PITTSBURGH – The Florida Panthers will kick off their final road trip of the season when they open a back-to-back with the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
A double dip in the Steel City, the Panthers will face the Penguins again on Sunday.
“It doesn’t matter where we are right now,” forward Tomas Nosek said of the standings. “When you get a win, it’s always better. You don’t want to lose. It weighs on you and it’s not fun when you’re losing. When you’re winning, it’s always better and you have more fun.”
Even with half their roster sidelined by injuries, the Panthers (37-35-3) are still having fun.
After cruising to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, the defending Stanley Cup champions held on for a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins in their last outing on Thursday.
Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett scored in the win, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves – including 15 in the third period – to keep Boston's offense at bay.
Over his last seven games, Bobrovsky boasts a 5-2-0 record with a .922 save percentage.
“Honestly, I’m living the dream,” the two-time Vezina Trophy winner said after beating the Bruins. “I play in the NHL. I’m starting goalie for the Florida Panthers, two-time Stanley Cup champions. I’m enjoying it. I enjoy each and every moment. I enjoy being here and trying to remind myself that this is it. This is my time, and I’m trying to take everything out of it.”
Heating up heading into today’s battle with the Penguins, Samoskevich, who won’t turn 24 years old until next season, has found the back of the net in each of the last three games.
“I feel like I’ve been playing well enough to score, and for whatever reason they haven’t been going in,” said Samoskevich, who’s sitting on nine goals through 70 games this season. “The difference is that they’re going in now, so just keep doing the same thing.”
While the Panthers have already ruled out a laundry list of players for the rest of the season, Cole Scwhindt could return to action as early as today’s game in Pittsburgh.
Out since Feb. 26, the 6-foot-3 pivot has scored three goals in 22 games this season.
With no skate this morning, Schwindt’s status – as well as today’s starting goaltender – should be known when head coach Paul Maurice addresses the media closer to puck drop.
Sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins (38-22-16) suffered a 6-3 loss at Tampa Bay in their last tilt on Thursday. Rickard Rakell and Egor Chinakhov each lit the lamp against the Lightning, which was fueled to victory by a hat trick from Anthony Cirelli.
Just as it has been for the last two decades, Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins in scoring with 67 points (28G, 39A). Not far behind, Bryan Rust has logged 62 points (27G, 35A), while a resurgent Erik Karlsson ranks first among the team’s defensemen with 60 points (13G, 47A).
In his first season with Pittsburgh, Anthony Mantha has scored a team-high 30 goals.
In the crease, Stuart Skinner, who the Panthers know very well from their two unforgettable battles in the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers, has gone 11-8-5 with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage since being traded to the Penguins.
Also seeing ample time in Pittsburgh’s net, Arturs Silovs has posted a 17-10-8 record with a 2.99 goals-against average, a .891 save percentage and two shutouts.
At the time of this writing, the Penguins have yet to announce a starter.
In their previous meeting this season, the Panthers suffered a 5-3 loss to the Penguins on Oct. 23 at Amerant Bank Arena. Crosby led the charge up front for the Penguins in the win, taking home first-star honors with two goals and an assist.
THEY SAID IT
“They were great. They played smart. They played within the structure. I think they’re getting better. They’re getting used to our structure. It was a fun game.” – Sergei Bobrovsky on Florida’s young defensemen after the win over Boston
“They came out right the last two games. Ready to play, excited to play. The bench was energetic. They’re not just going through the motions. They played hard. We deserved to win the game, especially when you look at the adversity we faced coming in.” – Paul Maurice on the win over the Bruins
FIVE CATS STATS
- Sergei Bobrovsky is three wins away from tying Henrik Lundqvist (459) for sixth most in NHL history.
- Sam Bennett is riding a three-game point streak in which he’s tallied four points (1G, 3A).
- A.J. Greer has recorded at least one point in four of his last five games.
- Matthew Tkachuk has posted 13 points (5G, 8A) in 13 games against Pittsburgh since joining the Panthers.
- The Panthers are 18-5-1 when leading after the first period.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Check back closer to puck drop.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- April 1: D Tobias Bjornfot and D Mikulas Hovorka recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- March 24: F Noah Gregor recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Saturday, April 4 at 5 p.m. ET
Where: PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 100.3 WCTH-FM (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR-FM (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Watch Party: Tin Roof FTL
Due to ongoing dispute with Comcast, Scripps Sports and the Panthers are making tonight's game available for free on Panthers+ for all registered users.
Additionally, score access to the remaining locally-broadcasted games for just $10!
To claim this offer, visit Panthers Plus!
