ELMONT, N.Y. – Dmitry Kulikov will be a game-time decision for the Florida Panthers when they kick off their road trip against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Sunday.
A key cog on the penalty kill for the defending Stanley Cup champions, Kulikov hasn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury in the second game of the season on Oct. 9.
“We’re real hopeful he’s a player for us tonight,” head coach Paul Maurice said.
Eight points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games left to play, the Panthers (30-26-3) split a back-to-back at home before hitting the road for four massive games.
After cruising to a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, the Panthers came up just a bit short in a tough 3-2 loss to the surging Buffalo Sabres in their last outing on Friday.
Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett each scored against the Sabres, who benefitted from a controversial goaltender interference challenge on their go-ahead goal in the third period.
Deserving of a win, Daniil Tarasov stopped 36 of 38 shots against Buffalo.
Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers in scoring with 56 points (27G, 29A), with Brad Marchand nipping at his heels in second with 53 points (27G, 26A). Finding the back of the net in each of the last two games, Tkachuk has 10 points (5G, 5A) in 12 games since making his season debut.
“I’ve felt good since I’ve come back,” Tkachuk said. “It took me a couple games to get going, but health-wise and timing [I’m good]. … Trying to use the momentum, and not even the momentum of winning [at the Winter Olympics]. Just more playing every other day.”
Looking to build off a 29-save performance against the Maple Leafs in his first game out of the break, Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to man the crease for the Panthers on Long Island. In 41 appearances this season, the veteran boasts a 22-17-1 record with three shutouts.
In the lineup for the first time since Feb. 5, Jesper Boqvist, who’s logged eight points (3G, 5A) in 51 games this season, will take Luke Kunin’s spot in the center of the fourth line.
Sitting third in the Metropolitan Division, the Islanders (34-21-5) extended their winning streak to four games with a 4-3 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Trailing 2-0 in the second period, Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Scott Mayfield lit the lamp to put the Islanders up 3-2. Getting the game knotted back up, Adam Fantilli stopped the bleeding for the Blue Jackets with a goal late in the period to make it 3-3.
Following a scoreless third period, Simon Holmstrom scored the game-winner in overtime for New York.
“I feel like we're calm, and we just focus on what needs to be done,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. “It doesn't matter if we're behind. We find ways to get back into game.”
Mathew Barzal leads New York in scoring with 54 points (17G, 37A). Bo Horvat and rookie Matthew Schaefer are tied for second with 41 points each. A front-runner for the Calder Trophy, Schaefer, the top pick in 2025, ranks third among NHL defensemen in goals (18).
Making NHL history, Schaefer’s 18 goals are the most-ever by an 18-year-old blueliner.
“He reminds me very much mentally of (Macklin) Celebrini,” Maurice said of Schaefer. “Incredible skater, incredible skills, but he doesn’t try and force it on the game. He’s not trying to show you how skilled he is. He plays the game the right way. He’s going to be a fantastic player for a very long time.”
After watching Ilya Sorokin make 27 saves against the Blue Jackets, David Rittich will likely get the nod in net for the Islanders. In 23 appearances this season, he’s posted a 12-8-3 record with a 2.57 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
The second time seeing each other this season, the Panthers took down the Islanders 4-1 in their previous meeting on Dec. 7 in Sunrise. Reinhart led the way for the Panthers on offense with a goal and an assist, while Tarasov stopped 20 of 21 shots between the pipes.
“When you’re on a road trip, the first game is the most important,” defenseman Jeff Petry said. “We need to come out and make sure we’re establishing our game in the first period. When we get to that game early on, it seems to carry momentum throughout the game.”
THEY SAID IT
“We all know the situation. They’re all meaningful games from here on out. We need to make sure that we’re sharp and embrace the challenge ahead.” – Jeff Petry
“Just play the Panthers hockey, you know? Play hard, play physical, put the puck on net, put someone in front and score goals. That’s what it takes.” – Sandis Vilmanis
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers rank eighth in the NHL on the penalty kill at 82.1%.
- Sam Reinhart has recorded a team-leading 22 points on the power play.
- The Panthers own a 19-1-1 record when leading after two periods.
- Anton Lundell has amassed a team-high 530 faceoff wins.
- The Panthers own a 4-2-0 record in their last six meetings with the Islanders.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FORWARDS
Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Sandis Vilmanis – Jesper Boqvist – A.J. Greer
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Jan. 21: F Jack Studnicka loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
- Jan. 19: F Noah Gregor loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: March 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: UBS Arena – Elmont, NY
TV & Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM/560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-Fm (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click Here
