PITTSBURGH – The Florida Panthers will close out their road back-to-back with a battle against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.
Sitting at 5-3-2, the Panthers saw their three-game winning streak end with a 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators in the opening game of their trip on Wednesday.
“I don't think we ever got to [our game],” head coach Paul Maurice said following the loss to the Senators. “I think part of it was we were behind the play in the first. We just lost so many face offs. The second period we spent too much time in the penalty box. The defining feature of our game is our forecheck. I don't think we ever got to it.”
Preparing for a three-game homestand, the Penguins sit at 3-6-1 extended their losing streak to four games with a 5-4 loss on the road against the Utah Mammoth on Monday.
During their skid, the Penguins have given up at least five goals in all four games.
“We just didn't put a full game together,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said after the loss in Utah. “We had leads. We fought back. We didn't put a complete game together.”
For more information on tonight’s game, continue below.
EYE ON THE CATS
NEW MAN IN NET: With Jacob Markstrom out 10-14 days with an upper-body injury and Akira Schmid manning the crease less than 24 hours ago in Ottawa, there’s a chance that rookie goaltender Cooper Black will make his NHL debut against the Penguins. Recalled from the AHL on Tuesday, the 25-year-old has made three starts with the Charlotte Checkers this season, going 2-1-0 with a 2.67 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. If he does start, Black, who stands 6-foot-8, will become the tallest goaltender in the history of the NHL.
TKACHUKS ON A TEAR: The Panthers are running on brotherly love. Over the last four games, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk have each logged a team-high 11 points. In that span, Brady has scored seven goals – including back-to-back natural hat tricks – while Matthew has dished out 11 assists. Since Oct. 12, they’re both tied for second in the NHL in points.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Panthers will play their eighth road game of the season tonight. As of Oct. 22, they are tied for the most road games played in the NHL. Four Panthers have tallied at least five points on the road this season, with Matthew Tkachuk (10 points) and Seth Jones (8 points) leading the charge. Additionally, five Panthers have multiple road goals so far.
FIVE KEY STATS
- Garnet Hathaway’s 28.45 hits per 60 minutes leads the NHL.
- Matthew Tkachuk leads Florida with 10 points (2G, 8A) on the road.
- Brady Tkachuk has scored seven goals in his last four games.
- Dmitry Kulikov is one assist away from his 200th NHL assist.
- Seth Jones leads Florida’s defensemen with three multi-point games.
THEY SAID IT
"We didn't like our game tonight, and I think everyone's hungry for the next one tomorrow." – Gustav Forsling on bouncing back after Wednesday’s loss in Ottawa
“It’s a really big test tomorrow, really challenging. You've got one of the greatest to ever do it stepping on the ice tomorrow." – Brady Tkachuk on facing the Penguins
OPPOSITION OUTLOOK
- The Penguins always seem to find a way to pry at least a point from the Panthers. Over their last 33 head-to-head meetings with Florida, the Penguins have earned a point in 26 of them.
- Pittsburgh’s dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby (76 points) and Evgeni Malkin (60 points) rank third and fourth, respectively, among all active skaters in points against the Panthers. Last season, Crosby and Malkin led the Penguins with eight points each against Florida.
- Erik Karlsson leads the Penguins in scoring with 11 points (1G, 10A) this season. His four-game point streak is also the third-longest active run among defensemen in the NHL. The former Norris Trophy winner is just the seventh blueliner in Pittsburgh’s history to record 10 or more assists through the first 10 games of the season.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Check back closer to puck drop.
Paul Maurice will meet with the media at 4:15 p.m. ET.
TEAM STATS
