TORONTO – The Florida Panthers will play their final road game of the 2025-26 season when they tangle with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.
A meaningful game for the upcoming draft lottery, the Panthers (37-38-4) and Maple Leafs (32-33-14) both have 78 points in the standings with three games left.
Even with the playoffs out of reach, the Panthers expect they’ll have some extra jump tonight.
“Toronto is the center of hockey,” defenseman Mike Benning said. “It’s always exciting coming here.”
Watching their losing streak reach four games, the Panthers held their own despite a youthful lineup in a 5-1 loss at Ottawa on Thursday.
Jesper Boqvist scored the lone goal against the Senators to spoil a shutout bid for Linus Ullmark, who made 22 saves.
Making their NHL debuts, Marek Alscher and Ludvig Jansson, both draft picks from 2022, manned the blue line for Florida.
“I was very happy with their game,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “When we bring young guys in, what we ask them to do is show us what they’re good at and not worry about the rest. We’re not really worried about systems, mistakes or reads that are off. We can fix that. I thought both did a good job.”
Recalled from the AHL this morning, Wilmer Skoog could be next in line to make his NHL debut as the Panthers have a few game-time decisions, according to Maurice.
In 59 games with the Charlotte Checkers this season, the 26-year-old forward has notched a career-high 37 points (18G, 19A).
"If Skoog Dog gets in tonight, he's earned it," Maurice said. "He's been one of our fittest athletes at camp. He’s had an incredible year in Charlotte. We would’ve called him up earlier had he not been injured. There’s lots of youthful enthusiasm for both teams.”
A consistent presence down the middle for the injury-plagued Panthers, Sam Bennett has been building on a career-best campaign.
Suiting up in 76 games, the grizzled center has recorded 58 points (26G, 32A).
After backing up Sergei Bobrovsky against the Senators, Daniil Tarasov will man the crease in Toronto.
Getting a good workload down the home stretch, Tarasov, who appeared in three of the first four games on the road trip, has gone 10-15-3 with a 3.20 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage during his first season with the Panthers.
Unlike the Panthers, who’ve lost 500-plus man games to injury, the Maple Leafs can’t pin all their woes on health.
While there’s been some bumps and bruises along the way, Toronto’s core players – William Nylander, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly – have all played at least 60 games this season.
Nylander paces the Maple Leafs in scoring with 73 points (26G, 47A), while Tavares ranks second with 69 points, including scoring a team-high 30 goals.
Matthews, who’s appeared in 60 games, has notched 53 points (27G, 26A).
On the back end, William Villeneuve will make his NHL Debut for the Maple Leafs. A fourth-round pick (122nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, the 24-year-old defenseman has recorded 29 points (3G, 26A) in 59 games in the AHL this season.
Between the pipes, Joseph Woll will get the start for Toronto. In 38 appearances this season, Woll, who the Panthers have seen in the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, has gone 15-15-7 with a 3.31 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and two shutouts.
The fourth and final meeting between the two division rivals, the Panthers have posted a 1-2-0 record against the Maple Leafs this season, but earned a 5-1 win in their last head-to-head battle back on Feb. 26 in Sunrise.
“It’ll be a fun game tonight,” defenseman Tobias Bjornfot said. “We’re excited for it.”
THEY SAID IT
“I was really impressed with the level that Mark played at, the intensity level of his game. It wasn’t necessarily the physicality of it. He was bumping people, but he was hard to get pucks, hard to get pucks out. He made a couple of plays that aren’t highlight, but they’re difficult to make.” – Paul Maurice on Marek Alscher’s NHL debut
“You have that adrenaline and emotion. That’s not much else you can say.” – Mike Benning on his advice for players making their NHL debut
FIVE CATS STATS
- Carter Verhaeghe has scored two goals in his last three games.
- Gustav Forsling leads Florida’s defensemen with 26 assists.
- Eetu Luostarinen is two assists away from his 100th NHL assist.
- A.J. Greer has notched a team-high four points (1G, 3A) in April.
- The Panthers are 23-1-2 when leading after two periods this season.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Check back closer to puck drop.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- April 11: F Wilmer Skoog recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- April 9: D Marek Alscher and D Ludvig Jansson recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- April 5: D Mikulas Hovorka loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
- April 1: D Tobias Bjornfot and D Mikulas Hovorka recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM/560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH-FM (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR-FM (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Watch Party: Funky Buddha
