Spencer Knight putting together strong starts, gaining momentum as season progresses

Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight may be turning a corner.

The youngster looked incredibly strong during Florida’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

He finished with 29 saves, including six high danger shots, and stopped both Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell in the shootout.

“You can’t really let your guard down,” Knight said. “Those guys obviously are some of the best players in the world, so you’ve got to stay engaged. It was a fun battle.”

Indeed, the fight between the Panthers and Penguins felt like a playoff game, with scoring chances going both ways and plenty of high energy play and physicality.

For his part, Knight stood tall in all situations, particularly down the stretch and in the overtime session when Pittsburgh was throwing everything they had at the Cats.

“They got five or six guys that can shoot as well as anybody in the last 20 years, so he was great tonight,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I’m really happy for him.”

Knight has now won three of his past five starts, and while his statistics haven’t been particularly flattering, the 23-year-old has appeared to be gaining confidence between the pipes, exuding the kind of goalie-moxie you want to see from your young tendie.

“He’s had some nights I think he's played well, and he's got some strange bounces,” said Maurice. “I think when we played in Pittsburgh, that was exactly the same thing. He just got some strange tips around the net and didn't get the win. But for him, now, that's what it is, trying to stack up some wins.”

So far this season, Knight holds a 7-6-1 record to go with a 2.80 goals against average and .891 save percentage.

He’s appeared in 15 of Florida’s 40 games, but with nine back-to-back sets awaiting the Cats during the second half of the season, Knight is going to see plenty of playing time as the playoffs approach.

“It's nice to have him confident,” said Maurice. “He was real good in the overtime (against Pittsburgh) after giving up one late that wasn't his, it was 6-on-4. So lots of steps forward for the young man, some maturity. I was happy with that.”

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

NHL releases Florida Panthers Quarter-Century Team

Three takeaways: Panthers bounce back from tough loss, utilize depth on penalty kill

Knight stands tall, Panthers defeat Pittsburgh 3-2 in shootout

Three takeaways: Poor start hampers Panthers, controversial game-winning goal not worth challenging

Panthers come up short against Kochetkov, Hurricanes