Cats Forecast: Widening the gap in the Atlantic Division

The Panthers have already punched their ticket to the playoffs.
So, after coming this far, why not add a banner while we're at it?
On a seven-game winning streak, the Panthers (51-15-6) enter this week holding onto first place in the Atlantic Division with an eight-point cushion over the second-place Maple Leafs (47-19-6).
And with 10 games left to play, players don't plan to take their foot off the gas.

"When you have 10 games left to play, it's very important to keep building on what you're doing," Panthers forward Claude Giroux said. "Make sure that how you're playing, you don't have to think about it. One thing about here is that we just go out and have fun."
It certainly has been fun.
During their winning streak, the Panthers have mustered a pair of multi-goal comebacks, while also showing they can clamp it down like they did during their 4-1 win in Nashville on Saturday.
That win over the Predators, in particular, put a smile on Andrew Brunette's face. "We were on the right side of things," the Panthers interim head coach said.
"We can pick away, a little bit of our puck play I didn't love, but in a back-to-back, in a playoff-like atmosphere against a really good team, to do the right things over and over again throughout the game was a really good sign for us."
From three important games to Grateful Dead Night, here's what to look out for this week.

THE GAMES

Tuesday: Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers will look to extend their winning streak to eight games when they open up a two-game homestand with a matchup against the Ducks (29-33-12) at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday. Coming undone during the second half of the season, Anaheim has gone 2-11-3 over its last 16 games and enters this week on the heels of a 5-2 loss at Carolina on Sunday. Since that slump began on March 8, the Ducks have been outscored 62-36 while accruing a league-worst seven points in the standings. That being said, they still boast a dangerous one-two punch up front in Troy Terry and rookie Trevor Zegras. Terry leads the team in goals (32) and points (58), while Zegras, who has scored more than a few highlight-reel goals already this season, is second in points (54) and first in assists (34). In the blue paint, John Gibson has posted a 17-24-10 record with a .904 save percentage, while Anthony Stolarz is 11-7-2 with a .920 save percentage. For the Panthers, Sam Reinhart should be a safe bet to notch at least a point in this matchup. Third on the team in scoring with a career-high 71 points (27 goals, 44 assists), he's made a dent on the scoresheet in 14 of his last 18 games, racking up nine goals and 12 assists in that stretch.
TV & Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
Friday: Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m. ET
The Panthers will wrap up their brief homestand with a battle against the Jets (34-28-11) at FLA Live Arena on Friday. Falling out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference, Winnipeg has lost four of its last five contests, but enters this week fresh off a 4-3 win at Ottawa on Sunday. In that five-game span, they've been outscored 21-13. One of the top goal-scorers in the NHL this season, Kyle Connor leads the Jets in both goals (42) and points (84). After him, Mark Scheifele is second in goals (29) and points (70), while Pierre-Luc Dubois is third in goals with 26. Getting the bulk of the starts between the pipes, Connor Hellebuyck has posted a 26-25-10 record with a .911 save percentage and four shutouts. For the home team, Aleksander Barkov should find a way to light the lamp in this matchup. Leading the Panthers with 34 goals (one off of his career-high), the captain has found the back of the net a whopping eight times over his last 10 games.
TV & Streaming:Bally Sports Florida, NHL Network (Out of Region)
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 91
Tickets:
HERE
Sunday: at Detroit Red Wings, 1 p.m. ET
Playing in front of a national audience on ESPN, the Panthers will try to turn some heads when they visit the Red Wings (28-34-10) at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday. After breaking out of a six-game skid, Detroit has gone 2-0-1 over its last three games and enters this week coming off a 5-4 overtime loss against the Blue Jackets on Saturday. Although they have some great young pieces to build around for the future, the Red Wings have had a rough go of it this season, especially on defense where they rank last in the NHL with 3.82 goals allowed per game. Up front, Dylan Larkin leads the team in goals (31) and points (68). Also surpassing the 50-point mark, Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie Lucas Raymond are tied for second in scoring with 54 points each. Building a case for the Calder Trophy, defenseman Moritz Seider has chipped in 45 points (five goals, 40 assists) from the blue line. Both seeing time in net, Alex Nedeljkovic has gone 18-21-9 with a .900 save percentage, while Thomas Greiss is 9-12-1 with a .890 save percentage. For the Cats, let's go with Anthony Duclair as the player to watch. Needing just two more goals to achieve the first 30-goal campaign of his career, he's touched twine seven times in 22 career games against the Red Wings, with one of those goals coming earlier this season.
TV & Streaming:ESPN
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 850 WFTL (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM App & Streaming 932

MILESTONE WATCH

• Sergei Bobrovsky is one win away from tying Roberto Luongo's single-season franchise record (35).
  - MacKenzie Weegar is two games away from his 300th NHL game.
  - Jonathan Huberdeau is five goals away from his 200th NHL goal.
  - Ryan Lomberg is four games away from his 100th NHL game.

GRATEFUL DEAD NIGHT

It's time to get groovy.
With no shortage of tie-dye and good music, the Panthers will host their annual "Grateful Dead Night" on Tuesday when the Ducks make their lone visit of the season to FLA Live Arena.
Unlimited Devotion will be performing from the songbook of the Grateful Dead as well other classic rock songs pre-game, post-game and during both the first and second intermissions.
Additionally, the first 300 fans who purchase the exclusive "Grateful Dead Night" ticket package will receive an eye-popping, limited-edition Grateful Dead Night Tie-Dye Jersey free of charge. To see the jersey and purchase the ticket package, click
HERE
.

ROCKET LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

Fire up your engines!
FLA Panthers Gaming is hosting its fire-ever Rocket League tournament on April 25.
An online 1-on-1 event, the winner of the tournament will receive a $100 Amazon gift card, while second place will take home an autographed Panthers puck.
To register, visit
rivalgames.com/panthers
.

TERRITORY MEMBERSHIPS

There's no better time to support the Panthers and rep the shield.
By becoming a Territory Member, fans can receive exclusive access, unparalleled savings and memorable experiences for the 2022-23 season. With both regular and premium memberships currently available, benefits include everything from discounted merchandise to special gifts.
Territory Members also receive priority access for playoff tickets, access to members-only events and presale access to buy tickets to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in South Florida.
To learn more about Territory Memberships, click
HERE
.

PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT

Mike Benning is a champion.
Helping lead Denver to its record-tying ninth NCAA title, the offensively-gifted defenseman netted the game-winning goal in a 5-1 win over Minnesota State at TD Garden on Saturday.
Earning the honor of "Most Outstanding Player" in the Frozen Four, Benning produced four points (one goal, three assists) over the course of the tournament's semifinal and final rounds.
"There's not another group I want to do it with," he told ESPN.
Taken by Florida in the fourth round (95th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Benning, the son of original Panthers defenseman Brian Benning (1993-95), has accumulated 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists), 122 shots on goal and 49 blocked shots over 62 career games with the Pioneers.

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Panthers Picture Day with rookie Anton Lundell.

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

TERRITORY TALK

Miami Herald reporter David Wilson joined last week's episode of the Territory Talk podcast to share his thoughts on the buzz around the Panthers, the team's playoff push and much more.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

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Pucks & Pints is coming back to FLA Live Arena on April 24 
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PROSPECTS: Benning shines bright as Denver wins ninth NCAA title 
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5 TAKEAWAYS: Panthers clamp down defensively in win over Predators
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5 TAKEAWAYS: Bennett's late goal sends Panthers past Sabres
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NOTEBOOK: Reinhart on a roll; Ekblad making progress