PITTSBURGH – The Florida Panthers will look to keep on streaking when they kick off a three-game trip with a battle against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday.
Winning each of their last eight games on the road (a franchise record), the Panthers are tied for first in the NHL in road wins (17) while also allowing a league-best 2.23 goals per game.
“First game of the trip, you always want to have a good start,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “We know who we’re playing against. We’re going to need to have a good start and a solid 60-minute game. We’re going to be ready.”
Entering tonight’s tilt just four points behind the Boston Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division with a game in hand, the Panthers closed out their homestand by shutting down the NHL’s top offense in a 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Barkov led the Panthers with three points (one goal, two assists) in the win, while Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen also lit the lamp. Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside all 35 shots that he faced to record the 41st shutout of his career.
Sitting at 33-15-4 in the standings, the Panthers have gone 15-3-2 since Dec. 23.
“It’s our preparation for every game,” Barkov said of the team’s success this season. “When we’re on the road, we know it’s us against everyone. We know that and we’ll play as a team really well. We play for each other, play to win games. We need to keep that going tonight.”
Just one goal shy of the first 40-goal campaign of his career, Reinhart has been on an epic roll on the road in recent weeks. Finding the back of the net in each of his last nine games on the road – including seven straight on the power play – he’s just two off the NHL record.
On a tear in 2024, Matthew Tkachuk leads the NHL with 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) since Jan. 1. In that stellar span, the 26-year-old winger has made a dent on the scoresheet in 14 of 16 games, including posting multiple points on eight separate occasions.
Fresh off being named the league’s Second Star of the Week on Monday, Bobrovsky, who ranks third in the HL with 25 wins this season, will get the nod in net against the Penguins.
In two starts against Pittsburgh this season, he’s gone 2-0-0 with a .952 save percentage.
On the outside of the playoff picture at the moment, the Penguins sit at 23-19-7 and have lost each of their last two games, including a 2-1 defeat at the Winnipeg Jets in their last outing on Saturday.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first period to the Jets, Bryan Rust scored in the second to cut Pittsburgh’s deficit to 2-1. But that would be the only goal they got past Connor Hellebuyck, who made 35 saves to strengthen his Vezina Trophy campaign.
Even at 36, Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins in goals (28) and points (52).
After the ageless wonder, Jake Guentzel is second in scoring with 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists), while Evgeni Malkin is third with 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists). On the blue line, Erik Karlsson, the 2023 Norris Trophy winner, has tallied 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists).
Despite ranking 25th on offense, Pittsburgh, which has scored just three goals in its last two games, boasts the league’s sixth-ranked defense with an average of 2.63 goals allowed per game.
In the crease opposite Bobrovsky, Tristan Jarry will get the nod in net for the Penguins. In 34 appearances this season, the 28-year-old has gone 14-15-4 with a .916 save percentage.
Facing off for the third and final time this season, the Panthers have won each of their two previous meetings with the Penguins, including a 3-2 shootout win on Jan. 26. In that game, Reinhart scored the game-winning goal in the shootout and Bobrovsky made 35 saves.
Based on this morning’s skate, it appears the Penguins will be rolling with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against the Panthers. That means that rookie defenseman John Ludvig, who Pittsburgh claimed off waivers from Florida back in October, will likely be in the lineup.
“They have an emotional advantage on us coming in,” Maurice said. “They’re at a critical time. They’re seven points out [of the playoffs], but they have three games in hand. Every one of those guys is going to be wired and ready to go. They’re fast and they’re veteran.”
PREGAME QUOTES
“[The Penguins] play really well offensively. They have elite players there. Every time you play against them, it’s a really good challenge. We’re ready for the challenge and to try and play our best game.” – Aleksander Barkov
“It will be physical here tonight. We’ve had some unusual games in this budling. We want to get our forecheck game and keep working on that. That’s probably the theme we’re trying to establish now.” – Paul Maurice
FIVE CATS STATS
- Aleksander Barkov ranks second in the NHL in road assists (25).
- Sergei Bobrovsky has won each of his last six starts on the road.
- Carter Verhaeghe has scored team-high 18 goals at even strength.
- The Panthers rank first in the NHL in shots per game (34.3).
- The Panthers have earned at least a point in five of their last six games vs. Pittsburgh.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Nick Cousins – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Evan Rodrigues
Jonah Gadjovich – Kevin Stenlund – Ryan Lomberg
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
TV & Streaming: TNT
Radio: 96.5 WPOW-FM HD-2 (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932; Panthers App
