FORT LAUDERDALE – The Florida Panthers are making their last few adjustments.
With just three games left to play until the playoffs get underway, they’ll look to keep trending in the right direction when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday.
Owning a 2-0-1 record over their last three games, the Panthers (49-24-6) currently trail the Boston Bruins (46-18-15) by just three points for first place in the Atlantic Division. They also own a three-point cushion over the Toronto Maple Leafs (46-23-9) for second place.
In that three-game stretch, Florida has outscored the opposition 10-3.
“I think the most important thing that’s happened over the last three or four days is some rest for us,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said after this morning’s skate at the Baptist Health IcePlex. “Coming off the long road trip and 10 [games] in 17 [days], I thought we were slow in that game in Ottawa. We looked faster and, with the things we can measure in terms of how they feel, we look stronger. Speed and simplicity are what we’re looking for.”
Kicking off their final homestand of the regular season, backup goaltender Anthony Stolarz stood tall and stopped all 26 shots he faced during a 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. Providing the goal support, Anton Lundell and Nick Cousins each touched the twine.
Helping out Stolarz, the Panthers allowed just three high-danger shot attempts at 5-on-5.
“It was obviously nice to get the win,” Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling said. “A good game for Stolie, too. I think he was great. We want to keep building our game for the playoffs and keep playing the right way.”
After getting a rest last game, Oliver Ekman-Larsson will return to the lineup for the Panthers against the Blue Jackets. Josh Mahura, who’s nursing an injury, will come out on the blue line. Up front, Kyle Okposo and Steven Lorentz will draw in for Ryan Lomberg and Jonah Gadjovich on the fourth line.
Tied for fourth in the NHL in wins (34), Sergei Bobrovsky will be between the pipes.
Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers in goals (53) and points (90). Matthew Tkachuk is second in points (84) and first in assists (59). Also producing at better than a point-per-game pace, captain Aleksander Barkov has accumulated 76 points (23 goals, 53 assists) in 70 contests.
“Playing with some combinations to see what they look like,” Maurice said of tonight’s lineup.
Near the bottom of the standings and in contention for the top pick come this summer’s draft, the rebuilding Blue Jackets sit at 26-41-12 and enter tonight’s matchup with losses in nine of their last 12 games. During that 12-game stretch, they’ve been outscored 47-28.
Halfway through their final road trip of the regular season, the Blue Jackets opened their trip with a 3-0 loss at Carolina on Sunday. The next game, they suffered a 5-2 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. In the loss to the Lightning, Kirill Marchenko was responsible for both of Columbus’ goals.
Struggling to contain opposing offenses, the Blue Jackets have surrendered the second-most goals in the NHL (285) and the third-most scoring chances per 60 minutes (31.56) this season.
Johnny Gaudreau leads Columbus in points (59) and assists (48), while Marchenko has scored a team-high 23 goals. A bright spot on the blue line, Zach Werenski leads the team’s defensemen and ranks second on the team overall with 53 points (nine goals, 44 assists).
Among the players the Blue Jackets are currently missing due to injuries are captain Boone Jenner (35 points) and up-and-coming forward Yegor Chinakhov (29 points). After losing starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to an injury, rookie Jet Greaves has been earning most of the starts as of late, going 2-4-0 this season.
Their third and final head-to-head matchup of the season, the Panthers have gone 2-0-0 against the Blue Jackets while leading 10-6 in goals. In their last matchup on Dec. 10, Reinhart dished out four assists to help lead the Panthers to a 5-2 win at Nationwide Arena.
In the season series, 14 different Panthers have recorded at least one point.
“They’ve got some good, competitive men,” Maurice said. “They’ve got some grit, some bite. It’s a good team. Everyone talks about those young skilled teams that are on the cusp, but I think this team is closer than people think. They just haven’t had a run of health.”
PREGAME QUOTES
“You need that, for sure, two goalies playing on top of their game. They’ve been unreal this whole season. It’s good to have them both.” – Gustav Forsling
“We play a hard game. They’ve been willing to do that night after night because they know what’s coming. There hasn’t been a lot of explanation by me of what this thing’s going to look like in two months because they all know.” – Paul Maurice
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers own a 17-2-2 record when Matthew Tkachuk has scored this season.
- Aleksander Barkov has made a dent on the scoresheet in seven of the last eight games.
- Sam Reinhart has scored seven goals over his last 12 games.
- The Panthers have won each of their last four matchups with the Blue Jackets.
- The Panthers boast a 30-12-5 record against the Eastern Conference in 2023-24.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Vladimir Tarasenko – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Nick Cousins – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Evan Rodrigues
Steven Lorentz – Kevin Stenlund – Kyle Okposo
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Dmitry Kulikov – Uvis Balinskis
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- April 3: D Uvis Balinskis recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- April 2: Signed G Cooper Black to two-year, entry-level contract commencing in the 2024-25 season.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports+
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM 220 / App & Streaming 932; Panthers App
Tickets: Click Here
