"We lost a couple games, but we're still in a very good position," Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "We've had a great start. We need to realize that, not grip the stick too hard, keep a positive attitude in the room and find a way to win. We've got to get one of those plays or one of those goals that win us a hockey game and ultimately give us that momentum right back."
In their most recent outing, the Panthers lost to the Penguins by a score of 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday in the Steel City. Frank Vatrano and Aleksander Barkov each lit the lamp in regulation against Pittsburgh, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves to continue his red-hot start in net.
Returning to the crease tonight, Bobrovsky owns a 6-0-1 record with a 1.73 goals-against average and .946 save percentage. Over his last seven appearances, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has allowed just nine total goals, posting a .954 save percentage in that span.
"On the road, we've got to keep things simple, especially now that we're on a three-game losing streak," Panthers forward Anthony Duclair said. "We're right there. We're not too far gone, but simplifying things, I think, is going to help, especially tonight against a team like Tampa Bay."
Leading the Panthers in scoring with 15 points (nine goals, six assists), Barkov has been on quite the tear as of late. Riding an eight-game point streak heading into tonight's tilt, he's scored seven goals in that stretch, including the game-tying goal during Thursday's loss at Pittsburgh.
Starting his repeat campaign for the Selke Trophy early, Barkov, who took home the award for the first time in 2020-21, also ranks tied for first among NHL forwards in takeaways (20), fourth in average ice time per game (21:51) and owns a strong 57.55 CF% at 5-on-5 early this season.
In 35 career games against the Lightning, he's amassed 30 points (six goals, 24 assists).
"He's kind of the heartbeat of the group," Panthers Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette said of the team's superstar captain. "His game has always been at such a high level. I think he's just continuing to do that, and other parts of his game have just grown."
On a six-game point streak, the Lightning enter tonight's matchup enter tonight's matchup on the heels of a 2-1 overtime loss against the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Against Carolina, Steven Stamkos scored the team's lone goal, while Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 29 of 31 shots.
Facing the Panthers for the second time this season, the Lightning took a 4-1 loss in the first matchup on Oct. 19. In that contest, Brayden Point scored for Tampa Bay to make it 1-1 before Barkov, Duclair and Anton Lundell notched three straight goals to lock down the win for Florida.
Stamkos leads the Lightning in scoring with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists). Under him, Alex Killorn sits second with 12 points (seven goals, five assists) and Victor Hedman is third with 10 points (one goal, nine assists). Overall, nine players on Tampa Bay have at least five points.
Yet to announce a starting goaltender as of this morning, Vasilevskiy could get the nod for the Lightning. Owning a 5-2-3 record, the former Vezina Trophy winner has posted a .947 save percentage over his last five games. In his career against the Panthers, he's gone 11-9-1.
"We have to take pride in every single shift against these guys and find way to match-up against them and play them hard," Ekblad said of facing the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Bolts. "They come in waves, and it's important to defend in those times where you feel that pressure and attack when you can."
Helping heat up their rivalry in a hurry, this will be the 19th meeting between the Panthers and Lightning since Jan. 1, 2021. With another matchup coming up in Sunrise on Dec. 30, they'll soon have the most calendar-year games between any two non-Original Six clubs in history.
Florida owns a 6-2-1 record over its last nine regular-season games against Tampa Bay.
"The hotel we're at is very, very, very familiar," Brunette chuckled. "I think for our group, it was really important for us to play them that many times. When you want to be the best, you have to play the best and compete against the best. We want to be the best, and these are big tests."
