The Panthers put out the Penguins

Reinhart's power play wins the race of two rinks

Two rinks, one flame

Qualification night does not forgive. The Florida Panthers, 17th of 32 last season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins, 19th, were drawn into a virtual match: each team played its own game against a club from the West, and whichever scored more went through. One candle on the East's shelf would go dark before either club had a Gauntlet win to its name.

Pittsburgh struck first. At 19:22 of the first period in Pittsburgh, Bryan Rust wristed one past the Dallas Stars, with Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby assisting. That goal was the number Florida had to beat, and the Penguins never added to it. Jake Oettinger stopped 38 of 39 shots, and Dallas scored the next four.

Sunrise answers back

In Sunrise, the Panthers fell behind to the San Jose Sharks when Fabian Zetterlund converted a power play at 08:30 of the second. Carter Verhaeghe answered 1:18 later, a wrist shot set up by Matthew Tkachuk and Eetu Luostarinen. That matched Pittsburgh's one.

Then San Jose's discipline went. Tomas Hertl sent the puck over the glass at 14:03 and Kyle Burroughs tripped at 14:52. At 15:23 Sam Reinhart buried a power-play wrist shot: two goals, enough to pass the Penguins. Anthony Stolarz held the Sharks to one goal on 28 shots, and Kevin Stenlund's empty-netter at 19:58 sealed it. Florida burned on, one of 27 flames still lit. Pittsburgh's went out.