Cats Forecast: Panthers Take Their Show on the Road

With a chance to make more history, the Panthers will take their show on the road this week.
By improving their season-opening point streak to 11 games with a convincing 5-2 win over the previously undefeated Hurricanes on Saturday, the Panthers (10-0-1) matched the best start by any team in NHL history by earning 21 of a possible 22 points in the first 11 games of a season.
Florida's point streak to start a season is also the longest by any club since Chicago in 2012-13.

"They don't hand out trophies in November, but it was a good test for our group," Panthers Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette said after the lopsided win. "We responded to the challenge. It's something we're proud of, and we brought our A-game. I thought we dictated right off the bat."
Ranking second in the league in goals per game (4.18) and third in goals-against per game (2.09), the high-flying Panthers have been excelling at both ends of the ice. Benefiting from a balanced attack, 13 different players have produced at least five points already this campaign.
"It's fun to see the growth in the group," Brunette said.
Hoping to continue rewriting the record books away from home, the Panthers will play four games over the next six days. Starting with a back-to-back set against the Rangers and Devils on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, they'll then pay a visit to the Penguins on Thursday.
Closing out the trip, they'll clash with the cross-state rival Lightning on Saturday.
"Our whole team is feeling good," said Panthers forward Anthony Duclair, who leads the team with eight goals this season. "There's confidence within our group. When everyone is playing well, it's much easier to come to the rink and have fun. I think we're all having fun right now."
From a big road trip to a chance to win concert tickets, here's how the week ahead looks.

THE GAMES

Monday: at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Sinking their teeth into the Big Apple, the Panthers will open their road trip with a battle against the Rangers (6-3-3) at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Despite residing in second place in the Metropolitan Division, New York enters this week looking to snap out of a three-game slide. After losing to the Canucks and Oilers in overtime, the Rangers were shut out 6-0 by the Flames in their most-recent outing on Saturday. Adam Fox, who won the Norris Trophy last season, leads the team in scoring with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists), including notching one goal and seven assists over his last five games. After him, three other players have registered at least 10 points: Artemi Panarin (11), Chris Kreider (10) and Mika Zibanejad (10). In net, Igor Shesterkin has started nine of 12 games, posting a 5-2-2 record behind a 2.30 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. For the Panthers, look for rookie Anton Lundell to make the most of his first-career trip to the Empire State. Producing at nearly a point-per-game pace, the 20-year-old forward has amassed six points (three goals, three assists) through seven games this season.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (DADE/BROWARD); 640 WMEN (PALM BEACH); 100.3 WCTH (FLORIDA KEYS) SIRIUSXM APP & STREAMING 932
Tuesday: at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m.
Closing out their second back-to-back set of the season, the Panthers will attempt to take down the Devils (5-3-2) at Prudential Center on Tuesday. Breaking out of a three-game losing streak, New Jersey enters this week fresh off a 3-2 shootout win at San Jose on Saturday. Against the Sharks, Ryan Graves and Janne Kuokkanen each scored in regulation, while Damon Severson buried the winner in the skills competition. In the crease, Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves to improve to 4-1-0 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .910 save percentage on the season. The 26th-ranked team in the league on offense, Pavel Zach and Andreas Johnsson are tied for first on the Devils in scoring with just seven points apiece. Across the ice, Gustav Forsling will likely find a way to crack the scoresheet for the Panthers. Tied for third in the league among defensemen in assists with nine, he's already had multiple helpers in three games this season.
TV & Streaming:Hulu, ESPN+
Radio:790 WAXY (DADE/BROWARD); 640 WMEN (PALM BEACH); 100.3 WCTH (FLORIDA KEYS) SIRIUSXM APP & STREAMING 932
Thursday: at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Meeting for the second time this season, the Panthers will continue their road trip when they visit the Penguins (4-3-3) at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. Entering the week in a bit of a rough patch, Pittsburgh has dropped four of its last five games, including a 5-4 shootout loss to the Wild on Saturday in which the team let a 4-2 lead in the third period slip through its fingers. In that loss, Kasperi Kapanen recorded a hat trick, Jake Guentzel potted one goal and Tristan Jarry stopped 36 of 40 shots between the pipes. In their only other meeting with the Panthers this season, the Penguins lost by a score of 5-4 in overtime. Speaking of the Cats, look for Jonathan Huberdeau to make his presence felt in this tilt. Tied for first on the team in scoring with 12 points (three goals, nine assists), he's registered at least one point in seven of his last eight games. In 23 career games against Pittsburgh, he's notched 14 points (five goals, nine assists).
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:99.9 WKIS-FM HD-2 (DADE/BROWARD); 640 WMEN (PALM BEACH); 100.3 WCTH (FLORIDA KEYS) SIRIUSXM APP & STREAMING 932
Saturday: at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
There's nothing like a little bad blood to spice up the weekend. Wrapping up their four-game trip, the Panthers will clash with the cross-state rival Lightning (6-3-2) at Amalie Arena on Saturday. Coming out on top in their first head-to-head battle of the season, the Cats topped the Bolts by a score of 4-1 on Oct. 19. Led by a pair of rookies, Anton Lundell registered a goal and an assist in the win, while Spencer Knight made 30 saves. Since then, Tampa Bay has won four of seven games, including a 5-3 victory at Ottawa on Saturday. Steven Stamkos leads the Lightning in scoring with 14 points (six goals, eight assists), while Alex Killorn has the most goals (7). In 57 career games against the Panthers, Stamkos has recorded 68 points (34 goals, 34 assists). For the Cats, expect Aaron Ekblad to do a little bit of everything in this tilt. Leading the team in ice time per game (25:39), he also paces the club's blueliners in scoring with 10 points (four goals, six assists). In 29 career games against Tampa Bay, he's produced five goals and eight assists.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:TBD (DADE/BROWARD); TBD (PALM BEACH); 100.3 WCTH (FLORIDA KEYS) SIRIUSXM APP & STREAMING 932

MILESTONE WATCH

• Anthony Duclair is three goals away from his 100th goal.
  - Aleksander Barkov needs one more goal to move into first place on the franchise's all-time list.
  - Joe Thornton needs three more points to claim 13th place on the NHL's all-time scoring list.
  - The Panthers are one win away from their 900th as a franchise.

PUCKS & PINTS RETURNS

Mark your calendars because the Pucks & Pints Beerfest is fast approaching.
Slated to take place on Saturday, Nov. 27, fans can sample beer and listen to live music before the Panthers host the Kraken at FLA Live Arena. Presented by Funky Buddha Brewery, the Beerfest will be held at the CITY Lounge by CITY Furniture and also the food court in section 105 at the arena.
While puck drop for the game won't be until 6 p.m., fans that purchase VIP tickets can enter the Beerfest at 2 p.m., while all other guests will be allowed entry at 3 p.m. Last call for the event is scheduled for 4:45 p.m., with the taps being turned off at 5 p.m. when doors open for the game.
The participating breweries are expected to be:
• 26 Degree Brewing • Biscayne Bay Brewing Company
• Funky Buddha Brewery
• Saltwater Brewery
• 3 Mavins'
• Yuengling
• Yeasty Brews
With a portion of proceeds directly benefitting the Florida Panthers Foundation, click HERE to purchase tickets right now. Of course, you must be at least 21 years old to attend the Beerfest.

TORTUGA CONTEST

The Panthers want to send you and a friend to the Tortuga Music Festival.
To enter for a chance to win a pair of three-day general admission passes to the festival, which runs Nov. 12-14 on Fort Lauderdale Beach, plus an awesome Panthers swag bag, click HERE.
One lucky winner will be chosen after Nov. 9, so time is running out to enter!

TIME TO RUN

There's nothing like running for a good cause.
Presented by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Cats will hold their second-annual "Stache Dash 5k" on Nov. 20 to raise awareness for men's cancer research and prevention.
The official race will begin at 8 a.m., while the one-mile fun run will kick off at 8:45 a.m.
To sign up to race digitally or on-site, click HERE.
During the race, all runners are encouraged to post photos and videos on social media tagging @FlaPanthers and @SylvesterCancer on Twitter while using the hashtag #FLAStacheDash.

PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT

Earning a recall to South Florida on Sunday, Lucas Carlsson has been on fire in the AHL.
In addition to leading all Checkers defensemen in scoring with six points (one goal, five assists), he also currently ranks second in the league with a +10 rating in eight games. Named the club's top blueliner in October, he had a pair of multi-point games during the first month of the season.
On Oct. 17, he notched a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Taken by the Blackhawks in the fourth round (110th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, Carlsson was acquired by the Panthers in a multi-player deal with Chicago on April 8, 2021. A veteran of more than 100 games in the AHL, the 24-year-old has also suited up in 18 games in the NHL.

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

Teams from Latin American and the Caribbean flocked to the Panthers IceDen last month.

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

Tweet from @StanleyCPanther: Remember that time @DjMarley954 came over to play? #bffs #soflo pic.twitter.com/guFUowZBZV
Tweet from @StanleyCPanther: Trick or Treat!!! #stangrams #flapanthers #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/sYZP0rxrbO

TERRITORY TALK

Kevin Connauton joined the latest episode of the Territory Talk podcast to talk about his interesting career, manning the blue line for the red-hot Panthers and much, much more!

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