SUNRISE, Fla. -- It's a matchup that's been more than a month in the making.
After having what would have been their initial season-opening series postponed following a COVID-19 outbreak in Dallas back in the middle of January, the Panthers will finally get their first look at the Stars when the teams kick off a three-game set at BB&T Center on Monday.
Once the game is completed, Florida will have faced every team in the Central Division.
Preview: Driedger Draws Back in as Panthers Welcome Stars to Sunrise
"We haven't seen them yet," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said after this morning's skate. "They've had a couple breaks. [After this], we'll have seen everyone and know where we're at."
Back within their friendly confines after claiming six out of a possible eight points on the road, the Panthers, who currently reside in second place in the division with a solid 11-3-2 record, are looking to bounce back after ending their successful trip with a 2-1 loss against the Red Wings.
In defeat, the Cats fired off 39 shots on goaltender Jonathan Bernier, but only Alex Wennberg managed to get one past him. Playing in all situations while averaging 17:19 of ice time per tilt, Wennberg has been heating up as of late, filling up the net five times over his last eight games.
Overall, Jonathan Huberdeau currently leads the Panthers in scoring with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists), while Aleksander Barkov ranks second with 18 (six goals, 12 assists).
Returning to the crease after backing up Sergei Bobrovsky in Detroit, Chris Driedger will get the nod in net for Florida tonight. Owning a 6-1-1 record, the 26-year-old has been very good in the early goings of this season, boasting a 2.34 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.
Over his eight starts, Driedger has surrendered two-or-fewer goals five times.
"He's had a good stretch here," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "He's got an opportunity right now to get a little bit more than just the odd game. He's taken advantage of it. We'll see how that plays out. We expect [Bobrovsky] to be pushing him and getting the net back, but the opportunity is there for Driegs to play a little bit more than normal. We'll see where it takes us."
After overcoming COVID-19 concerns earlier in the season, the Stars once again had to adjust their schedules recently due to the extreme weather conditions ravaging Texas. Last taking the ice during a 4-3 shootout loss on Feb. 13, the team had to postpone each of its last four games.
Of course, Dallas is used to dealing with elongated breaks at this point.
Following four straight postponements, the Stars opened their 2020-21 season on a four-game winning streak. Since then, however, the reigning Western Conference champions have taken a bit of a step back, dropping seven out of their last eight matchups while being outscored 26-21.
"The last time they had a week off they were flying coming out of the gate," Quenneville said. "We expect that from them. They've got a lot of speed. They've got some young guys with a lot of skill that you don't hear much about. They're under the radar as far as ability and talent. We'll get to see them fresh as daisies. We're coming here looking for a response from our last game."
Joe Pavelski leads the Stars in both goals (9) and points (17). Entering tonight's matchup, the 36-year-old veteran is on a two-game goals streak. After him, John Klingberg ranks second on the team with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists), placing him tied for 11th among NHL blueliners.
Tonight's game will also be Mark Pysyk's return to Sunrise. Prior to signing with the Stars as a free agent this offseason, the man they call "They Hybrid" for his ability to play both as a forward and defenseman posted 17 goals and 45 assists in 292 games over four seasons with Florida.
Without a doubt, Pysyk's most memorable moment with the Panthers came when he scored an improbable and unforgettable hat trick to lead the team to a 5-3 win at Toronto on Feb. 3, 2020.
"If it was last year or next year you'd see the guy before or go to dinner or something like that," Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle said of seeing his old buddy. "For us, it's just you see them on the ice. Not really a lot of time to catch up. It's always good to see a familiar face."
Between the pipes, the Cats will face veteran Anton Khudobin. Khudobin currently sits at 3-3-1 with a .902 save percentage.
In their last three home games against Dallas, the Panthers have gone 2-1-0. Making a habit out of bouncing back this season, they are also a perfect 4-0-0 after losses so far this season.
"You play so many games, so you don't have time to dwell on losses and think about them too much," Yandle said. "It's just getting back on the horse and playing again. That's the fun part."
TEAM RECORDS
FLA:11-3-2, 24 PTS
DAL:5-3-4, 14 PTS
FLA all-time vs. DAL:17-17-3-1
PANTHERS NOTES
-- Aaron Ekblad leads Florida's defensemen in goals (5) and power-play goals (3). With one more power-play goal, he'll pass Robert Svehla (26) for the most by a blueliner in franchise history. The 25-year-old also leads the Panthers in average ice time per game (24:55).
-- Aleksander Barkov ranks second on the Panthers scoring with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists), including posting two goals and four assists over his last four games. In 10 career games against the Stars, the 25-year-old center has found the back of the net five times.
-- Carter Verhaeghe is tied for second on the Panthers in goals (7). The 25-year-old forward is also tied with Jonathan Huberdeau for the most even-strength points on the team with 13.
-- Radko Gudas ranks first in the NHL with 84 hits, including 31 over his last six contests.
-- Patric Hornqvist leads the Panthers in goals (8) and power-play goals (5). Over his last seven games, the 34-year-old veteran has produced seven points (three goals, four assists).
-- Keith Yandle leads Florida's defensemen in scoring with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) and is also tied for first on the team in points on the power play with nine (one goal, eight assists).
-- Brett Connolly is one goal away from his 100th in the NHL.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau - Alex Wennberg - Patric Hornqvist
Frank Vatrano - Eetu Luostarinen - Brett Connolly
Ryan Lomberg - Juho Lammikko - Vinnie Hinostroza
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling - Anton Stralman
Keith Yandle - Radko Gudas
Goaltenders
Chris Driedger
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratches:Owen Tippett, Markus Nutivaara, Noah Juulsen
Taxi squad:Mason Marchment, Kevin Connauton, Scott Wilson, Philippe Desrosiers
Injured reserve: Noel Acciari (upper body)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Feb. 22: D Riley Stillman was reassigned from Syracuse Crunch (AHL) to Florida's taxi squad; F Scott Wilson was reassigned to Syracuse Crunch (AHL) from Florida's taxi squad.
- Feb. 17: D Gustav Forsling was activated from IR and F Noel Acciari was placed on IR.
- Feb. 9: F Ryan Lomberg was added to Florida's active roster from the taxi squad.
- Feb. 8: F Mason Marchment was assigned to Florida's taxi squad.
IN-ARENA ACTIVATIONS
-
50/50 Raffle
- A limited number of fans will be admitted to BB&T Center for home games this season. Learn about the health and safety precautions that have been taken as a part of the "Red Reminders" program presented in conjunction with Baptist Health South Florida at
FloridaPanthers.com/RedReminders
.
- Mobile Ordering is now available at BB&T Center for Panthers games. Visit
FloridaPanthers.com/MobileOrdering
for all the info.
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Monday, Feb. 22, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL
TV:FOX Sports Florida
Stream:
FOX Sports GO
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys) 107.9 FM/1370 AM WZTA (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM Ch. 221 / Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
