Rats Roundup - Marchessault Madness and More

Welcome to Friday, and the eve of our first back-to-back of the season! The Cats tie up the first multi-game road trip of the season with a two game swing through Buffalo and Detroit.
Tomorrow's game is during peak brunch hours - it's a 1 p.m. puck drop - so throw some stuff on the skillet, turn the game on, and enjoy the rare pleasure of eating eggs while watching hockey. Breakfast food and hockey are two of life's finer things, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.

Sunday's game is another early(ish) start; a 5 p.m. puck drop in Detroit. The Cats took down the Red Wings 4-1 in the second game of the season (Jagr bobblehead night!) and will look to have a repeat performance as they tie up their road trip.

MARCH(ESSAULT) MADNESS

Speaking of that Detroit game earlier this season, that marked Jonathan Marchessault's first multi-point game of the season, as he notched a goal and two assists in the win. The 25-year-old winger has been off to a phenomenal start in South Florida, with national media taking notice.
Last week, it was ESPN's Pierre LeBrun
who wrote about Marchessault's breakout, and this week, it's Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
In an offseason full of high-profile signings and extensions for the Panthers, Marchessault's signing may have flown under the radar for many, as he inked a two-year deal worth $750,000 per season.
That, according to Fox, makes Marchessault the NHL's best bargain.
"Squished between Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko on the league's leaderboard, the 5-foot-9 Florida Panthers centre would've painted you a liar if you told him he'd have three goals and five assists through six games and be on pace for a 110-point campaign in the NHL."
Those numbers are now just a bit off, though, as Marchessault went out and scored two more goals last night.
His season line now sits at 5-5-10 through seven games, leading the team in goals, assists and points.

JAROMIR JAGR: MILESTONE MACHINE

Well, would you look at that, it's another career milestone for Jaromir Jagr.

Last night marked the 1,636th game played in the National Hockey League for Jagr, who passed Scott Stevens for seventh on the all-time list last night.
Jagr's legendary work ethic has had a profound impact on his Florida teammates, explains NHL.com's David Alter. Here's a quick excerpt
from yesterday's article:
"As a teammate and a fan of the game, it's amazing, it's fun to watch on a daily basis and receive his passes," 20-year-old defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "He's a living legend in the game, and it's truly special to play with him every night."
Alter wasn't the only national writer to take a look at Jagr's historic numbers this week. Rolling Stone's Dustin Luke Nelson took a look at the numbers behind Jagr's milestones,
and where he could end up on those career charts at the end of this season.

ESSENTIAL VIEWING

Tweet from @FlaPanthers: Inside the Panthers: West Point airs on @FOXPanthers Sunday, after our game in Detroit.Details & re-air schedule �� https://t.co/of5vyTsVsM pic.twitter.com/8ZDYEIhywT
FOX Sports Florida's Inside the Panthers series is always must-watch television, but Sunday's episode may be their best work yet.
Inside the Panthers: West Point airs on Sunday immediately after the Cats game in Detroit, and gives an inside look at the Panthers team trip to West Point from earlier this month. It also shines a light on the handful of West Point graduates within the Panthers organization, including Owner Vincent Viola, Team President and CEO Matt Caldwell, Chief of Staff Sean McCaffrey and Assistant General Manager Eric Joyce.

MATHESON GETS MAIL

Mike Matheson made some waves early in the season, with an incredible assist on Aleksander Barkov's opening night overtime winner, followed shortly after by his first two career goals.
This week marked another NHL first for Matheson - his first Twitter mailbag.
The first edition of Matheson's Mailbag - a monthly feature on FloridaPanthers.com - went live on Wednesday. Ever wonder what life is like as a redhead in the NHL? Or, the internet's most sought-after question; is a hot dog a sandwich?
Well, Matheson's got your answers here.
Tweet out your question with #MathesonsMailbag, and you may see it answered in the next edition!

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