this year, but the discipline overall has been loose. Against a team that is still building its power play, seven chances in one night is an invitation to trouble, and the Panthers can't count on getting lucky again.

Depth scoring shows up when it matters

When the top of the lineup goes quiet for a couple of games, the bottom half has to produce, and it did. Sandis Vilmanis and Eller each scored their first goals of the season. Eller's was the winner, coming with under three minutes to play, and it's the kind of contribution that changes how a team feels about its depth.

There's still work to do. Among players who have appeared in at least 10 games, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and forwards Garnet Hathaway and Bokondji Imama have yet to find the back of the net. None of those three is going to carry the offence, but a couple of goals from that group would take pressure off a core built around the Tkachuks, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart. Matthew Tkachuk's goal on Sunday was a welcome sign that the top line is starting to find its footing again, and the Panthers will need that group to keep pace.

Next stop: Winnipeg

Florida's next test takes it north to face the Winnipeg Jets, who play the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic on Sunday night. The matchup carries extra weight. It's the Panthers' first meeting with Winnipeg since the Jets traded franchise goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, so Florida will see a team that has reshaped its goaltending picture in a hurry.

That's a useful test for a team trying to turn two points into a stretch of consistent play. Teams in Florida's spot, coming off a rough road trip and carrying a penalty problem, usually show their real identity against a new opponent in a tough building. If the Panthers can keep Schmid steady, cut down on the undisciplined hits, and get more production beyond the top line, this win could be the start of something. If the penalties creep back, the late winner in Chicago will look like a lucky break rather than a turning point.