BUFFALO – The Florida Panthers will try to throw some cold water on the NHL’s hottest team when they battle the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
Jockeying for position in a jam-packed Eastern Conference, the Panthers (23-18-3) currently trail the surging Sabres (24-15-4) by only three points in the standings.
“I think the East is very strong,” head coach Paul Maurice said.
Picking up the first win of their six-game road trip, the Panthers, who came up short in the first two stops, earned a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.
Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling scored in the win, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves. A big showing from the top defensive pairing, Forsling (1G, 1A) and Aaron Ekblad (2A) were named the first and second stars of the game, respectively.
On special teams, Florida went 2-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Starting each game of the trip thus far, Bobrovsky will get the nod in net again tonight.
“Everybody knows what’s at stake,” defenseman Jeff Petry said. “Our first two games of the road trip weren’t ideal, but I thought in Ottawa we got to our game, and we played the style of game that we wanted to. We’ve got to make sure we start with that game and style.”
Participating in this morning’s skate but not yet able to return from injuries, Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchad and Cole Scwhindt remain out for the Panthers. In their absence, a pair of Sams stand as the team’s leading scorers: Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett.
Reinhart has logged 44 points (23G, 21A), while Bennett has tallied 33 points (16G, 17A).
Despite missing key players, the Panthers rank fifth in the NHL on the penalty kill at 83.6%.
“Just believe in the system,” forward Anton Lundell said of the PK. “We know how to play. It’s all about execution. We’ve got to talk a lot, go over some things and make sure everyone is on the same page. I think that’s the most important, just be on the same page.”
To say the Sabres have been hot would be underselling it.
Since Dec. 9, they lead the NHL with a 13-1-0 record. Over those 14 games, they rank fifth in the NHL in goals per game (3.64) and second in fewest goals allowed per game (2.21).
From Dec. 9-31, they matched a franchise record with 10 straight wins.
“For us, it’s a unit of five all over the ice,” Petry said of slowing down the Sabres. “When we’re at our best, we have that close support and we’re moving up the ice as a unit.”
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in goals (22) and points (41), while Alex Tuch ranks second in scoring with 36 points (14G, 22A). Acquired in an offseason trade with Utah, Josh Doan has been a great pick-up for Buffalo, posting 30 points (14G, 16A) in 43 games.
Fueling the team’s hot streak, Thompson has scored nine goals since Dec. 9.
“He’s a very good player,” Lundell said. “There’s not a lot of guys that are that tall, that skilled and that fast. He’s just good overall. Just need to treat him as a superstar and be aware of where he is on the ice. His shot is great, so we don’t want him to shoot too much.”
With Alex Lyon currently sidelined by a lower-body injury, Colten Ellis is expected to man the crease against the Panthers. In nine appearances this season, the 25-year-old rookie has posted a 5-3-0 record with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Meeting for the second time this season, the Sabres topped the Panthers 3-0 in their last meeting behind a 32-save shutout from Lyon on Oct. 18 at KeyBank Center. Providing the goal support, Doan lit the lamp twice in the win, while Owen Power also touched the twine.
Last season, the Panthers posted a 3-1-0 record against the Sabres.
“I thought the played a pretty good game against us the first time we were in here,” Maurice said. “Any team in the NHL, they get that confidence in their game and everything happens faster for them. The puck moves quicker, their reaction time is right on and they feel good.”
THEY SAID IT
“When the game’s going right, you see less time and events of chaos in your game. Then, the game is actually easier to read, so you get more repetitions in the right way you’re playing. You have less, as a coach, video you have to fix.” – Paul Maurice
“They have some guys that can put the puck in the net and some guys with speed that want that time and space. What’s important for us is to make sure we’re coming back, we’re defending, we’re breaking pucks out as a group.” – Jeff Petry
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers are 7-0-0 when leading after two periods on the road.
- Since Nov. 10, the Panthers have won seven of their last 10 games on the road.
- Sam Bennett has scored nine goals in 18 road games this season.
- Aaron Ekblad is two points away from his 400th NHL point.
- The Panthers are 11-1-1 when Anton Lundell scores this season.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FORWARDS
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer
Sandis Vilmanis – Evan Rodrigues – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis
Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Jan. 10: F Sandis Vilmanis recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Jan. 4: D Tobias Bjornfot was recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Monday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM/560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click Here
