DETROIT – The Florida Panthers will try to snap out of a four-game skid when they close out their road trip with a battle against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Friday.
Sitting at 30-29-3, the Panthers enter tonight’s matchup 10 points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with one fewer game remaining.
“We know where we’re at,” forward Sam Bennett said of the team’s injury-plagued season. “This team is going to be a really good team for a long time. There’s no panic. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, for sure. It’s frustrating right now, but we still have a ton of belief.”
With the NHL’s trade deadline coming up at 3 p.m. ET, the Panthers already shipped Jeff Petry to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2026.
This afternoon, the Panthers also acquired Vinnie Hinostroza, who previously played nine games with Florida during the 2020-21 campagin, from the Wild for future considerations.
While other moves could still be made prior to the deadline, the Panthers benefit from having the vast majority of their back-to-back Stanley Cup champion core locked up.
“I think in a difficult situation there’s a whole bunch of guys that understand they’re not going anywhere,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “So, that can be good for you. They understand that this is the bed that we’ve made and now we’ve got to deal with it.”
On the first half of their back-to-back, the Panthers made a push in the third period but eventually came up short in a 4-2 loss at Columbus on Thursday. After falling behind 3-0, Niko Mikkola and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers to make it 3-2 late in regulation.
Halting what was shaping up to be an inspired comeback, the Panthers had what appeared to be a game-tying goal from Gustav Forsling taken off the board with 2:55 left on the clock after a very controversial ruling on a goaltender interference challenge by the Blue Jackets.
After that, the Blue Jackets scored an empty-net goal for the 4-2 final.
“That was definitely our best period of the game,” Bennett said of the third period, where the Panthers led 16-6 in scoring chances. “I thought we were a little slow to start, not much energy in the second, and then we pushed in the third. But it was too late by then.”
With no skate this morning, lineup information won’t be known until closer to puck drop.
Across the ice, the Red Wings are on track for their first trip to the playoffs since 2015-16.
Third in the Atlantic Division with a record of 35-20-7, the Red Wings have points in each of their last two games, but enter tonight’s tilt looking to rebound from a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
With all three of their goals coming in the first period, Emmitt Finnie, Simon Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings, while Cam Talbot stopped 21 of 24 shots in net.
Lucas Raymond leads the Red Wings in scoring with 65 points (20G, 45A), including seven points (2G, 5A) over his last six games. DeBrincat ranks second in scoring with 62 points and has scored a team-high 32 goals, giving him back-to-back seasons with 30-plus goals.
John Gibson has seen the bulk of the action in Detroit’s net, posting a 23-12-2 record with a 2.57 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and four shutouts in 39 appearances. Backing up, Talbot is 12-8-5 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.
Per reports from Detroit, Gibson will start against Florida.
In their first meeting this season, the Red Wings earned a 4-1 win over the Panthers at Little Caesars Arena all the way back on Oct. 15 behind a pair of goals from Mason Appleton.
Overall, the Panthers have come out on top in 12 of their last 15 visits to the Motor City.
“It’s desperation hockey right now,” defenseman Niko Mikkola said.
THEY SAID IT
“I think the guys, we’re trying. It’s not a lack of effort. Sometimes when things aren’t going your way, you’re trying to do a little too much. Sometimes less is more. Everyone cares. There’s great character in this room.” -- Sam Bennett on the ups and downs of this season
“I think they're calling that roster management. He's a very sought after young man. That'll sort itself out over the next 24 hours.” -- Paul Maurice on A.J. Greer being held out of Thursday’s loss
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers lead 48-26 in goals over their last 15 road games vs. Detroit.
- Sam Bennett has scored four goals over his last four games.
- The Panthers are 12-3-1 when Carter Verhaeghe scores a goal.
- Aaron Ekblad leads Florida’s defensemen with seven multi-point games.
- Brad Marchand has logged 45 points (20G, 25A) in 46 career games vs. Detroit.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Evan Rodrigues – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
A.J. Greer – Eetu Luostarinen – Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist – Tomas Nosek – Mackie Samoskevich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis
Donovan Sebrango – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- March 6: Acquired F Vinnie Hinostroza from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations
- March 5: Acquired a conditional 2026 seventh-round draft pick from Minnesota in exchange for D Jeff Petry
- March 4: G Louis Domingue agreed to terms on a two-way, one-year NHL contract for remainder of 2025-26 season
- March 2: F Luke Kunin loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
TV & Streaming: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 560 WQAM-AM (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
