Cats Forecast: Panthers return home after sweeping road trip

The Cats are finally coming home.
After returning from the break with three straight wins on the road against the Hurricanes, Wild and Blackhawks, the Panthers will play their first game at home since Jan. 29 when they kick off a five-game homestand with a matchup against the Predators at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday.
Following that tilt, they'll then host the Blue Jackets on Thursday and Oilers on Friday.

"We've got to keep it going," Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said last week. "We've got a lot of away games in the last half of the season. We've just got to keep building on that."
Cruising into this week sitting at 35-10-5 with five-point cushion atop the Atlantic Division, the Panthers, who have picked up wins in 17 of their last 21 games, have been putting on quite the show in their own barn all season, leading the NHL in both wins (23) and goals (123) at home.
In short, you don't want to miss the Cats when they're back in town.
"This is when the fun kind of starts," Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas said. "Everybody was excited for the first half and the break, and now everybody's excited for the second half. It's fun to be part of a group that has this energy and wants to get better as the season continues."
From home games to theme nights, here's what's on the agenda for this week.

THE GAMES

Tuesday: Nashville Predators, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers will return to their friendly confines when they kick off a five-game homestand with a matchup against the the Predators (28-18-4) at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday. Holding onto a wild card in the Western Conference, Nashville enters this week in a bit of a slump. With a 5-3 loss at Carolina on Friday, they saw their losing streak reach four games. In that span, they've given up at least four goals in each game while being outscored 18-9. A contender for the Norris Trophy, Roman Josi, who won the award in 2019-20, leads the Predators in scoring and sits first among all NHL defensemen with 51 points (13 goals, 38 assists). Under him, Matt Duchene (44) and Filip Forsberg (41) have also crossed the 40-point plateau for Nashville. In the crease, all-star Juuse Saros has gone 24-15-3 with a .923 save percentage. Extra hot at home this season, look for Sam Bennett light the lamp in this game. Sitting second on the team in goals with 21, a team-leading 16 of those scores have come in Sunrise - the fifth-most home goals in the NHL.
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM NHL Network Radio Channel 91
Tickets:
HERE
Thursday: Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers will go for a season sweep of the Blue Jackets (25-23-1) when the two teams clash at FLA Live Arena on Thursday. Filling up the back of the net in their first two meetings this season, the Panthers have outscored the Blue Jackets 17-6, including a 9-2 win back on Jan. 15. Shaking off a slow start, Columbus has won seven of its last nine games and enters this week riding high after a 7-3 win over the Sabres on Sunday. Boone Jenner leads the Blue Jackets in goals (21) and points (39), while Jakub Voracek is first in assists (32) and second in points (34). That being said, Patrik Laine is carrying the hottest stick on the team at the moment. Extending his point streak to nine games with two assists against Buffalo, the Finnish sniper has produced 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) during that torrid stretch. In net, Elvis Merzlikins has started the majority of games for Columbus, going 18-13-1 with a .903 save percentage. Likely making things difficult on the opposing netminder in this matchup, look for Mason Marchment to make his presence felt all over the ice. Matching a single-game franchise record with six points (two goals, four assists) the last time he faced the Blue Jackets, the Panthers forward is in the midst of a breakout season in which he's recorded 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 25 games.
TV & Streaming: Hulu, ESPN+
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 850 WFTL (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 219 / App & Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
Saturday: Edmonton Oilers, 12:30 p.m. ET
There will be no shortage of offensive talent on the ice when the Panthers host the Oilers (28-19-3) at FLA Live Arena on Saturday. After picking up wins in five straight games, Edmonton saw its hot streak come to an abrupt end with a 7-3 loss against the Wild on Sunday. The only player above Jonathan Huberdeau on the NHL's scoring leaderboard, Connor McDavid leads the Oilers with 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists). One half of a one-two punch, Leon Draisaitl, like Huberdeau, sits just one point behind McDavid with 70 points (35 goals, 35 assists) of his own. Since Feb. 1, McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in nine games. In net, Mike Smith has started six of the last eight games for Edmonton. In 12 appearances this season, he's gone 5-5-1 with a .895 save percentage. For the Panthers, expect Huberdeau to rise to the occasion against his fellow Art Ross Trophy contenders. Leading the NHL in scoring since the holiday break, Huberdeau has tallied 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists) over his last 21 games, posting 11 multi-point performances in that span.
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM NHL Network Radio Channel 91
Tickets:
 HERE

MILESTONE WATCH

• Sam Bennett is six goals away from his 100th NHL goal.
  - Brandon Montour is seven assists away from his 100th NHL assist.
  - Eetu Luostarinen is two games away form his 100th NHL game.
  - Aaron Ekblad is five goals away from his 100th NHL goal.
  - Sam Reinhart is nine assists away from his 200th NHL assist.

THEME NIGHTS

The Panthers will have two theme nights during this week's slate of games.
First, the organization will celebrate Black History Night with a variety of unique activations on Thursday, Feb. 24 against the Blue Jackets. The following game, the organization will blow out some candles in honor of Stanley C. Panther's Birthday on Saturday, Feb. 26 against the Oilers.
To learn more about these and other upcoming theme nights, click HERE.

NHL 22 TOURNAMENT

The Panthers and X Rocker Gaming are teaming up to host four NHL 22 tournaments.
With the games split between the FLA Panthers Gaming and X Rocker pages on Rival, the "Old Gen" 1-on-1 tournaments will be held on Friday, Feb. 25 on XBOX One and PS4, while the "New Gen" 1-on-1 tournaments will be held on Friday, March 4 on XBOX Series X/S and PS5.
All tournaments will begin at 7 p.m. ET, with check-in opening at 6 p.m. ET.
First place in the XBOX One and PS5 tournaments will win a X Rocker gaming chair signed by multiple Panthers players, while second place finishers will win a $50 credit to FLATeamShop.com.
For the PS4 and XBOX Series X/S tournaments, first place will win a Panthers red home replica jersey signed by 2022 NHL All-Star Jonathan Huberdeau, while second place will take home a X Rocker gaming headset.
All registrants will also be entered into a raffle for an autographed Panthers mystery puck.
Players can register for the tournaments on XBOX One and PS5 by visiting the tournament section at
rivalgames.com/panthers
, while players that wish to compete on PS4 and XBOX Series X/S should visit the tournament section on
rivalgames.com/xrocker
.
If you'd rather watch than play, the tournament will be broadcast at Twitch.tv/FlaPanthers.

BOOK DRIVE

On the ice, the Panthers are rewriting the record books.
Off the ice, they're encouraging fans to donate a few books of their own.
Prior to hosting the Oilers on Saturday, the Panthers will partner with Children's Services Council of Broward County to host a book drive benefitting Broward County Public Schools.
All fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used books for all ages to the game to donate.
To learn more about upcoming community drives, 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

Mack Guzda is running out of space on his mantle.
On Monday, Guzda, who signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent earlier this month, was named "Goaltender of the Week" in the OHL after going 3-0-0 with a .955 save percentage.

Earning the honor for the third time this season, Guzda was also named the OHL's "Goaltender of the Month" for December and January. Going 14-6-1-0 since being traded from Owen Sound to Barrie in November, the 21-year-old sits at 19-10-2 with a .917 save percentage this season.
"I'm taking it day by day," Guzda said after signing with Florida. "Right now, I'm with the Barrie Colts. I'm looking forward to having a long season here and a long playoff run. When I get [to the pros], they have a great staff that's going to work with me. I can't wait to work with those guys. They've done a really great job with their goalies."

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

From the blue line to blue skies, MacKenzie Weegar does it all! Have you checked out the "Weather with Weegs" yet?

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

After the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017, the Panthers Foundation donated $250,000 to Feeding South Florida which went towards a new Panthers branded truck. This truck is responsible for transporting 35 million pounds of food and equivalent of 29.1 million meals since 2017. This past week, Panthers staff volunteered with Feeding South Florida inspecting, sorting and packing over 18,000 lbs of food which will create around 14,000 meals for families in need.

TERRITORY TALK

After his six-point game but before his first-career hat trick, Mason Marchment made his debut on the Territory Talk podcast to talk about his breakout season, hockey roots and much more.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

-
Q&A: Reinhart on a roll with Panthers 
-
Aaron Ekblad Named NHL's 'Second Star' of the Week Ending Feb. 20 
-
5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers defeat Blackhawks, sweep road trip 
-
5 TAKEAWAYS: Marchment nets 1st-career hat trick, Cats cruise past Wild 
-
POSTCARD: Carlsson on epic stick saves, second-half push & more