Cooper Black on Florida Panthers Debut: ‘Couldn’t Ask for Anything More’

Florida Panthers goaltender Cooper Black reflected positively on making his NHL debut despite a 4-0 defeat against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The 25-year-old stopped 18 shots and surrendered three goals before Pittsburgh scored an empty-netter late in the third period. Standing at 6-foot-9, Black made league history by becoming the tallest goaltender to ever play in an NHL contest.

Black, who signed as an undrafted free agent from Dartmouth, earned praise from teammate Matthew Tkachuk for his composed performance under heavy pressure. With regular goaltender Jacob Markstrom sidelined for at least two weeks due to a practice injury, the Panthers are anticipated to turn back to Akira Schmid for upcoming road games against Chicago and Winnipeg.