SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jesper Boqvist scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Florida Panthers, after raising their second straight Stanley Cup banner, opened defense of the title by beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Jeff Blashill saw some positives in his first game with the Blackhawks, but there were still plenty of learning moments against the Panthers.

Preview the Oct. 7 matchup between the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks with betting odds over/under, game spread, moneyline, prediction, TV channel and more.

The Chicago Blackhawks face the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (10/7/25) in a regular season game at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

Sending the Panthers ahead in the third period, Jesper Boqvist crashed the net and batted a centering feed from Mackie Samoskevich past Knight and into the cage to make it 3-2 at 9:40. Boqvist makes it 3-2 in the third period.

The Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks kicked off a new hockey season on Tuesday night in Sunrise. Florida, the NHL’s back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions, raised their 2025 championship banner before facing off against the young Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena.