DENVER – A battle in the Rockies.
On the second game of a back-to-back the Florida Panthers (15-12-2) will take on the league leading Colorado Avalanche (21-2-7) at Ball Arena on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
“We’re not really too worried about other teams,” Sam Bennett said of the upcoming opponents all being in playoff spots. “There’s going to be some tough games on this road trip, but it’s really about playing our game and that’s playoff hockey. Even though it’s December, we got to keep playing that style.”
Looking to flip last year’s outcomes, the Avalanche took both games, winning 7-4 (Nov. 23) and 3-1 (Jan. 6)
The first game between the two teams this season, the Avalanche will visit Florida for the second and final meeting on Jan. 4.
Coming into Denver on a three-game winning streak, after beating the Utah Mammoth 4-3 on Wednesday at Delta Center, the Panthers (32 points), who have two games in hand, sit just four points out from the second and third spot in the Atlantic Division currently held by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins (36 points each).
Tied at 3-3 late in the game, Anton Lundell found the puck out front of the net and buried it with just 52 seconds left in the game to secure the two points.
Points in five of the last six games, Lundell (8G, 15A) is tied with Carter Verhaeghe (9G, 14A) with the third most points on the team with 23.
"I think you've seen him understand the difference between a number one and number three center, the demands of it," said head coach Paul Maurice. "He's our number one center right now and he gets to keep all that experience for the rest of his career."
Scoring twice in the second period against the Mammoth, Sam Bennett continues to carry a hot stick.
In his last 11 games, the 2025 Conn Smythe has 15 points (6G, 9A) and is tied for the team lead in scoring since Nov. 17.
"Sam Bennett is as good a player as there is in the league right now," Maurice said after the win.
Daniil Tarasov will man the crease for the Panthers in Denver.
3-1-0 in his last four starts, Tarasov enters Thursday coming off a 20 save performance against the New York Islanders in the 4-1 win on Sunday.
Skating out of the home tunnel, the Avalanche most recently lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.
With 49 points and a game in hand, Colorado sits two points ahead of the Dallas Stars (47 points) for the NHL’s and Central Division’s top spot.
To no surprise, a major reason for that has been the play of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Up front, MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals (24), points (51), and plus/minus rating (+35).
His 51 points are seven more than Connor McDavid’s second most at 44.
Playing in his 900th game on Tuesday, MacKinnon has racked up 1,066 points (391G, 675A) in his career so far.
On the blue line, Cale Makar has been one of the best defensemen since entering the league in 2019.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner, most recently in 2024-25, leads all NHL defensemen in assists (26) and points (36).
His 10 goals rank second.
"They're in that elite category," Maurice said of MacKinnon and Makar. "They have a skill set that's just not like anybody else's. The speed and power of both those guys, their ability to go from standing still to faster than everybody else in the rink very, very quickly makes them dynamic."
Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to get the start.
The Colorado netminder owns a 8-1-1 record, .920 SV%, and 2.21 GAA.
THEY SAID IT
“We’re going to be fighting right until the end, so every game is important.” – Sam Bennett on upcoming games
“Such a strong player. He can play power play, PK, five-on-five, and does so many things that help the team win.” - Anton Lundell on Eetu Luostarinen
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers are 4-1-0 when scoring first on the road this season
- Carter Verhaeghe has scored in four straight games
- Sam Reinhart has four points (1G, 3A) in the last three games
- Anton Lundell recorded three points (1G, 2A) in two games against the Avalanche during the 2024-25 season
- The Panthers and Avalanche are each 3-3-0 in their last six meetings
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FORWARDS
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer – Evan Rodrigues – Mackie Samoskevich
Jesper Boqvist – Jack Studnicka – Noah Gregor
DEFENSEMEN
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
GOALTENDERS
Daniil Tarasov
Sergei Bobrovsky
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Dec. 8: F Jack Devine was loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
- Dec. 1: F Jack Studnicka was recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Thursday, December 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Ball Arena – Denver, CO
TV & Streaming: ESPN
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click here
