As far as first impressions go, they can’t get much better than what Vitek Vanecek did on Saturday night with the Florida Panthers.
Starting his first game with the Cats after being acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks earlier this week, Vanecek put on a show for the sellout crowd of 19,559 fans inside Amerant Bank Arena.
Mixing in a couple breakaway stops with some excellent rebound control, Vanecek earned a resounding shutout victory as the Panthers skated to a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
“I’m really happy for the win,” Vanecek said. “And then the extra, the shout out. I’m really happy for that.”
Vanecek was tested often during his first twenty minutes in a Panthers sweater.
He made nine saves during the first period, some from tough angles, as the Sabres kept the pressure on a fair amount during the opening frame.
“It was a great game for V, he kept us in the game and made some big saves,” said Panthers center Anton Lundell. “It’s always fun to play in front of a guy who plays like that, so we just tried to help him as good as we could.”
The save of the game for Florida’s newest tendy came on a backdoor chance by Ryan McLeod with 7:39 to go in the second period, as Vanecek slid from his left to his right and got his leg pad in front of the shot just in the nick of time.
At the time, Florida had just taken a 2-0 lead a few minutes prior.
A goal for the Sabres in that moment could have really shifted the game’s momentum, but as he had been all game, Vanecek remained a steady force in Florida’s goal crease.
“Efficient, square and calm,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said of Vanecek. “And then fight. Fight for pucks, and then in the scrums, to battle to find (the puck), so there’s good compete in the net.”
Once we reached the third period, with Florida holding a 3-0 lead, the team was in their comfort zone.
That was great news for Vanecek, as his workload became significantly lighter thanks to a standout effort from the defending in front of him.
“Really good defense,” Vanecek said. “They blocked a lot of shots for me, and then they cleaned up the crease. If I made a save and then there’s a rebound, they always cleaned it up. So, really good.”
After stopping 18 shots during the first two periods, Vanecek was only called upon to make three saves during the final twenty minutes, though one of them came on a Zach Benson breakaway late in the game.
“He had to make saves tonight, and tough saves,” said Maurice. “That team, I think they’ve scored more goals than we have (this season). They’ve got some offense, and they are dangerous. He earned that shoutout.”
Of the 17 goaltenders who have picked up a win during their first appearance with the Panthers, Vanecek became only the third goalie in team history to earn a shutout in his debut with the Cats.
Chris Driedger shutout Nashville in his Panthers debut on Nov. 30, 2019, and Jose Theodore blanked the New York Islanders on Oct. 8, 2011. Interestingly, both goalies made 27 saves while earning their respective goose eggs.
The win was also Vanecek’s first since all the way back on Nov. 29.
That’s more of an indictment of the poor San Jose Sharks team he played on than of his individual play.
“I was nervous, obviously, on a new team and everything, but I can’t imagine for goalie,” said Nico Sturm, who was also acquired by Florida from San Jose last week. “You can’t hide out there, so I think for him to make couple big saves right away gets your confidence up.”
If anybody on the team can understand the difference between playing on a basement-dwelling Sharks team and then coming to one that could win a Stanley Cup, it’s Sturm.
He and Vanecek may play different positions, but both understand the game of hockey and what it means to have the kind of talent and support around you that they now do in Florida.
It could mean big things for both.
“I think he showed that he can be a very capable goalie in this league,” said Sturm. “It’s tough, and if you play on a team that gives up 30-plus shots every night, even when you have a great night, you give up a lot of goals. It’s tough to look good, as bad as it sounds, but I’m so happy for him. I think his confidence is only going to rise.”
One thing that surely didn’t hurt Vanecek’s confidence was the support he received from the fans inside Amerant Bank Arena.
By the end of the night, there had been multiple “Van-ny! Van-ny!” chants from the crowd, and Vanecek was receiving a standing ovation from the fans during his postgame interview on the Panthers bench.
“I heard it probably like twice, but yeah, that’s really beautiful,” he said. “The fans are great here. I mean, it’s my first game, but I played a couple of times for different teams, so I know they’ve been always great.”
Florida has 18 games remaining until the playoffs.
Of those 18 games, there are five back-to-back sets.
That means Vanecek is going to see a good amount of playing time as the Panthers push toward the Stanely Cup Playoffs.
Saturday may have only been a first impression, but for Vanecek and the Panthers, it could also end up being a lasting one.
“A confidence builder right away for him,” said Sturm. “You got your first win, your first game under your belt, and then it’s just all routine from here on out.”
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