"We still have a lot of things to play for," Panthers defenseman Robert Hagg said following this morning's optional skate in Sunrise. "We still haven't clinched the division yet and we still have the Presidents' Trophy to play for. The playoffs are coming up here, so every game is really important to build chemistry and the way we play. Every game is really important right now."
Overcoming a red-hot goaltender to keep their winning streak alive, the Panthers enter tonight's matchup riding high after a 3-2 overtime win over the Ducks on Tuesday. After Anthony Duclair scored a pair of goals in regulation, Jonathan Huberdeau buried the winner in the extra frame.
At the other end of the ice, John Gibson set a Ducks record with 52 saves in defeat.
The best team in the NHL at defending their own barn, the Panthers, who have strung together winning streaks of at least eight games on home ice three separate times this season, lead the league in wins (31), goals (173) and shots on goal per game (40.9) within their friendly confines.
While their playoff spot is already locked up, home-ice advantage is still up for grabs.
"We love playing at home," Panthers forward Sam Bennett said "It's an advantage. We're not going to sit back and change our game. We're going to try and keep growing our game and playing how we want to play in the playoffs right until the end. These games are very important."
Extending his career-long point streak to 12 games with his overtime heroics against Anaheim, Huberdeau has produced nine goals and 12 assists during that torrid stretch. In the running for the Hart Trophy, he ranks first in the league in assists (77) and tied for second in points (105).
Also streaking, Aleksander Barkov has cracked the scoresheet in each of his last eight games, racking up six goals and 10 assists in that stretch. Trailing only Huberdeau on the team in points (80), the captain has scored a team-high 34 goals, which is just one fewer than his career-high.
But even with a multitude of players having career years, team goals remain paramount.
"Guys aren't talking about points or scoring goals," said Hagg, who joined the Panthers at the trade deadline. "It's about the two points for every game. That's what's important. Everything else will come. If you play for the guy next to you, you'll have success. That's what we feel."
Trying to stay in the playoff picture in the Western Conference, the Jets (35-28-11) are eight points out of a wild card spot with time running out. After enduring a four-game skid, they have won each of their last two games, including a 4-2 win at Montreal in their last outing on Monday.
Morgan Barron, Paul Stastny, Evgeny Svechnikov and Adam Lowry all lit the lamp for Winnipeg against the Canadiens, while Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 23 of 25 shots between the pipes.
The driving force on offense for the Jets, all-star Kyle Connor paces the team in goals (42), assists (43) and points (85). After him, four other players on the team have also joined the 20-goal club: Mark Scheifele (29), Pierre-Luc Dubois (26), Nikolaj Ehlers (25) and Stastny (20).
Tied for the most starts among any goaltender in the NHL this season, Hellebuyck has manned the crease in a whopping 62 of Winnipeg's 74 games. In that time, he's amassed a 27-25-10 record to go along with a .911 save percentage, 2.93 goals-against average and four shutouts.
For the home team, Sergei Bobrovsky will get the nod in net. Needing one more win to a break Roberto Luongo's single-season franchise record, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner owns a 35-6-3 record on top of a 2.70 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts.
Facing off for the second and final time this season, the Panthers secured a 5-3 win on the road in their first meeting with the Jets back on Jan. 25. Mason Marchment led the charge up front with three points (two goals, one assist), while Bobrovsky stood tall in the crease with 32 saves.
"We understand they're going to push pretty hard here early," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said of the Jets. "I think, for us, it's more just focusing on ourselves. Again, falling behind in a lot of hockey games of late, just that mentality to maybe get ahead tonight. That's by dictating and playing our game. We've been doing a pretty good job of it on home ice."
