The Panthers are two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for third with two games in hand. Florida opened its five-game road trip with a 5-3 win against the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Ducks begin a six-game homestand after playing 12 of 15 on the road. They're 7-4-2 in their past 13 games.
Players to watch
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad had a season-high three points (two goals, one assist) in a 5-4 overtime win against Anaheim on Nov. 21. He has four assists in a three-game point streak, one shy of his season best. Ducks forward Adam Henrique has six points (four goals, two assists) in his past five games.
They said it
"Every game's important, but we've got to focus on Anaheim. That's all we're focused on. You don't want to get too far ahead." -- Panthers forward Noel Acciari "We know, in this group, we can battle to the end in every game. We need to fix the little mistakes because we get dinged on them every time." -- Ducks forward Nicolas Deslauriers
The Panthers traded forward Denis Malgin to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday for forward Mason Marchment. … Saarela was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. … Matheson, a defenseman returned to Florida on Tuesday. … Driedger, who has missed 13 games, is on the road trip and the goalie could be activated for one of the final games. … Kase, a forward, is expected to participate in a full practice Thursday.
Stat pack
Bobrovsky has a .931 save percentage in his past four road games since Feb. 3. … The Ducks, 29th in the NHL in scoring at 2.54 goals a game, have scored nine goals in their past two games (1-1-0).
