Panthers’ Reinhart hopes shootout goal helps him ‘loosen up.’ Plus latest on Hornqvist

Sam Reinhart finally found the back of the net this season ... sort of.

While it won’t go down as an official goal, Reinhart capped the Florida Panthers’ 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night with his fourth-round shootout goal that he flicked high over Sharks goaltender James Reimer’s shoulder.

“Nice to see one go in,” a relieved Reinhart said after the game. “Whether it’s the shootout or the game, I definitely needed to see one. Hopefully, I loosen up around the end and it starts going in for me.”

The Panthers certainly hope so, too, considering Reinhart has been oh-so-close to scoring that first goal of the season so many times already. He has taken 31 shots on goal and produced 49 scoring chances (including 23 high-danger chances) with nothing to show for it so far this season.

According to the advanced hockey statistics website Natural Stat Trick, Reinhart’s 4.55 expected goals created is the highest among any player in the league who has yet to actually score a goal. The next closest is the New Jersey Devils’ Erik Haula, at 3.56 — nearly a full goal lower.

“He has been around that spot right in front of the goalie a whole bunch of times in the first 11 games and he needed something good to happen,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Hopefully that’s a confidence-booster for him.”

Latest on Hornqvist

Veteran forward Patric Hornqvist left Thursday’s game in the first period after taking high hit from the Sharks’ Luke Kunin, who was issued a five-minute major and a match penalty for an illegal check to the head.

Maurice did not have a full update on Hornqvist postgame Thursday but did note the winger was “up and mobile and everything’s fine.

“But,” Maurice added, “I won’t know until he gets looked at [Friday].”

Offense from the defensemen

The Panthers’ defensemen have been making their presence known on the scoresheet this season.

Five Florida blue liners have combined to score nine of the Panthers’ 33 goals this season.

The latest to do find the back of the net: Radko Gudas, who scored his first goal of the season in the second period Thursday with a slap shot from the point that gave Florida an early 2-0 lead.

Brandon Montour leads Florida defensemen with three goals. Gustav Forsling and Josh Mahura also have two goals apiece. Gudas and Aaron Ekblad are the other defensemen with goals.

This and that

▪ After posting three assists Thursday, winger Matthew Tkachuk is now tied for fourth in the NHL in assists (11) and fifth in points (16).

▪ Montour had a career-high 30:41 time on ice Thursday. He is averaging a career-high 26:30 per game of ice time so far this season, the second-most in the league entering Friday behind only the Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty (26:38).

▪ Third-line center Anton Lundell had two assists on Thursday for his first multipoint effort of the season. He had the primary assist on Aleksander Barkov’s first-period power-play goal and the secondary assist on Carter Verhaeghe’s game-tying goal late in the third period.