The Wings lost the second game of the season in Florida, 4-1, and then dropped a 5-2 decision at home to the Panthers on Oct. 30.
"They're a real good hockey team," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "They can beat you in any number of different ways. One, they are a team that can really grind you, especially the (Aleksander) Barkov line. They're real big, they're a handful down low, with Barkov and (Jaromir) Jagr specifically. They're a good transition team. (Vincent) Trocheck does a lot of things well but he's certainly great in transition, great in open ice. And they play solid defensively."
Tomas Tatar said the Panthers' speed stands out.
"They play fast hockey, they have a young team, really fast forwards," Tatar said. "I think we did lots of stuff wrong those two games against them. We have to be better. I think now we're heading in a good direction and we will be able to play with them."
Yet this Florida team is in transition, having fired head coach Gerard Gallant after the Panthers lost at Carolina on Sunday.
General manager Tom Rowe took over as interim head coach and has made some adjustments to his team's forward lines.
"This change for them might spark something but I think if we just focus on that first 10 minutes, first five minutes," Riley Sheahan said. "Just come out strong and be physical and try to not let them get momentum going and I think we'll be good."
AGELESS WONDER: When Jagr plays against the Wings tonight, he will move past former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Mark Recchi for all-time games played with 1,653.
The fact that Jagr is still playing at 44 years of age is incredible.
"He's a legend, obviously, that age to still play and perform at that level, it's really impressive," Tatar said. "I bet he's a motivation for a lot of players in the league, for young kids and for everybody. He's something special for sure and everybody look up to him."
Jagr started the season slowly, with just one goal in his first 17 games, but has heated up since.
In the last six games, Jagr has three goals and three assists.
Blashill was asked his youngest memories of Jagr, who is more than a year older than he is.
"What I definitely remember is that mullet," Blashill said. "I think I had a mullet, too, so I thought it was really cool. And then I found out my mullet wasn't as cool as his."
HBD, TOMAS: Tatar turned 26 Thursday.
Tatar was once the youngest player in the AHL when he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins before his 18th birthday.
Now Tatar is one of the Wings' young veterans.
"I had Tatar in GR, second or third year," Blashill said. "I love Tats. Tats has great energy. He brings such great energy. He's a winner, he's a competitor. I can't say enough good things about him as a person."
