The Florida Panthers are off to a solid start.
Opening the season on a four-game point streak for the sixth time in franchise history, the Panthers went 2-0-2 on their season-opening road trip to earn six out of eight points.
As of Thursday, they sit first in the Atlantic Division.
“If you would have told me going into the trip that we’d take six of eight [points], I would have signed on the dotted line,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said.
Continue below for some stats that stood out from the road trip.
2: Goals allowed at 5-on-5. Over 170:48 of time spent at 5-on-5, the Panthers have outscored the opposition 5-2. Entering Thursday’s slate of games, they are locked in a three-way tie for the fewest 5-on-5 goals allowed in the NHL this season. Showcasing their elite puck possession, the Panthers also lead 166-113 in 5-on-5 shot attempts.
3: Points for Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Lars Eller. The Panthers have a three-way atop their scoring leaderboard. One of the unsung heroes of the road trip, Eller, who’s in his first season with the Panthers, is riding a three-game point streak.
.927: Save percentage for Jacob Markstrom. The second era of Markstrom in South Florida has gotten off to an outstanding start. Through his first three appearances, the 36-year-old veteran has posted a 2-0-1 record while stopping 51 of 55 shots. Coming up in the clutch time and time again, he’s saved 3.1 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck.com.
82.61: Corsi for percentage for Florida’s fourth line. The new-look line has been incredibly efficient through four games. At 5-on-5, the Panthers have led 19-4 in shot attempts, 8-1 in shots on goal and 5-1 in scoring chances when the trio of Lars Eller, Garnet Hathaway and Bokondji Imama has been deployed.
144: Hits for the Panthers. To no one’s surprise, the Panthers lead the NHL in both hits (144) and hits per 60 minutes (34.23). In all four games on their road trip, they notched at least 27 hits, including a season-high 43 in their opening night win over the Carolina Hurricanes. In terms of individuals, Garnet Hathaway (18) and Brady Tkachuk (17) lead Florida in hits.
27:43: Average time on ice for Seth Jones. What a workhorse! As it stands, Jones not only paces the Panthers, but also ranks fourth in the NHL in average ice time per tilt. A key player in all situations, 26:50 has come on the power play, with 10:53 on the penalty kill. In terms of total minutes, Jones already has 23 more than the next-highest player on the Panthers.
57.1: Faceoff winning percentage for Anton Lundell. The young Finn continues to get better and better in the dot. Leading the Panthers in faceoff percentage and wins (32), the 25-year-old center won a season-best 68.8% of his draws against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 1. Over the past three seasons, Lundell is winning an average of 53.2% of his faceoffs.
