Cats Forecast: Hitting the road; Flyers visit Florida

The Panthers knew it was only a matter of time until momentum swung back in their favor.
Snapping out of a three-game losing streak, the Cats closed out last week with consecutive wins over the Senators (3-0) and Red Wings (6-2) in front of great crowds at FLA Live Arena.
At 37-13-5, Florida is just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division.

"This group realizes where they want to be and where they want to go," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "It's not too hard to motivate them. I think they want to be great."
With their push toward the postseason starting to heat up, the Panthers will play three of their four games this week on the road. After wrapping up a back-to-back at Buffalo and Pittsburgh on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, they'll head back home to host the Flyers on Thursday.
On Sunday, they'll kick off their trek through California with a battle against the Kings.
"Every game's a challenge, especially on the road in the NHL," Brunette said. "We've been really good on home ice, and we want to be a really good road team. We kind of gained some momentum on our last trip. We want to keep that going heading into these next couple games."
From big games on the road to St. Patrick's Day, here's what to look out for this week.

THE GAMES

Monday: at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers will kick off a back-to-back set on the road with a matchup against the Sabres (18-31-8) at KeyBank Center on Monday. After consecutive wins over the Maple Leafs and Wild, the Sabres closed out last week with a 3-0 loss to the Kings on Sunday. In their first meeting of the season, the Panthers clawed their back way from a 3-0 deficit to come from behind and stun the Sabres during a 7-4 win in Sunrise on Dec. 2. Tage Thompson leads Buffalo in scoring with 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists), while Jeff Skinner is second with 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists). Providing offense from the blue line, Rasmus Dahlin paces the team's defensemen in goals (8), assists (29) and points (37). In net, Craig Anderson is 8-7-0 with a .907 save percentage. For the Panthers, look for Sam Reinhart to have a big game against his former team. Picked up in an offseason trade, the former second-overall pick of the Sabres has been outstanding during his first season in South Florida, accumulating 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 52 contests.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932
Tuesday: at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET
Closing out their quick two-game trip to the North, the Panthers will battle the Penguins (34-14-9) at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday. In third place in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins are 6-3-1 over their last 10 games and enter this week on the heels of a 3-2 overtime loss at Carolina on Friday. With both of their previous head-to-head meetings this season going beyond 60 minutes, the Panthers won 5-4 in overtime on Opening Night back on Oct. 14, while the Penguins won 3-2 in a shootout on Nov. 11. Jake Guentzel leads Pittsburgh in goals (27) and points (57), while Sidney Crosby is second in scoring with 54 points. Third in scoring and first in assists, Kris Letang has dished out 43 helpers. The backbone of the team's fourth-ranked defense (2.58 goals allowed per game), all-star goaltender Tristan Jarry has gone 27-11-6 with a .921 save percentage and four shutouts. Looking to make life hard on the opposing netminder, Jonathan Huberdeau is a player to keep an eye on in this tilt. Third in the NHL in scoring with 76 points (18 goals, 58 assists), the all-star winger leads Florida with 18 multi-point performances.
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932
Thursday: Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. ET
Making a brief pitstop back in Sunrise before heading to California, the Panthers will host the Flyers (17-28-10) at FLA Live Arena on Thursday. Stuck down in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division, Philadelphia has lost eight of its last 10 games, but enters this week feeling optimistic following a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks on Saturday. Owning the league's 29th-ranked offense (2.53 goals per game), the Flyers are led up front by a pair of 40-point players in Cam Atkinson (42 points) and Claude Giroux (40 points). In the crease, Carter Harter has earned the bulk of the starts, posting a 10-18-6 record with a .910 save percentage. Going 2-0-0 against the Flyers this season, the Panthers have won those games a by a combined score of 6-3. Speaking of the home team, Sam Bennett is always a safe bet to light the lamp in his own building. Second on the Panthers in goals with 24, a team-best 19 of those scores have come at FLA Live Arena.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 223 / App & Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
Sunday: at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. ET
Starting off a string of seven straight games on the road, the Panthers will clash with the Kings (31-19-7) at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. Climbing up into second place in the Pacific Division, the Kings have won seven of their last nine games, including a 3-0 win over the Sabres on Sunday. In that nine-game stretch, Los Angeles has outscored its opponents 31-25. Anze Kopitar leads the team in scoring with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists). After him, no other player on the team has hit the 40-point plateau. That being said, Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with 25 goals. In net, Jonathan Quick has posted a 15-11-6 record with a .908 save percentage. Playing with a depleted roster due to COVID-19, the Panthers lost 4-1 in their first meeting with Los Angeles this season back on Dec. 16 at FLA Live Arena. Carrying a hot stick, look for Mason Marchment to make something happen in this rematch. Earning a promotion to the top line, the breakout forward has already set new career-highs in goals (13), assists (18) and points (31).
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932

MILESTONE WATCH

• Sam Bennett is three goals away from his 100th NHL goal.
  - Brandon Montour is five assists away from his 100th NHL assist.
  - Aaron Ekblad is four goals away from his 100th NHL goal.
  - Sam Reinhart is five assists away from his 200th NHL assist.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

What's better than a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?
The Panthers!
Join fellow Cats fans in celebrating St. Patrick's Day when the Flyers visit FLA Live Arena on Thursday. In addition to green beer being available at select concession stands, fans can also purchase specialty-themed jerseys worn by select players during warmups at Inside the Boards.
To purchase tickets or learn more about other upcoming theme nights, click HERE.

TERRITORY MEMBERSHIPS

There's no better time to support the Panthers and rep the shield.
By becoming a Territory Member, fans can receive exclusive access, unparalleled savings and memorable experiences for the 2022-23 season. With both regular and premium memberships currently available, benefits include everything from discounted merchandise to special gifts.
Territory Members also receive priority access for playoff tickets, access to members-only events and presale access to buy tickets to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in South Florida.
To learn more about Territory Memberships, click HERE.

PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT

Justin Sourdif can't be stopped!
Adding another goal to his personal highlight reel during a 6-1 win over Calgary on Saturday, the 19-year-old forward set social media ablaze when he forced a turnover in the neutral zone, deftly toe dragged around a defender and scored to put Edmonton up 2-0 in the first period.
To see just how crazy the goal was, check out the clip in the tweet below.

His seventh goal in 17 games since being traded from Vancouver to the Oil Kings, Sourdif has produced 56 points (16 goals, 40 assists) in 41 games in the WHL this season. On a nine-game point streak, he's registered 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) during that incredibly torrid stretch.
Sourdif was selected by the Panthers in the third round (87th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

"Carly Orr."
That's how Cats interim head coach Andrew Brunette described this goal by Lucas Carlsson.

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

TERRITORY TALK

A lot has happened since the last time Carter Verhaeghe was on Territory Talk. On the latest episode, Swaggy looks back at his incredible start in South Florida.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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The Feltman's Value Pack has everything you need to enjoy a night at the rink. 
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Q&A: Reinhart on a roll with Panthers 
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5 TAKEAWAYS: Lundell scores twice to lead Panthers to win over Red Wings 
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NOTEBOOK: Barkov keeps scoring; Marchment moves up 
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Panthers Agree to Terms with Defenseman Petteri Lindbohm