Panthers Hope to Turn a Corner in Visit to Philadelphia
"I think we need a win for our confidence," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said after Monday's practice at the Panthers IceDen. "We're a playing a little fragile right now because we want to get off to a good start. There's been some real good things, but we haven't been able to find that goal when we needed it… We want to continue things that we're good at."
There has certainly been a lot more good than bad for the Panthers, despite the fact the team has yet to taste victory. They've held the lead in each of their first three contests and, despite losing starting goalie Roberto Luongo, own the league's sixth-best save percentage at 5-on-5 (.934).
According to the hockey analytics website NaturalStatTrick.com, Florida is also the ninth-best team in the league in terms of possession, owning a Corsi For rating of 52.63 percent at 5-on-5. In all situations, that rating goes up to 54.34 percent, which is good enough for eighth place.
"If you look at the analytics, they're exactly how we're playing," said Boughner, referencing the team's own in-house analytics. "We're second in the league in time spent in our D-zone. I think we're middle of the pack in the league for O-zone time. We're up in the top-5 for chances created in the slot."
Still, even with these positive underlying numbers, the Panthers also want to show more bite.
"We need some intangibles, too," Boughner said. "You can X's and O's and analytics yourself to death, but you've got to block some shots. You've got to be physical. You've got to make it hard on other teams. Right now, at times, we're not doing that."
After defenseman Mike Matheson was served a two-game suspension for his hit on forward Elias Pettersson during Saturday's loss to the Canucks, MacKenzie Weegar will make his season debut on the blue line for the Panthers in Philadelphia. Weegar, 24, posted two goals and six assists in 60 games last season, but suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason.
Nick Bjugstad (upper body) is also questionable to suit up for the Panthers.
"It's never easy not playing," Weegar said. "It's all a mental grind. You've got to stay positive, be a professional. Even when I'm not playing, I'm trying to help the guys in the dressing room or any way I can. I think being a good teammate is pretty key right now… I'm just staying in shape, and whenever I get in there I'm going to make the most of it to help the team win."
The Flyers (2-3-0) are also a team in desperate need of two points. After starting the season with a 5-2 win over Las Vegas, Philadelphia has since dropped three of its last four games, including a tight 1-0 loss to the Golden Knights on Saturday.
"We needed to be (better defensively). We got scored on a lot (in the first four games)," Flyers forward Jakub Voracek told the
Courier Post after the loss
. "We wanted to tidy it up a bit, which we did. The positive thing is that we didn't take anything out of the offensive side. Obviously, we had a lot of chances and didn't score. Another tough game (Tuesday)."
On defense, the Flyers have allowed an average of 4.00 goals per game. In net, both starter Brian Elliot (.883) and backup Calvin Pickard (.886) own save percentages under .900. In terms of possession numbers, their 45.56 percent Corsi For rating at 5-on-5 ranks 24th in the league.
With two points on the table, it's now up to the Panthers to take advantage of those struggles.
"I think we've been playing well," Weegar said. "The guys look good. It's just the little details."
GEICO GOALIE MATCHUP OF THE GAME (UNCONFIRMED)
James Reimer (0-2-1, 3.62 GAA, .885 SV%) vs. Brian Elliott (1-3-0, 3.80 GAA, .883 SV%)
Reimer, 30, is expected to make his third straight start in place of Luongo. In his most recent outing, he allowed three goals on 30 shots, with one of the scores coming off a penalty shot. In 12 career games against the Flyers, he owns a 4-4-3 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. If Reimer does not start, Michael Hutchinson will make his Panthers debut.
Elliott, 33, has lost each of his last three starts, allowing 13 goals in those contests. That said, he looked solid in a 1-0 loss to Vegas on Saturday, stopping 20 of 21 shots in defeat. A slow starter, he owns a .902 career save percentage in October - his lowest of any month. In 10 career appearances against the Panthers, he's gone 6-3-0 with a .919 save percentage.
NOTES
-- Evgenii Dadonov and Vincent Trocheck are tied for the Panthers scoring lead with three points each. Trocheck led the Panthers with a goal an assist in Saturday's loss to Vancouver.
-- In seven career games at Wells Fargo Center, Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau has notched four points (two goals, two assists). The 25-year-old scored his first goal of the season on Saturday against the Canucks. He had a career-high 27 scores during the 2017-18 season. -- All seven of Florida's goals this season have come at even strength.
-- With a point tonight, Aleksander Barkov can surpass Pavel Bure (251) for sole possession of 10th place on Florida's all-time scoring list. If the point is an assist, he will also overtake Jay Bouwmeester (150) for sole possession of 10th place in assists. If it is a goal, he will break his tie with Viktor Kozlov and Rob Niedermayer for sole possession of seventh place in goals (102).
-- The Flyers will be without center Nolan Patrick against the Panthers. The 2017 second-overall pick left Wednesday's game against Ottawa with an injury and did not return. The 20-year-old is expected to be out of the lineup for 7-10 days.
PROJECTED LINEUP (NO MORNING SKATE)
Forwards
Evgenii Dadonov - Aleksander Barkov - Denis Malgin
Jonathan Huberdeau - Vincent Trocheck - Mike Hoffman
Maxim Mamin - Jared McCann - Troy Brouwer
Frank Vatrano - Juho Lammikko - Colton Sceviour
Defense
Keith Yandle - Aaron Ekblad
Mark Pysyk - Alexander Petrovic
Bogdan Kiselevich - MacKenzie Weegar
Goalies
James Reimer
Michael Hutchinson
Scratches:Mike Matheson, Nick Bjugstad, Derek MacKenzie
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Oct. 13: D Jacob MacDonald was loaned to Springfield (AHL).
- Oct. 9: F Juho Lammikko was recalled from Springfield (AHL).
- Oct. 8: G Michael Hutchinson was recalled from Springfield (AHL).
HOW TO WATCH
When:Tuesday, Oct. 16, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
Florida Panthers Radio Network Presented by HARD Lifestyle Beverages:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 1370 WAXE (Treasure Coast)
Where to stream it:
Fox Sports Florida App
Watch Party: Thanks to the new "Territory on Tap" program, every road game now offers a chance for a watch party in South Florida! To see which local bars and restaurants will have drink specials and giveaways for tonight's game, visit the official "Territory on Tap" page HERE!
