SALT LAKE CITY – The Florida Panthers will look to end their two-game road trip with two important points when they battle the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center on Wednesday.
For the Panthers, it’ll also mark their first-ever matchup with the NHL’s newest team.
“It’s been different,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “It’s cool to come to a place like this.”
Sitting second in the Atlantic Division at the halfway point of the season with a 24-15-2 record, the Panthers began their trip with a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal from Carter Verhaeghe, the Panthers couldn’t find the goals they needed from that point on as Devon Toews scored twice to give the Avalanche a 2-1 advantage before Mikko Rantanen made it 3-1 with an empty-netter.
Standing tall, Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves in defeat, including 10 high-danger stops.
A stalwart effort on defense, the Panthers also went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Taking the ice without two of their top defensemen in the loss to the Avalanche, the Panthers could possibly get both Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola back against Utah.
Ekblad, who’s missed one game, and Mikkola, who’s missed five, both skated this morning.
Right now, both are considered game-time decisions.
“I think they both had good morning skates here today,” head coach Paul Maurice said of the duo. “We’ll put them out there for warmups, and our hope is that they both play.”
Sam Reinhart leads Florida in goals (22) and points (46), while Tkachuk is second in scoring with 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists). Third in scoring, Aleksander Barkov has notched 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists).
Bobrovsky, who’s allowed two or fewer goals in four of his last six starts, will start tonight.
Just four points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a record of 17-15-7, Utah is in the midst of a mid-season rut, dropping six of their last seven games while scoring two or fewer goals in five of those losses.
Picking up a point in their last outing, Utah suffered a 3-2 loss in overtime to the Dallas Stars in the final stop of a four-game road trip. Matias Maccelli scored twice for Utah in the loss, while Karel Vejmelka stopped 26 of 29 shots.
Clayton Keller leads Utah in scoring with 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists). Tied for second, Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley have each recorded 34. Two key pieces of a young and hungry squad, Guenther and Cooley are just 21 and 20, respectively.
“They’re a version of kind of what the process was that we went through,” Maurice said. “There’s lots of skill up front. … There’s structure to their game. They’re not a loose hockey team. They’re dynamic with the puck, certainly in transition and in the offensive zone.”
A familiar face across the ice, the Panthers will also face-off against Kevin Stenlund for the first time since the veteran center helped them win the Stanley Cup.
The final player to receive their championship ring, Stenlund received his ring during a private dinner with some of his former teammates on Tuesday.
“Stenny’s the best,” Tkachuk said. “Miss him a ton. He was such a crucial part for our team. He was only there a year, but he became super tight with a bunch of us. Kind of silent in how important he was. What a great guy. We miss him a lot. He’s doing great here.”
THEY SAID IT
“Year by year, they just keep taking steps. They’re very close to taking that next step. They’ve got some pieces in there this year, some winning pedigree with guys that have done it and had playoff success.” – Matthew Tkachuk on Utah’s growth as a team
“He really built his game over the course of the year. From style of play to finding that role that’s valued in the room, we get into the playoffs last year and he’s just as important as everybody else because he has such an important role for us. He found his place, he found his way and he was a great player for us.” – Paul Maurice on Kevin Stenlund
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers have scored seven shorthanded goals on the road.
- The Panthers are scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game on the road.
- Jesper Boqvist has logged four points (2G, 2A) over his last four games.
- Florida ranks fifth in the NHL with a 53.86 xGF% at 5-on-5.
- Aleksander Barkov is winning 61.7% of his face-offs.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Evan Rodrigues – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Carter Verhaeghe – Anton Lundell – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Mackie Samoskevich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Nate Schmidt – Adam Boqvist
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Jan. 6: D Tobias Bjornfot recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Dec. 23: F Rasmus Asplund loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Delta Center – Salt Lake City, UT
TV & Streaming: TNT, truTV, Max
Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT-AM & 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click Here
