SUNRISE, Fla. - The boys are rested and ready to go.
Feeling recharged after enjoying a rare two-day break, the Panthers will kick off the second half of their 2020-21 campaign with a matchup against the Predators at BB&T Center on Thursday.
Preview: Rested Panthers Open 2nd Half with Matchup vs. Preds
"It was good," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said of the break. "Two days is a lot of recovery time. We have a busy schedule. We're going to play a lot of games in the next few weeks, so it's good to get some rest. It's a tough season, so we've just got to get a lot of points and play well. I think these two days are going to help us stay healthy the next few weeks."
Sitting at 19-5-4 and tied for the most points in the Central Division, the Panthers extended their winning streak to a season-long four games with a 6-3 win over the Blackhawks on Monday. As it has been a lot this season, Florida trailed early, but came on strong late to secure the victory.
Living up to their "Comeback Cats" nickname, the Panthers lead the league in wins when falling into a 1-0 hole, going an impressive 12-4-3. A big reason for that has been the team's ability to find the back of the net in the third period, where they rank second in the league with 36 goals.
"I like the way we battle back in games, but at the same time it'd be nice to be on the other side of it where we're protecting leads and playing the right way and try to build off of that," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "I still don't mind when we do get down in games the way that we're playing, so that consistency has been in place… I think we're effective when we just do the things the right way. Whether we've got the lead or not, let's continue on with consistency."
Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov enter tonight's matchup sharing the No. 1 spot on Florida's scoring leaderboard with 34 points apiece. Among the two superstars, Barkov has been carrying a particularly hot stick lately, producing 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) over his last 10 games.
Huberdeau, however, always seems to be at his best against Nashville. In 17 career meetings with the Predators, the 27-year-old winger has registered 19 points (10 goals, nine assists), including five goals and four assists in four matchups this season. On Feb. 4, he erupted for a career-high five points against Nashville, including scoring his first hat trick.
"I think we've been pretty good this season against them, and we've just got to keep doing what we're doing," Huberdeau said of facing the Predators. "Personally, there's just some teams you play better against, and that's kind of the team that I do. I'm looking forward to tonight."
In a tough spot midway through the season, Nashville has lost six of its last eight games to drop to 12-16-1 and seventh place in the division. That being said, the Predators are coming off a 4-1 win at Tampa Bay on Monday in which goaltender Pekka Rinne made a season-high 38 saves.
"First and foremost, we've had really strong team efforts [over the past few games]," Predators coach John Hynes told the team's official website on Wednesday. "Throughout the lineup, the commitment level that we're playing with competitively, the work ethic and the puck execution throughout the lineup has been very good. We've played a very connected game."
Doing a lot of heavy lifting on offense, Filip Forsberg leads the Predators in goals (10), assists (17) and points (27). Farther down the list, Roman Josi, who is currently on the injured reserve list and considered "week-to-week" with an upper-body injury, ranks second with 16 points (two goals, 14 assists), while Viktor Arvidsson sits third with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists).
Always the top target among Florida's defenders, Forsberg has recorded 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 15 career games against the Panthers, including accumulating a whopping 10 points (three goals, seven assists) during just four head-to-head matchups so far this season.
While Juuse Saros was activated off injured reserve on Wednesday, Rinne could get the nod against the Panthers after his strong showing against the Lightning. In 20 appearances this season, the 38-year-old veteran goaltender has gone 7-11-1 with a .899 save percentage.
For the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to man the crease as he attempts to pick up his seventh straight victory. During his torrid six-game winning streak, the 32-year-old has been on top of his game from start to finish, turning aside 181 of 198 shots for a .914 save percentage.
Earning points in every game they've played against Nashville this season, the Panthers have gone 3-0-1 while finding the back of the net at least five times in three of those four contests.
"We've had some good games against them," Panthers forward Noel Acciari said. "We know they're a team that's not going to quit. We've got to make sure we bring our A-game and just make sure that we play our game like we have been lately. I think we're going to try and start with a lead this game and hold it. Whatever happens, we're a team that doesn't give up."
TEAM RECORDS
FLA:19-5-4, 42 PTS
NSH: 12-16-1, 25 PTS
FLA all-time vs. NSH: 18-9-3-6
PANTHERS NOTES
-- Spreading out the offense, the Panthers are currently the only team in the NHL with six 10-goal scorers in their lineup. Those players are Aleksander Barkov (12), Patric Hornqvist (11), Carter Verhaeghe (11), Aaron Ekblad (10), Jonathan Huberdeau (10) and Frank Vatrano (10).
-- Aaron Ekblad ranks second among NHL defensemen in goals (10) and first in power-play goals (6). Over his last seven contests, he's registered nine points (four goals, five assists).
-- MacKenzie Weegar enters tonight's matchup riding a career-high, five-game point streak in which he's tallied one goal and six assists. Leading Florida in even-strength ice time (550:18), his 16 points at even-strength are tied for the second-most among defensemen in the NHL.
-- Radko Gudas leads the Panthers and ranks tied for third in the NHL with 128 hits.
-- Patric Hornqvist ranks tied for second on Florida in goals (11), including six on the power play.
-- Carter Verhaeghe enters tonight's matchup on a four-game point streak. In that span, he's recorded three goals and two assists. In the midst of his first season with the Panthers, he leads the team in even-strength goals (11) and plus/minus (+13).
-- Frank Vatrano has netted six goals over his last 10 games.
-- Owen Tippett is riding a career-high, four-game point streak (three goals, one assist).
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Mason Marchment - Aleksander Barkov - Carter Verhaeghe
Jonathan Huberdeau - Alex Wennberg - Patric Hornqvist
Frank Vatrano - Eetu Luostarinen - Owen Tippett
Noel Acciari - Juho Lammikko - Anthony Duclair
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
Keith Yandle - Anton Stralman
Gustav Forsling - Radko Gudas
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Chris Driedger
Scratches: Vinnie Hinostroza, Ryan Lomberg, Markus Nutivaara
Taxi squad:Riley Stillman, Brett Connolly, Grigori Denisenko, Kevin Connauton, Philippe Desrosiers
Injured reserve:Noah Juulsen (upper body)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- March 13: F Anthony Duclair was activated from IR; D Riley Stillman was loaned to the Taxi Squad.
- March 9: D Markus Nutivaara was activated from IR; F Owen Tippett was recalled from the Taxi Squad.
- March 8: D Riley Stillman was recalled from the Taxi Squad; F Grigori Denisenko and D Kevin Connauton were loaned to the Taxi Squad.
IN-ARENA ACTIVATIONS
-
50/50 Raffle
- $5 Beer Thursday
- A limited number of fans will be admitted to BB&T Center for home games this season. Learn that have been taken as a part of the "Red Reminders" program presented in conjunction with Baptist Health South Florida at
FloridaPanthers.com/RedReminders
.
- Mobile Ordering is now available at BB&T Center for Panthers games.
Visit
FloridaPanthers.com/MobileOrdering
for all the info.
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When: Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where:BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL
TV:FOX Sports Florida
Stream:
FOX Sports GO
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 107.9 FM/1370 AM WZTA (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM Ch. 222 / Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
