Playing without Matthew Tkachuk, a star power forward, the Panthers (39-21-3) helped Bobrovsky cruise to the 48th shutout of his career and fourth of the season, showing why they’re leading the Atlantic Division with 81 points as the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves for the Blue Jackets (30-24-8), who lost their second straight and were outscored 9-2 during their two-game Florida trip. They lost 6-2 at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday to end a four-game winning streak.

Panthers' imposing defense leaves Blue Jackets little room, forcing Merzlikins to dazzle while keeping it close: 4 takeaways

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots for his second shutout in four games and fourth of the season, and the Florida Panthers won their fifth straight, 3-0 over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

His 16-save shutout in the Florida Panthers’ 3-0 win on Thursday over the Columbus Blue Jackets — a team he spent seven seasons playing for before signing with the Panthers — was the 423rd victory of his NHL career. That ties Bobrovsky with Tony Esposito for 10th most all-time in NHL history.

Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov both scored a goal and tallied two assists each as the Florida Panthers capitalized on the power play Thursday to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 in Sunrise, Fla.

Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers is making a strong case for his third Vezina Trophy, all while joining elite company among the best goaltenders in NHL history.