Vinnie Hinostroza sparks Panthers in stunning comeback win

The veteran forward finally returned to the Florida Panthers lineup after a nearly five-year absence. It felt like he never left.

He wasted absolutely zero time making his presence felt at Amerant Bank Arena. The energy he brought to the bottom six was exactly what this team has been missing.

Acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the NHL trade deadline for future considerations, Hinostroza buried a goal and added a primary assist in a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

He opened the scoring 9:48 into the first period. A smart, controlled deflection off a Jesper Boqvist shot found its way past goaltender John Gibson.

He then set up Niko Mikkola from the blue line early in the third period to tie the game at two. He simply read the play perfectly and showed solid execution.

General manager Bill Zito brought him in for his speed and ability to jump around the lineup. He proved that scouting report right on his very first night back in Sunrise.

Florida is sitting at 32-29-3 and slowly watching their Stanley Cup playoff hopes slip away. They needed a gutsy performance to stop the bleeding.

Injuries are ravaging the locker room at the absolute worst time. Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart both missed Tuesday's clash.

Marchand is sidelined long-term with a lower-body injury. He might even require season-ending surgery if things do not progress well this week.

That harsh reality leaves the door wide open for a utility player like Hinostroza. He can eat up hard minutes and play center or the wing.

He logged 9:41 of ice time on the fourth line alongside Boqvist and Luke Kunin. They played a heavy transition game and outscored Detroit 2-0 during their shifts.

Detroit pushed back hard, taking a late lead when Marco Kasper broke away from the defensive coverage. It looked like the Panthers were going to fold.

Then Carter Verhaeghe put the entire team on his back. He buried two incredible goals in the final 90 seconds of regulation to completely steal the win from the Red Wings.

Florida caps off this quick homestand on Thursday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. They need to carry this exact same desperation into that matchup.