FORT LAUDERDALE – Up and down the lineup, the Florida Panthers are firing on all cylinders.
And with plenty of fire power filling out the top-six units for both the Panthers and Lightning, the depth of both squads could end up being the deciding factor in this first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“If you can win a series at some point each line, each D-pairing, each goal, is going to have to make a difference,” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. “It's going to have to be the difference in one game and we feel they're in pretty good shape to do that.”
Confident in all four lines, the Panthers aren’t afraid to deploy any of their trios at any time.
“They provide a certain amount of safety for us,” Maurice of the team’s bottom-six. “They can play against the other team’s best, and we won't ask them to do it every shift all night, but they can.”
In Sunday’s 3-2 win in Game 1, the third and fourth lines came out flying for Florida.
Energy personified, each player brought speed, physicality and intensity.
Per NHL Edge, Evan Rodrigues (22.75 mph) and Nick Cousins (21.46 mph) reached top speeds over 21 mph, and all six forwards threw at least two hits, with Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen each registering five.
With that top-end speed fueling the forecheck, the Panthers held Tampa Bay shotless for over the first 15 minutes of the first period.
“I think we forechecked hard,” said Panthers fourth-line center Kevin Stenlund. “It started in the O-zone, and we back checked hard. We didn't give them much time and space. I think that's the key.”
Not limited to just physicality, the Panthers also saw the fourth line put on a puck-control clinic.
Per NHL EDGE, Ryan Lomberg (57.2), Stenlund (53.8) and Cousins (51.8) all ranked above the 96th percentile in offensive zone time percentage. Additionally, the Lightning fired off just one shot on goal over the six minutes that Florida’s fourth line was on the ice at 5-on-5, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
“They make it easy for me,” Stenlund of playing with Cousins and Lomberg “They're all over the place and at the right spots. They support me and each other, so they’re easy to play with.”
Coming down to the wire late in the third period, the ability to control play all game got the fourth line another shift in a big-time situation as they held the Lighting without a shot during their final shift just before the four-minute mark.
“I thought they were very, very good,” said Maurice. “The fourth line came out and played in their end (late in the third period), which is really important because it shows the confidence in their ability to hang on to the puck and play the puck. It’s not just bang it out and bang it in and don’t cause any damage. I like the confidence they showed in each other and the way they played in intense situations.”
With Lomberg set to miss Game 2 due to an illness, the Panthers will get to further showcase their depth when Steven Lorentz, who’s appeared in 16 career playoff games, steps into his spot on the fourth line.
To cheer on the Panthers as they try to take a 2-0 series lead against the Lightning on Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena, click here to view tickets.
