Cats Forecast: Let's Drop the Puck!

Hockey is back!
With training camp in the books, the Florida Panthers will officially kick off their 2022-23 season with two matchups on the road. After opening up their campaign on Thursday against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, they'll head up the state to battle the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

Looking to take another step forward, the Panthers rewrote the record books in 2021-22 en route to claiming their first-ever Presidents' Trophy with a 58-18-6 record. In addition to leading the NHL in points (122), they also paced the league and set a franchise record with 337 goals.
After winning their first playoff series since 1996 by dispatching the Washington Capitals in six games in Round 1 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, they were eliminated in four games by the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2.
Hungry for more, captain Aleksander Barkov said the team is ready to get back to grinding.
"You want to be ready right away," said Barkov, who scored a career-high 39 goals last season. "We had a hard camp, and we're ready. We're ready to skate. We're ready to play. We're excited. The next thing is to think about the first shift."
While there will be numerous familiar faces on the ice for the Panthers this season, there will also be more than a few new ones. In addition to superstar Matthew Tkachuk taking his talents to South Florida after coming over from the Calgary Flames in a blockbuster deal for the ages this summer, veterans Colin White, Marc Staal and Nick Cousins are among the other newcomers itching to get started.
"There's definitely a buzz," White said after Monday's practice. "Our first practice with pretty much our full team was exciting. We leave Wednesday, get on the road right away, so it'll be awesome."
Indeed it will be.
To see what's going on this week and beyond for the Panthers, continue reading below.

THE GAMES

Thursday: at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Panthers will attempt to hit the ground running when they open up their 2022-23 campaign with a matchup on the road against the New York Islanders (0-0-0) at UBS Arena on Thursday. Finishing fifth in the Metropolitan Division last season with a record of 37-35-10, the Islanders didn't make many notable additions during the offseason outside of acquiring defenseman Alex Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens. Inked to an eight-year contract extension on Oct. 4, forward Mathew Barzal led the Islanders in assists (44) and was tied for first in points (59) in 2021-22. Brock Nelson, who matched Barzal's 49 points, paced the team with a career-high 37 goals. Earning the bulk of the starts between the pipes, Ilya Sorokin posted a 26-18-8 record with a 2.40 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and seven shutouts. The ultimate road warrior last season, look for Aleksander Barkov to pick up right where he left off for the Panthers. In 2021-22, the captain led the team in goals (23) and points (47) away from home.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM App & Streaming Channel 932; NHL App
Saturday: at Buffalo Sabres, 1 p.m. ET
Who doesn't love afternoon hockey? Continuing their season-opening road trip, the Panthers will travel farther up New York for a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres (0-0-0) at KeyBank Center on Saturday. Fifth in the Atlantic Division last season, the Sabres went 32-39-11. Breaking out on offense, Tage Thompson led Buffalo in goals (38) and points (68) in 2021-22. Jeff Skinner also had a resurgent season, finishing second to Thompson with 33 goals -- his most since he netted 40 in 2018-19. In net, veteran Craig Anderson led the way with 17 wins. That being said, there could be a new No. 1 manning the crease for the Sabres this season after they brought in Eric Comrie during free agency. Appearing in 19 games with the Winnipeg Jets last season, the 27-year-old goaltender went 10-5-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. For the Panthers, look for Matthew Tkachuk to make his presence felt in this contest. Entering his first season in South Florida after registering a career-high 104 points (42 goals, 62 assists) with the Calgary Flames in 2021-22, the 24-year-old forward has scored seven goals in 10 career games against the Sabres.
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:96.5 WPOW-FM HD-2 (DADE/BROWARD); 1230 WBZT (PALM BEACH); 100.3 WCTH (FLORIDA KEYS); SiriusXM & Streaming Channel 932; NHL App

ULTIMATE CATWALK

Who's ready to kick off the 2022-23 season in style?
Presented by South Florida BMW Centers, the Panthers will host their first-ever Ultimate Catwalk prior to their Home Opener on Oct. 19. A free pre-game event at FLA Live Arena, fans that attend will get to watch players walk the red carpet while enjoying food and drink specials, live music and more.
To RSVP to the Ultimate Catwalk, click
HERE
.

PUCKS & PINTS BEERFEST

The Panthers are getting the party started early this season.
Back by popular demand, the 'Pucks & Pints Beerfest' is returning to FLA Live Arena on Oct. 23. Prior to watching the Panthers take on the Islanders, fans that purchase tickets to this special event will get to sample numerous unique and refreshing beers from local breweries while rocking out to some great live music.
While puck drop for the game won't take place until 5 p.m. ET, Beerfest will get underway at 1:30 p.m. ET.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click
HERE
.

PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT

Mackie Samoskevich is off and running at Michigan.
Helping the Wolverines secure a season-opening sweep over Lindenwood, the 19-year-old sophomore forward recorded three points over two games, including scoring two goals during a 7-4 win on Oct. 7. Not holding back at all with the puck on his stick, he fired five shots on goal in each game.
Selected by the Panthers in the first round (24th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich is looking to build off an outstanding 2021-22 campaign in which he finished fifth in scoring among Wolverines forwards with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) while earning a spot on the B1G All-Freshman Team.
"I thought it was a great season," Samoskevich said at this summer's development camp in South Florida. "We had a great team. All the guys there are such great players. It was great to learn from those guys. You definitely like to be around such high-talented players and such great people, too. I definitely grew a lot throughout the year and am looking forward to next year. I think we'll be an even better."

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

Check out the clip below to learn more about the Florida Panther from the experts at Zoo Miami.

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

TERRITORY TALK

Miss our chat with Radko Gudas on Territory Talk? Check it out below!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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