SUNRISE, Fla. -The Panthers are playing this one close to the vest.
Trailing 3-1 and facing elimination in their best-of-seven Round 1 playoffs series, head coach Joel Quenneville was tightlipped after this morning's skate when asked about who the team's starting goalie will be going into Game 5 against the rival Lightning at BB&T Center on Monday.
Preview: Panthers Know What's at Stake in Do-or-Die Game 5
"We're going to announce that tonight," the Panthers bench boss said.
Although we'll have to wait until warm-ups to find out which goaltender will man the crease for the Cats, Sergei Bobrovsky, Chris Driedger and Spencer Knight all took part in this morning's optional skate, which means the team could potentially go in any of three different directions.
Through the first four games of the heated series, Bobrovsky and Driedger have each started two games, and each been pulled for the other in one of them. As for Knight, the 20-year-old rookie has yet to appear in an NHL playoff game, but has generated lots of buzz this season.
The No. 13 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Knight went a perfect 4-0-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in four appearances (three starts) during the regular season after putting pen to paper on a three-year, entry level contract with Florida back on March 31.
Prior to turning pro, Knight posted a 16-4-1 record with a 2.18 goals-against average and .932 save percentage as a sophomore during his final season with Boston College. No stranger to high-pressure situations, he also backstopped USA to a 2-0 win against perennial powerhouse Canada in the gold-medal game at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship back in January.
That being said, the Cats feel good heading into tonight's matchup no matter who's in net.
"We've got all the trust in all three," Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said.
After coming up just short in Games 1 and 2 in Sunrise, the Panthers picked up their first win of the inaugural all-Florida playoff series in thrilling fashion when Ryan Lomberg beat Andrei Vasilevskiy on a clutch breakaway in overtime to secure a 6-5 win in Game 3 at Amalie Arena.
In Game 4, the Lightning then successfully defended their home arena in a 6-2 win.
Going toe-to-toe with the Bolts when both sides are equal, the Panthers have been outscored by a narrow 9-8 margin at 5-on-5 in the series. With special teams also being tight, Florida has gone 5-for-15 (33.3%) with the man advantage, while Tampa Bay has gone 7-for-15 (46.7%).
"We know what's at stake -- it's win or go home," Panthers forward Frank Vatrano said. "We obviously looked at some video from last game and looked at the things we need to do better. I think the biggest thing is just getting a win. We need everyone going. It's a big game for us."
Leading the Panthers in scoring with 61 points (20 goals, 41 assists) during the regular season, Jonathan Huberdeau has picked up right where he left off in the postseason, putting up a team-high eight points (two goals, six assists) in the series, including three multi-point performances.
Right behind Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov ranks second on the team with five points (one goal, four assists), while Sam Bennett and rookie Owen Tippett have each accumulated four.
Looking at the numbers at NaturalStatTrick.com, the line of Huberdeau, Bennett and Tippett has been Florida's most effective in the series thus far. Over the 35:27 the trio has spent together at 5-on-5, the Panthers have led 64-22 in shot attempts, 45-16 in shots on goal and 3-1 in goals.
"He's been excellent in the series," Quenneville said of Huberdeau. "I thought he had an excellent year as well. I thought that his game went to another level there when he was playing with Benny. I think as a line that line has been very effective possession-wise, production-wise."
At the other end of the ice, the Lightning are expected to roll out a similar lineup as they did in Game 4, with Vasilevskiy getting the nod in net once again. Starting all four games in the series, the 26-year-old has gone 3-0-1 behind a 3.18 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
Up front, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning in playoff scoring with nine points (three goals, six assists), while Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman are tied for second place with seven points each.
"The emotion picks up each and every game, and all of the sudden the importance goes to a new level," Quenneville said of the series. "You know you've got to get better as the series progresses. There's a lot going on there that gets you excited going into a game. … We like the way we're competing. We like the way we're playing. We're looking for better results [tonight]."
Providing the Panthers with a boost heading into their biggest game of the season, capacity at BB&T Center has been increased from about 50% to 75% for Game 5. And given how loud the arena already sounded for Games 1 and 2, the building should be bursting with energy tonight.
"The fans have been great here throughout our stretch here at home," Vatrano said. "We're excited to get back in front of our fans tonight and get them a win."
PANTHERS vs. LIGHTNING IN THE REGULAR SEASON
- ALL-TIME vs. TBL:71-48-10-17
- ALL-TIME HOME vs. TBL:42-16-4-10
- 2020-21 vs. TBL:5-2-1
PANTHERS NOTES
-- Aleksander Barkov led the Panthers in goals (26), even-strength goals (18), even-strength points (38) and shots (176) during the regular season. He also ranked second on the team in assists (32), points (58), power-play goals (7) and power-play points (19). He stands as the only player in the history of the franchise to produce six consecutive 50-point, 20-goal seasons.
-- Jonathan Huberdeau led Florida in assists (41), points (61) and power-play points (24) for the second straight season, while also ranking second on the team in goals (20) and even-strength points (37). Through the first four games of the playoffs, he's produced a team-high eight points.
-- Alex Wennberg scored his first goal of this year's playoffs and also added an assist in Game 3. During the regular season, he registered a career-high 17 goals, including a pair of hat tricks.
-- MacKenzie Weegar paced all Panthers defensemen in scoring with a career-high 35 points, including posting three goals and eight assists over his final eight games of the regular season. He also sat first among NHL blueliners in even-strength points (31) and plus/minus (tied-+29).
-- A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Patric Hornqvist has recorded 49 points (26 goals, 23 assists) in 94 career playoff games. During his first season with the Panthers, a team-leading eight of his 14 goals came on the power play, including potting a pair against the Lightning.
-- Sam Bennett ranks tied for third on the Panthers in playoffs scoring with four points (one goal, three assists) despite missing Game 2 due to a suspension. Dating back to the regular season, he's recorded at least one point in 12 of 13 games since being acquired from the Flames at last month's NHL trade deadline. In that span, he's produced 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists).
-- With a pair of multi-point games already in the series, rookie Owen Tippett ranks tied for third on the Panthers in playoffs scoring with four points (one goal, three assists).
-- Radko Gudas paced the Panthers and led the NHL with 250 hits during the regular season. Through three games against the Lightning in this series, he's already registered 28 hits to go along with a goal and an assist. Additionally, his goal in Game 3 was the first of his NHL career.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
With an optional skate being held this morning, a lineup won't be known until warm-ups.
Follow @JamesonCoop or @FlaPanthers on Twitter to stay up to date.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- May 10: D Kevin Connauton was recalled to Florida's active roster.
- May 4: G Philippe Desrosiers was loaned to the Taxi Squad.
- May 3: G Philippe Desrosiers was recalled from the Taxi Squad.
HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Monday, May 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Where:BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL
TV:Bally Sports Florida, CNBC
Stream:Bally Sports App
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 Ch. 932
Tickets:
HERE
