WINNIPEG – Buckle up.
Closing out their home-and-home, the Florida Panthers will try to make it two for two against the league-leading Winnipeg Jets when the two powerhouses clash at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday.
The first stop on a two-game road trip, the Panthers (12-5-1) currently are wearing the crown in the Atlantic Division, while the Jets (15-3-0) are sitting atop the Central Division and NHL standings.
“(We need to) come out as hard as we did last game,” captain Aleksander Barkov said. “They’re going to come out as well. It’s going to be a battle again. We just need to play our game the way we’ve been playing.”
Getting off the mat following back-to-back losses to the New Jersey Devils, the Panthers came back with a vengeance and dominated the Jets in a 5-0 win at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.
In the win, Barkov (one goal, two assists) and Sam Reinhart (three assists) lead the charge up front and extended their point streaks to eight and 10 games, respectively, while Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues, Nate Schmidt and Dimitry Kulikov also found the back of the net during the rout.
“You got to feel like it’s game two of the series,” Schmidt said of tonight’s rematch. “If you look at it that way, you know they are going to play hard and especially when they go back home. Both teams make adjustments, and we’ll see what happens when we get there.”
Keeping the same mentality and never getting too high or too low, the Panthers are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games.
In that span, they’ve had 14 different goal scorers and 20 total point producers.
A big reason for that success has been the blue line, both offensively and defensively.
During the 10-game stretch, both Gustav Forsling (goal, five assists) and Niko Mikkola (six assists) have recorded six points, while Kulikov and Schmidt each have each lit the lamp twice.
Also bringing the pain, Aaron Ekblad (16) and Uvis Balinskis (12) each have double-digit hits.
Known as the backbone of the team’s defense, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has also been sharp.
Stopping all 27 shots he faced to earn his first shutout of the season against the Jets on Saturday, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner is expected to be between the pipes again for Tuesday’s tilt.
Looking to get back in the win column, the Jets dropped both of their games in the state of Florida, first losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 4-1 and then being shut out by the Panthers.
Back on home ice where they’ve been incredibly successful, the Jets are 8-1-0 in front of their fans and haven’t lost at the Canada Life Centre since Oct. 28 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It’s a heck of a building,” said Schmidt. “It’s going to be a rocking crowd. It’s two really good teams playing.”
A team that shows up at home, the Jets have five players that are a point-per-game or better.
Leading the attack, Mark Scheifele has notched 13 points (six goals, seven assists) and Nikolaj Ehlers has posted 10 points (four goals, six assists) in games played on home ice for the Jets.
On the blue line, one of the more underrated defensemen in the league, Josh Morrissey has found ways to set up the goal scorers with 10 assists in his home barn.
Getting the go in net tonight, Connor Hellebuyck owns a 7-1-0 record, 1.88 goals against average, and a .934 save percentage at home this season.
THEY SAID IT
“We are at our best when we play teams like that. When we know it’s going to be a tight game and every inch matters, that’s where we want to play.” – Aleksander Barkov on playing well against the league’s best teams
“Any time you can get involved in a game like that, high stakes playing against a great team, it’s fun to be a part of.” – Nate Schmidt on scoring against the Winnipeg Jets
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers are 6-2-0 on the road
- Gustav Forsling leads the Panthers with a +14 rating
- Sam Reinhart has recorded a team lead 13 points (seven goals, six assists) on the road
- Nine skaters have amassed double-digits blocked shots
- Dmitry Kulikov has logged 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in his career against the Jets.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Evan Rodrigues – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Nate Schmidt – Uvis Balinskis
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Nov. 4: Signed F Gracyn Sawchyn to an entry-level contract
- Nov. 1: F Patrick Giles loaned to AHL Charlotte
- Oct. 25: Singed F Hunter St. Martin to an entry-level contract
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB
TV & Streaming: Panthers+, WSFL-TV, WHDT, WFTX, ESPN+ (out of market)
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR (Treasure Coast); Panthers App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click to View Participating Bars & Restaurats
