The Panthers didn't have to travel far for the first challenge on their five-game road trip.
Trailing the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning by only two points for the top spot in the Central Division, the Panthers will look to close that gap and continue their success against their intrastate rival this season when the two clubs meet at Amalie Arena on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
Preview: Panthers Look to Close the Gap on Lightning
"I think that we're pleased with our first part of the year," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "We expect the second half to be more competitive in the games since everybody's familiar with one another within the division. There's going to be tough games going forward as well."
Occupying second place in the division with a 20-6-4 record, the Panthers have won seven of their last nine games and are fresh off a 2-0 win over the Predators on Saturday. In that game, they were in control from start to finish and kept the pressure on high for the entire 60 minutes.
After firing off 22 shots on goal in the first period, the Panthers went on to let loose 27 more over the second and third periods for a grand total of 49. Additionally, they also led Nashville 76-42 in shot attempts, with those 76 attempts standing as their second-most in a contest this campaign.
Heading into this afternoon's matchup, the Cats hope to bring that same level of intensity.
"We just kept the momentum from the first shift to the last shift," Panthers forward Patric Hornqvist said of the team's attack after the game. "I think that was one of our better 60-minute efforts. We didn't have many turnovers. If we're playing like this, it's going to be hard to beat us."
Netting his team-leading 13th goal of the season in the win, Aleksander Barkov is locked in a tie with Jonathan Huberdeau for the team-scoring lead with 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists). Over his last five outings, Florida's captain has been on a tear, posting three goals and three assists.
Also heating up in recent weeks, MacKenzie Weegar will make history this afternoon if he can manage to crack the scoresheet against the Lightning. Riding a career-high, seven-game point streak, the 27-year-old is currently tied with teammate Keith Yandle for the longest such streak by a defenseman in franchise history. With one more point, he'll own the record all to himself.
Playing the best hockey of his career, Weegar has already reached a new career-high with 19 points (two goals 17 assists) through only 30 games played thus far. Additionally, he also ranks tied for second in the league in even-strength points by a defenseman this season with 18.
"I think he's just getting more composed," Quenneville said of Weegar. "I think he has more composure with the puck, better play recognition. He does get a lot of good looks during the course of the game, him and Ek [Aaron Ekblad], be it off the rush or in the zone together."
After Chris Driedger stopped all 21 shots he faced against the Predators on Saturday, there's a good chance we see Sergei Bobrovsky man the crease for the Cats in Tampa Bay. Owning a 12-3-2 record, the 32-year-old has gone 7-2-1 with a .920 save percentage in his last 10 games.
Quenneville will speak with the media at 2 p.m. ET, so expect some concrete lineup notes then.
At the other end of the ice, the Lightning are currently sitting in first place in the division after improving their record to 22-6-2 with a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks on Saturday. In that game, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde and Steven Stamkos all touched the twine, while Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 30 of 31 shots to push his personal winning streak to 11 games.
Victor Hedman leads Tampa Bay in scoring with 32 points (six goals, 26 assists), which is also the most among all defensemen in the NHL. Pacing the team with 15 goals, Stamkos has lit the lamp four times over his last six games, with three of those scores coming on the power play.
If the Lightning continue their trend of splitting back-to-back games between their two goalies, look for Curtis McElhinney to face the Panthers this afternoon. In six appearances this season, the 37-year-old has gone 2-3-1 behind a 3.19 goals-against average and .874 save percentage.
So far this season, the Panthers have taken two of three games from the Lightning, including a 6-4 win in their last meeting back on February 15. Overall, Florida has jumped out to a 10-2-1 record away from home, while Tampa Bay boasts a 10-4-2 mark within their friendly confines.
"We just want to keep pushing ahead," Quenneville said.
TEAM RECORDS
FLA: 20-6-4, 44 PTS
TBL:22-6-2, 46 PTS
FLA all-time vs. TBL:18-10-3-6
PANTHERS NOTES
-- Spreading out the offense, the Panthers are currently the only team in the NHL with six 10-goal scorers in their lineup. Those players are Aleksander Barkov (13), Patric Hornqvist (11), Carter Verhaeghe (11), Jonathan Huberdeau (11), Aaron Ekblad (10) and Frank Vatrano (10).
-- Radko Gudas leads Florida and ranks third in the NHL with 137 hits.
-- Huberdeau is tied for first on the Panthers in scoring with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists), including three goals and eight assists over his last nine games. Producing at a point-per-game clip in his career against the Lightning, he's tallied 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 34 games.
-- Ekblad ranks tied for second among NHL defensemen in goals (10) and first in power-play goals (6). Over his last nine contests, he's registered nine points (four goals, five assists).
-- Hornqvist is tied for second on Florida in goals (11), with six of them coming on the power play. In 25 career games against Tampa Bay, he's posted 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists).
-- Verhaeghe leads the Panthers and is tied for eighth in the NHL with 11 goals at even-strength. Over his past six games, he's accumulated six points (three goals, three assists).
-- Florida has gone 14-for-14 on the penalty kill over its last four games.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau - Alex Wennberg - Patric Hornqvist
Frank Vatrano - Eetu Luostarinen - Owen Tippett
Mason Marchment - Juho Lammikko - Noel Acciari
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
Keith Yandle - Anton Stralman
Gustav Forsling - Radko Gudas
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Chris Driedger
Scratches:Vinnie Hinostroza, Ryan Lomberg, Markus Nutivaara
Taxi squad: Riley Stillman, Brett Connolly, Kevin Connauton, Philippe Desrosiers
Injured reserve: Noah Juulsen (upper body)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- March 19: F Grigori Denisenko was reassigned to Syracuse (AHL).
- March 13: F Anthony Duclair was activated from IR; D Riley Stillman was loaned to the Taxi Squad.
- March 9: D Markus Nutivaara was activated from IR; F Owen Tippett was recalled from the Taxi Squad.
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Sunday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m. ET
Where: Amalie Arena - Tampa, FL
TV:FOX Sports Florida, ESPN+
Stream:
FOX Sports GO
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 107.9 FM/1370 AM WZTA (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM Streaming Ch. 932
