DALLAS – It’ll be a battle between division leaders when the Florida Panthers kick off their two-game road trip with a matchup against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Tuesday.
Both destined to play beyond Game 82 this season, the Panthers (44-17-4) enter today’s slate of games sitting atop the Atlantic Division, while the Stars (40-17-9) are first in the Central Division.
“Both teams are in a similar situation where we just want to cement on our game, get our game to the right level for the playoffs and battle as hard as you can and learn something new every game,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said of the heavyweight matchup. “It’s a great challenge for us tonight.”
Winners in 17 of their last 20 games, the Panthers, who lead the NHL with 92 points, closed out their homestand with a 5-1 drubbing of the Calgary Flames at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.
In just his second game since being acquired by the Panthers prior to last week’s trade deadline, Vladimir Tarasenko earned first-star honors with two goals and an assist against Calgary. Between the pipes, Anthony Stolarz turned aside 34 of 35 shots to improve his personal record to 13-5-2.
Not escaping the win unscathed, the Panthers lost defenseman Aaron Ekblad (lower body) and forward Evan Rodrigues (lower body) to injuries. Ekblad is expected to miss at least two weeks, while Rodrigues, who is currently considered day-to-day, could return to action as early as next game.
“He won’t go tonight, and that’s precautionary,” Maurice said of Rodrigues.
Appearing in all 82 games for the Panthers last season, Josh Mahura will slot back into the lineup in Ekblad’s absence. Mahura will saddle up alongside Dmitry Kulikov on the third pairing, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson will slide up to take Ekblad’s spot next to Gustav Forsling on the team’s top pairing.
Filling the void left by Rodrigues, Kyle Okposo will make his Panthers debut.
Picked up from the Sabres at the trade deadline, Okposo, a veteran of 1,045 career NHL games, produced 12 goals and 10 assists in 61 games with Buffalo this season prior to being traded. An experienced leader, the 35-year-old also served as captain of the Sabres for the last two seasons.
“I’m excited for him.” Maurice said. “I’m going to keep in mind what a change it is for him. He’s only been on three teams. He spent eight years in Buffalo. He was the captain of the team. You’ve got a lot of weight. Then you come to a team, you’re not the captain, it’s an older team, and you can just go play hockey. You don’t carry the burden of making sure you point out the mistakes to the young guys and making sure everything is right, you can just focus on yourself. I just hope he has fun.”
Sam Reinhart leads Florida in goals (45) and points (76). Matthew Tkachuk ranks first on the team in assists (51) and second in points (72). Carter Verhaeghe (64) and Aleksander Barkov (63) have also crossed the 60-point mark. Showing off their depth, nine different Panthers have at least 10 goals.
In net, Sergei Bobrovsky will get the nod for the Panthers.
Third in the NHL in wins (31), the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has been a model of statistical consistency as of late. He hasn’t surrendered more than two goals in any of his previous 12 starts while stopping 329 of 348 shots for a .945 save percentage. In that span, he owns a 10-2-0 record.
“We know [the Stars] have been really good this year,” Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen said. “It’s going to be a nice challenge for us. I think we’ve just got to do what we do best and it’ll be enough.”
On a five-game winning streak, the Stars enter tonight’s tilt on the heels of a perfect three-game trip through the Golden State. After picking up wins in San Jose (7-6 OT) and Anaheim (6-2), they closed out their successful trip with a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each tallied a goal and an assist against the Kings, while Scott Wedgewood, making his first start since Feb. 26, made 24 saves. During their five-game winning streak, the Stars have outscored the opposition 23-12 while operating at 36.8% on the power play.
Robertson leads Dallas in scoring with 65 points (22 goals, 43 assists). After him, Matt Duchene (58), Roope Hintz (56) and Pavelski (55) have also surpassed the 50-point mark. Recalled from the AHL on March 2, rookie Logan Stankoven has scored five goals over his first eight NHL contests.
After getting a breather in Los Angeles, Jake Oettinger will get the nod in net for the Stars.
Owning a 25-11-4 record with a .900 save percentage, the 25-year-old netminder has picked up wins in 12 of his last 16 starts despite posting a .892 save percentage in that stretch. In his career against the Panthers, he’s gone 1-4-1 with a .896 save percentage and 3.47 goals-against average.
A good test for Florida’s top-ranked defense (2.34 goals allowed per game), the Stars are averaging the second most goals per game in the NHL this season (3.62). Their second and final matchup this season, the Panthers bested the Stars, 5-4, at Amerant Bank Arena in their last meeting on Dec. 6.
“They come with speed, they come with skill and they’re veteran,” Maurice said. “They play a smart, hard game. I think our two teams are only different in systems, but not necessarily in style. They won’t cheat the game; we won’t. They’re capable of scoring goals in structure.”
PREGAME QUOTES
“It’s a dream come true, for sure. … I never even thought about a chance to play in my hometown with an NHL team, but now it’s going to be a reality.” – Aleksander Barkov on the Panthers participating in next season’s NHL Global Series in Finland
“I just know it’s going to be an awesome week for the players, but also for the fans in Finland and all the young boys and girls who grow up playing. They’re going to get so much out of it. I remember myself watching the last time the Panthers and Winnipeg Jets played in Finland, I got a lot myself from it. I know it’s going to a special week for all of Finland and the players as well.” – Anton Lundell on the Panthers participating in next season’s NHL Global Series in Finland
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers lead the NHL in road wins (23).
- Sergei Bobrovsky is tied for first in the NHL in road wins (15).
- Gustav Forsling has recorded five multi-assist games.
- Matthew Tkachuk has dished out 16 assists in his last 21 games.
- Sam Bennett will skate in his 600th NHL game; Anton Lundell will skate in his 200th NHL game.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Vladimir Tarasenko – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Kyle Okposo
Nick Cousins – Kevin Stenlund – Ryan Lomberg
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- March 8: F Kyle Okposo acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2024 conditional 7th round pick and D Calle Sjalin.
- March 8: G Magnus Hellberg acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for G Ludovic Waeber and a 2025 conditional 7th round pick.
- March 8: Claimed D Tobias Bjornfot off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights.
- March 7: D Gustav Forsling signed to an 8-year extension commencing in 2024-25.
- March 7: F Jonah Gadjovich signed to a 2-year extension commencing in 2024-25.
- March 6: F Vladimir Tarasenko acquired from the Ottawa Senators.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Tuesday, March 12 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Amerian Airlines Center - Dallas, TX
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports+
Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932; Panthers App
