"We've been at home a lot this year, so I think it's important for us to establish our road game," Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said following Thursday's practice in the Valley. "We've been average on the road this season, and this is a good opportunity for us to get back on track."
Picking up a point on the first stop of their three-game trek, the Panthers are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss at St. Louis on Tuesday. In a heated battle with the Blues, Aleksander Barkov, Brandon Montour and Jonathan Huberdeau scored, while Spencer Knight made 26 saves.
Named the NHL's "First Star" last week, Huberdeau has made a dent on the scoresheet in each of his last four games to increase his team-leading point total to 30 (nine goals, 21 assists).
Coming out strong, the Panthers led 1-0 on the scoreboard and 20-1 in scoring chances after the first 20 minutes against the Blues -- a hot start they hope to replicate against the Coyotes.
"When we're playing up to our capabilities, we're able to play fast and dictate the pace of the game," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "That's what we try to do every game, and the road's no different. We did a good job of that in the first period in St. Louis."
Returning to the lineup after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, Barkov didn't play the final 10 minutes or so against the Blues after he "tweaked something" in the third period. But after skating in Thursday's practice, the captain is expected to be just fine heading into tonight.
"Guys have stepped up without him," Brunette said of Barkov, who leads the Panthers with 10 goals despite missing some time this season. "We know we can compete without him, but we're much a better team obviously with him in the lineup. It was nice to see him back out there."
After missing the last six games with an injury, Anthony Duclair, who's tied for second on the team with nine goals, is also on track to return for the Panthers in Arizona. Additionally, Olli Juolevi, who has yet to suit up in an NHL game this season, will make his Panthers debut.
The fifth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Juolevi has battled through various ailments since being acquired in a trade with the Canucks on Oct. 10. Suiting up in 23 games with Vancouver in 2020-21, the 23-year-old defenseman recorded two goals, one assist and 30 blocked shots.
During Thursday's practice, Juolevi was primarily paired with Brandon Montour on the blue line.
"He's been getting better every day," Brunette said of Juolevi. "Since he got back from his groin pull, his pace has been at another level. We've been excited. He can move the puck and is a really good first-pass guy. He's got a heavy shot and he can run a power play if he needs to."
Earning wins in eight of 11 career starts against the Coyotes, Sergei Bobrovsky will get the nod in net for the Panthers. Standing tall in 16 appearances this season, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has gone 11-1-2 on top of a 2.41 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
In last place in the NHL but still not to be taken lightly, the Coyotes have lost each of their last three contests -- including a 4-1 defeat at Dallas on Monday -- to fall to 5-18-2 on the season.
In their first meeting back on Oct. 25, five different Cats scored in a 5-3 win over the Yotes.
Averaging the fewest goals per game in the league (1.76), Arizona is led in scoring by Clayton Keller and Shayne Gostisbehere, who have each tallied 17 points. Phil Kessel sits third on the team with 14 points, while former Panthers draft pick Lawson Crouse is fourth with 10 points.
Over his last 10 games against Florida, Kessel has posted 10 points (one goal, nine assists).
In the crease, Scott Wedgewood is expected to get the start for Arizona. Appearing in 10 games this season, he's gone 3-5-1 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Prior to puck drop, the Coyotes will hold a pre-game ceremony to honor Loui Eriksson for skating in his 1,000th career NHL game at Dallas on Monday.
"We want to come out strong," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. "We're an average road team right now and we want to improve on that and get better. We kind of want to start that tomorrow, and coming out the same way [we did in St. Louis] will help, for sure."
