Cats Forecast: Panthers looking for 'another gear' as homestand wraps up

The Florida Panthers will look to get back into the win column and pick up some important points when they close out their homestand with two big games at FLA Live Arena this week.
Sitting at 9-8-2 in the standings, the Panthers, who own a 5-2-2 record at home this season, will kick off the week by hosting the red-hot Boston Bruins on Wednesday. After that, they'll close out a long stretch in Sunrise with a matchup against the streaking St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Leading the NHL with 76.35 expected goals, the Panthers main focus for the week is turning more of their quality looks into actual goals by getting more shots from right around the net.
"I still think there's another gear for us," Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said after Tuesday's practice at the Panthers IceDen. "We're getting a lot of looks, getting a lot of shots. I think it's just a matter of finding those high-quality chances and then having even more go in for us."
To see what's going on this week and beyond for the Panthers, continue reading below.

THE GAMES

Wednesday: Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers will attempt to slow down one of the hottest teams in the NHL when they host the Bruins (17-2-0) at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday. On a seven-game winning streak following a 5-3 win at Tampa Bay on Monday, Boston has scored at least five goals in 10 games so far this season, which is two more than the next best team. No slouches on the other side of the puck, the Bruins also rank first in the NHL on defense with 2.11 goals allowed per game on average. David Pastrnak leads Boston in goals (12), assists (17) and points (29). Second in scoring with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists), Patrice Bergeron recorded the 1,000th point of his career in the win over the Lightning. Starting 14 games, Linus Ullmark leads the NHL in wins (13), goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.935). Down to four defensemen for most of the game, the Panthers suffered a 5-3 loss in Boston back on Oct. 17. This time around, look for Matthew Tkachuk - as usual - to find his way onto the scoresheet. Leading the team in scoring with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists), he's notched three goals and five assists during his current four-game point streak.
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports+, ESPN+
Radio: 96.5 WPOW-FM HD-2 (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 222/ App & Streaming 932; NHL App
Tickets:
Here
Saturday: St. Louis Blues, 6:30 p.m. ET
The Panthers will close the book on their two-game homestand with a matchup against the Blues (10-8-0) at FLA Live Arena on Saturday. After enduring an eight-game losing streak, St. Louis has won seven straight games, including a 3-1 win over the Ducks on Monday. Heating up on offense, the Blues have scored 4.14 goals per game during their winning streak. Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas are tied for first on St. Louis in scoring with 16 points each. Really spreading out the offense, nine different players have scored at least four goals, including a team-high six from Jordan Kyrou. Jordan Binnington has earned the bulk of the starts for the Blues, posting a 9-5-0 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. For the Panthers, look for Carter Verhaeghe to light the lamp in this contest. Leading the team with 11 goals, the speedy sniper has found the back of the net nine times over last 11 games.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports+, ESPN+
Radio: 96.5 WPOW-FM HD-2 (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 219 / App & Streaming Ch. 932; NHL App
Tickets:
Here

RED KETTLE KICK OFF

The Panthers will host their annual Red Kettle Kick Off following their battle with the Blues on Saturday.
Donations will be accepted following the game on the JetBlue Tarmac. Once fans find the famous red kettles and the bell ringers, monetary contributions to the Salvations Army's Red Kettle Campaign can be made via cash, Apple Pay or Google pay.
A big part of holiday giving, the Red Kettle Campaign supports emergency assistance, food assistance, seasonal assistance, emergency shelters, youth enrichment programs and more.

TURNING BACK THE CLOCK

The Panthers will don their Reverse Retro jerseys against both the Bruins and Blues this week.
Inspired by their 1998 uniform, the jerseys feature a light blue colorway with a center crest showcasing the iconic sun, palm tree and stick logo. Spicing things up, the sun and palm crest incorporates an eye-popping dimensional treatment with raised rays radiating from the sun.
The full list of upcoming Reverse Retro games is as follows:
To purchase Reverse Retro gear, visit Pantherland at FLA Live Arena or check out
FLATeamShop.com
.

VALUE PACK

The Value Pack is back!
On sale now for the 2022-23 season, the Value Pack includes four Panthers tickets as well as a hot dog, popcorn and soda with each ticket.
This family-friendly ticket offer is valid for all Panthers home games, based on availability, at FLA Live Arena and is available for purchase online only through FEVO starting at $159 per package in the upper level and $259 per package in the lower bowl.
To purchase a Value Pack, click
HERE
.

PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT

Jack Devine's sophomore campaign at Denver is off to a great start.
Tied for fourth on the Pioneers in scoring, the 19-year-old forward has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in 12 games. Impressively, his three goals have already matched the three he scored in 36 games as a freshman in 2021-22.
On Oct. 22, he scored the game-winning goal in a 3-2 overtime win over Providence.
Taken by the Panthers in the seventh round (221st overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Devine, along with fellow Panthers prospect Mike Benning, helped Denver win the 2021 NCAA Championship.

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

Two goals and a griddy?
Check the clip below for a recap of Roberto Luongo's stellar showing in the Hockey Hall of Fame Game.

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

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• Baptist Health (@BaptistHealthSF)

• Bally Sports Florida: Panthers (@BallyPanthers)

• Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers)

TERRITORY TALK

On this week's episode of the Territory Talk podcast, co-hosts Doug Plagens and Jameson Olive open up the show's mailbag to answer questions from Panthers fans on Anthony Duclair's status, the state of the early-season playoff hunt, epic movie trilogies and much more.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Panthers Announce Multi-Year Partnership with Waste Management
- 5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers 5, Capitals 2
- Panthers Announce Expanded Partnership with Amerant Bank
- Luongo shines as forward in HHOF Legends Classic