SUNRISE, Fla. -In a pre-Thanksgiving appetizer, the Panthers will look to continue their red-hot start on home ice this season when they host the Flyers at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday.
Winning each of their first 10 games at home, the Panthers can match the 1963-64 Blackhawks for the longest home winning streak to ever start a season in NHL history with a victory tonight.
But if you ask the players, they'll tell you it's just another game on the schedule.
PREVIEW: Hosting Flyers, Panthers Go for 11th Straight Win at Home
"I don't think anybody pays a lot of attention to it," Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas said. "We just want to progress every game, be better every game, and be there for each other every game. For us, it's one game at a time. We've played well enough at home that we have this chance."
Leading the Atlantic Division with a record of 13-2-3, the Panthers picked up their 10th straight win at home and pushed their overall winning streak to three games with a 5-4 win over the Wild on Saturday. Against Minnesota, Frank Vatrano (times two!), Owen Tippett, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett all lit the lamp, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves between the pipes.
Strong at both ends of the ice, Florida has outscored its opponents 48-22 at home.
"We've been playing really well at home in front of our fans, and last game was another one," Verhaeghe said the winning streak. "We're just looking to keep it rolling and have fun tonight."
Notching at least one point in 14 of 18 games this season, Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Panthers in scoring with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists). Ranking first among the team's defensemen in that department, Aaron Ekblad has posted 15 points (five goals, 10 assists).
Carrying a hot stick at the moment, Verhaeghe has amassed six points (three goals, three assists) over his last six games and enters tonight's matchup on a three-game goal streak.
"Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn't," said Verhaeghe, who ranks tied for fourth on the team with 15 points (six goals, nine assists). "I've been pretty fortunate the last couple games to get a couple of goals for the team. They might keep coming, they might not. We'll see."
Back in net and looking to extend his personal points streak to 11 games, Sergei Bobrovsky will man the crease against the Flyers. Owning an 8-0-2 record with a 1.99 goals-against average and .937 save percentage, he's won seven straight games on home ice dating back to May 8.
Among goalies with at least nine starts, Bobrovsky is the last without a regulation loss.
"He's been great all year," Vatrano said. "He's been a huge part of our success, and Knighter."
In sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 8-6-3, the Flyers have dropped five of their last eight games. With their current losing streak reaching three games, they were blanked by the Lightning, 4-0, on Tuesday. In 17 games this season, they've been shut out three times.
Running into a hot goaltender at Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 34 shots he faced.
"There's no doubt that he is the best goaltender in the world right now," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said of the former Vezina Trophy winner after the loss. "He's won two Stanley Cups. He wants to play every game. A big body, great work ethic. He's the standard right now."
Ranking 27th in the league on offense with an average of 2.53 goals per game, Philadelphia is led up front by Claude Giroux (16 points) and Sean Couturier (13 points). Third on the team in scoring with 11 points, Derick Brassard exited last night's contest at Tampa Bay with an injury.
With Brassard's status for tonight's big matchup being up in the air, the Flyers are also currently playing without second-line center Kevin Hayes, who is week-to-week with an injury of his own.
Despite that adversity across the ice, the Panthers know they can't take their opponent lightly.
"We haven't played for a few days, and they're coming off a disappointing loss," Cats interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We know how that happens. We've got to be ready to go."
Between the pipes, Philadelphia will likely turn to backup Martin Jones after Carter Hart got the nod against the Lightning across the state 24 hours ago. Making five starts so far this season, Jones has posted a 3-2-0 record with a 2.82 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
Facing the Flyers back on Oct. 23, Huberdeau scored a pair of goals -- including burying the go-ahead goal while shorthanded in the third period -- to lift the Panthers to a 4-2 win on the road.
"They lost yesterday, so they're going to try and set the tone," Gudas said. "We have to be ready for that after not playing the last few days. We have to make sure we have a strong start."
PANTHERS NOTES
- The Panthers are the third team in NHL history to record at least four goals in each of their first 10 home games to start a season. If they score at least four tonight against the Flyers, they'll match Philadelphia's all-time record of 11 straight games set during the 1992-93 campaign.
- Florida ranks second in the NHL on offense (3.94 goals scored per game) and fifth on defense (2.50 goals allowed per game).
- Sergei Bobrovsky is just the second goaltender in Panthers history to earn at least one point in 10 consecutive decisions, joining Roberto Luongo, who went 9-0-1 during the 2015-16 season.
- The Panthers lead the NHL with 200 takeaways.
- Florida has 10 different players that have produced at least 10 points this season.
- Radko Gudas ranks first among NHL defensemen with 82 hits.
- Anthony Duclair leads the Panthers in goals (7) and points (12) at home.
- MacKenzie Weegar ranks first on the Cats in takeaways (23) and blocked shots (36).
- Owen Tippett has tallied at least one point in five of his last eight games.
- Frank Vatrano has scored four goals in his last five games.
- If he can notch a goal or an assist against the Flyers, Joe Thornton will earn the 1,532nd point of his career and break a tie with Paul Coffey (1,531) for the 13th-most points in NHL history.
PANTHERS LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau - Sam Bennett - Anthony Duclair
Carter Verhaeghe - Anton Lundell - Sam Reinhart
Frank Vatrano - Joe Thornton - Owen Tippett
Ryan Lomberg - Eetu Luostarinen - Patric Hornqvist
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling - Radko Gudas
Lucas Carlsson - Brandon Montour
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Nov. 18: F Joe Thornton activated from IR
- Nov. 16: D Olli Juolevi recalled from Charlotte (AHL) and placed on IR
- Nov. 13: D Olli Juolevi loaned to Charlotte (AHL) on conditioning assignment
- Nov. 10: G Christopher Gibson loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
RECENT ARTICLES / PODCASTS
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Q&A: Luostarinen Talks Lighting the Lamp, Living in South Florida & More
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NOTEBOOK: A Team Effort on Defense; Gudas Setting the Tone
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5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers Top Wild for 10th Straight Win at Home
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Panthers Launch All-New Kids Club
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Cats Forecast: Chasing History, Panthers Aim to Stay Perfect at Home
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Panthers Announce FLA Panthers Gaming Partnership with Rival
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where:FLA Live Arena -- Sunrise, FL
TV:Bally Sports Florida
Stream: Bally Sports App, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys), SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming Channel 932
Tickets:
HERE
IN-ARENA ACTIVATIONS
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Fans can get double the number of 50/50 Raffle tickets prior to puck drop.
- The Broward County Department of Health is hosting a vaccine pop-up at FLA Live Arena tonight where fans can receive their first, second or booster of the COVID-19 vaccine. This will be available at South Glass Elevators from 6 p.m. until the end of second intermission for fans.
- As a Thanksgiving treat, fans can enjoy discounted Yuengling, Yuengling Flight, Corona and other domestic products at all concession stands at FLA Live Arena throughout tonight's game.
