LAS VEGAS – The Florida Panthers will try to end their four-game road trip on a very high note when they face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.
Just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division at 29-18-3, the Panthers have gone 2-1-0 through the first three stops of their trip while surrendering a total of just four goals.
“We’re in position now to have a really good road trip,” head coach Paul Maurice said.
In the first half of a back-to-back, the Panthers cruised to a 7-2 win at San Jose on Saturday.
After falling behind 2-1 in the first period to the Sharks, the Panthers flipped a switch and went on the offensive, including racking up four goals during a high-scoring second period.
Seven different players lit the lamp in the win, while 12 recorded at least one point.
Never relenting, the Panthers allowed just four shots on goal in the third period.
“It doesn’t matter what the score is, we have to play our style for all 60-plus minutes of the game,” said forward Matthew Tkachuk, who tallied a team-high three points (one goal, two assists) against the Sharks. “It was one of those games tonight where we had the lead for most of it and played very well with it, and even in the third some of the habits were good.”
After missing seven games with an injury, Aaron Ekblad made a big impact in his return.
In addition to netting what would go on to hold up as the game-winning goal, the top-pair defenseman had one blocked shot and a +2 plus/minus rating over 18:53 of ice time.
“It felt good to get my feet under me,” Ekblad said of his first game back.
Sam Reinhart leads Florida in goals (29) and points (53). Tkachuk ranks second in scoring with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists), while Aleksander Barkov is third with 41 points (11 goals, 30 assists).
After backing up Sergei Bobrovsky in San Jose, Spencer Knight will likely get the nod in net against Vegas. Owning a 9-7-1 record with a .907 save percentage, the 23-year-old has been in the zone as of late, going 4-2-0 with a .935 save percentage since Dec. 22.
Strong on the road overall, the Panthers rank third in the NHL in road points (33).
“Tomorrow is coming quick with 5 o’clock game,” Tkachuk said after the win over the Sharks. “We travel tonight to Vegas and will play less than 24 hours from the start of tonight. It’s going to be a tough back-to-back. For us to keep the positive momentum and build good habits is going to help us.”
Second in the Pacific Division at 30-15-4, the Golden Knights have hit a bit of a rut, going 3-6-1 over their last 10 games, including a 4-3 loss at Dallas in their last outing on Friday.
Jack Eichel scored a pair of goals for Vegas in the loss to the Stars, while Adin Hill stopped 23 of 27 shots between the pipes.
Struggling to keep the puck out of their own net, the Golden Knights have surrendered at least four goals in four of their last six games.
Still, Vegas remains lethal on offense.
In addition to averaging the sixth-most goals per game in the NHL (3.21), the Golden Knights boast the top power play in the league, cashing in on 32.1% of their chances.
Eichel leads Vegas in scoring with 61 points (14 goals, 47 assists), while Mark Stone and Shea Theodore are tied for second with 44 points apiece. Entering tonight’s tilt on a five-game point streak, Eichel has produced three goals and four assists in that stretch.
Going for a sweep of their season series, the Panthers secured a 4-3 win in overtime against the Golden Knights in their first meeting back on Oct. 19 at Amerant Bank Arena.
Reinhart led the Panthers with three points (one goal, two assists) in the win, while Gustav Forsling scored the game-winning goal with 17 seconds left in the extra frame.
A rematch of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, this matchup always has a little extra juice.
“We might a see little bit of a different game from Vegas,” Ekblad said. “Their speed, their skill, their forecheck, it’s all elite. They’re one of the best teams in the league. It’s going to be a good matchup.”
THEY SAID IT
“Everyone in our division keeps winning, so you’ve got to keep pace with those guys. We have a chance to have a big, big trip here.” – Paul Maurice on the road trip
“I think at the start we made a big effort to shoot a lot and get guys to the net. We tried not to pass up any good opportunities and just tried to be more confident with the puck tonight.” – Matthew Tkachuk on the win at San Jose
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers have scored six or more goals 10 times this season.
- The Panthers have received 26 goals from their defensemen.
- The Panthers are clicking at 30.8% on the power play on the road.
- Matthew Tkachuk has recorded 59 three-point performances in his career.
- Aleksander Barkov is winning 61% of his faceoffs.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Matthew Tkachuk – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich
Carter Verhaeghe – Anton Lundell – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Evan Rodrigues
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Uvis Balinskis – Nate Schmidt
Goaltenders
Spencer Knight
Sergei Bobrovsky
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Jan. 6: D Tobias Bjornfot recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Dec. 23: F Rasmus Asplund loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Sunday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
TV & Streaming: Panthers+, WSFL-TV, WHDT, WFTX, ESPN+ (out of market)
Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT-AM & 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click Here
