Columbus Blue Jackets at Florida Panthers
NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers on Mar 12, 2026. Final score: Columbus Blue Jackets 1, Florida Panthers 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Amerant Bank Arena |
| Columbus Blue Jackets score | 1 |
| Florida Panthers score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sam Reinhart | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:52 | 0.49 | 1.39 |
| 2nd | Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 1 | 4 | 20:19 | 0.85 | 0.84 |
| 3rd | Mackie Samoskevich | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.19 | 0.79 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Columbus Blue Jackets–Florida Panthers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 13:01 | CBJ | Adam Fantilli | Mason Marchment | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 3rd 01:28 | FLA | Sam Bennett | Sam Reinhart, Mackie Samoskevich | 5v4 | 1–1 |
| OT 02:20 | FLA | Sam Reinhart | Matthew Tkachuk, Mike Benning | 4v3 | 1–2 |
Team Comparison
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Florida Panthers | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 31 | 21 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.59 | 3.29 |
| High-danger shots | 13 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 50.9% | 49.1% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 2/2 |
| Faceoff % | 58.5% | 41.5% |
| Hits | 13 | 23 |
| Blocks | 10 | 17 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 23 |
| Takeaways | 7 | 5 |
Columbus Blue Jackets Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Marchment | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 20:19 | 0.85 | 0.84 |
| Adam Fantilli | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:31 | 0.31 | 0.50 |
| Dante Fabbro | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:55 | 0.02 | 0.15 |
| Jake Christiansen | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:00 | 0.05 | 0.15 |
| Ivan Provorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:34 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Boone Jenner | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:07 | 0.07 | 0.10 |
| Charlie Coyle | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:49 | 0.09 | 0.10 |
| Denton Mateychuk | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:28 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| Kirill Marchenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:54 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Cole Sillinger | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:41 | 0.27 | 0.05 |
| Mathieu Olivier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:05 | 0.26 | 0.05 |
| Sean Monahan | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:45 | 0.14 | 0.05 |
| Dmitri Voronkov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:18 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Kent Johnson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:48 | 0.21 | 0.05 |
| Conor Garland | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:21 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Zach Werenski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 28:31 | 0.41 | -0.05 |
| Isac Lundeström | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:20 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Damon Severson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:06 | 0.11 | -0.25 |
Florida Panthers Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Reinhart | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17:52 | 0.49 | 1.39 |
| Mackie Samoskevich | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.19 | 0.79 |
| Sam Bennett | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16:10 | 0.52 | 0.75 |
| Mike Benning | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:49 | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:08 | 0.54 | 0.64 |
| Niko Mikkola | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:29 | 0.01 | 0.35 |
| Tomas Nosek | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:04 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| Jesper Boqvist | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:04 | 0.17 | 0.15 |
| A.J. Greer | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:44 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Dmitry Kulikov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:09 | 0.02 | 0.10 |
| Luke Kunin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:36 | 0.41 | 0.05 |
| Cole Reinhardt | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:59 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:49 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Gustav Forsling | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:07 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Donovan Sebrango | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:44 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Aaron Ekblad | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:52 | 0.07 | -0.05 |
| Eetu Luostarinen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:08 | 0.12 | -0.10 |
| Evan Rodrigues | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:29 | 0.45 | -0.10 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elvis Merzlikins | Columbus Blue Jackets | 19 | 21 | 90.5% | 1.55 | O |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | Florida Panthers | 30 | 31 | 96.8% | 2.38 | W |
Analysis
The Florida Panthers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2–1 on Mar 12, 2026, a one-goal game.
Florida Panthers generated 3.29 expected goals to Columbus Blue Jackets's 3.59 — Columbus Blue Jackets owned the better of the chances but Florida Panthers took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Sam Reinhart led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.39 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 of 31, worth 2.38 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Columbus Blue Jackets vs Florida Panthers game?
The Florida Panthers beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 2–1 on Mar 12, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Florida Panthers 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Sam Reinhart led all skaters at 1.39, on 1G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Florida Panthers generated 3.29 expected goals and Columbus Blue Jackets generated 3.59, so Columbus Blue Jackets created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Columbus Blue Jackets put 31 shots on goal and Florida Panthers put 21. High-danger chances went 13 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 of 21 (1.55 goals saved above expected); Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 of 31 (2.38 goals saved above expected).