SUNRISE, Fla. - Welcome back.
In their first of two home games this preseason, the Florida Panthers will take on the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday at 6 p.m. ET.
For the first time since June 17, the team will take the ice in their home barn after claiming their second straight Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers.
“It’s a little different vibe here than Game 6 of the Final,” head coach Paul Maurice said with a smile following the team’s morning skate at Baptist Health IcePlex. “We’ve got some pretty good memories, won both [Cups] on home ice, so it feels pretty good walking up to the bench.”
Last playing on Sept. 24, the Panthers left Carolina with a 4-2 come-from-behind win after a four-goal third period, with three of those goals coming in the final 3:57 of the game.
A standout performance, goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 47 saves in the win.
“He was fantastic, and that's a great thing for him, build confidence,” Maurice said of the goalie’s performance following the game. “All the guys back home will know about the performance he had tonight, so it's good for him.”
With the Cup roster joining training camp a week later, the Panthers have rolled out a younger lineup through the three preseason games so far.
Now with the big guys back on the ice, Maurice plans to do a split roster in Monday’s tilt.
“We’ll be half and half,” said Maurice. “We’ll go back to a very young lineup in Orlando and then come out for the last two, for the most part, dressing our entire lineup.”
Almost a week away from home opener, the Panthers will have time to get back in their groove as the season gets underway.
“Two is the perfect number, I think, to get going and get your legs,” forward Carter Verhaeghe said of preseason games. “I think there is definitely a place for them and they help. You can get put in a game situation, not going against your own team.”
While the lines have yet to be determined, we do know that veteran forwards Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Jonah Gadjovich, Luke Kunin, Mackie Samoskevich and defensemen Uvis Balinskis and Jeff Petry will be making their preseason debuts tonight for the Panthers.
Forward prospect Sandis Vilmanis will also be back in the lineup tonight after missing the initial games due to injury.
A strong showing in last year’s camp and preseason, the 21-year-old Latvian is hoping to show his game again this time around after recording 27 points (9G, 18A) in 61 regular season games for the Charlotte Checkers in his first year pro during the 2024-25 season.
“Looking at the other camp (last year), good camp, so I should prove myself in this one also and do even better than last time,” said Vilmanis. “I’m really excited for tonight’s game and hopefully it’s going to go well.”
Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start.
"It's up to what Robbie (Tallas) and Sergei think he needs, what he wants to get accomplished in the game," Maurice said of Bobrovsky’s minutes in his preseason debut.
PROJECTED LINEUP
FORWARDS
10 Greer
11 Samoskevich
12 Gadjovich
18 Gregor
25 Foote
38 Devine
45 Chorske
53 Studnika
59 Sawchyn
70 Boqvist
71 Kunin
95 Vilmanis
DEFENSE
2 Petry
4 Harpur
20 Benning
22 Bjornfot
26 Balinskis
49 Livingstone
GOALTENDERS
72 Bobrovsky
31 Black
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Monday, September 29 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV: WSFL, WHDT, WFTX, PanthersPlus.TV
Radio: 560 WQAM (DADE/BROWARD); 101.7 WCRZ-FM (TREASURE COAST); Panthers App
Tickets: Click Here
