"It's a huge challenge," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said of facing the Flames following this morning's skate. "Their strengths are against our strengths a little bit in the way they defend off the rush, in the D-zone and with the goals they give up. They're going to make you earn it."
Just one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand on the Lightning, the Panthers improved to 21-7-4 with a 5-2 win over the Canadiens on Saturday. Against Montreal, Sam Bennett had two goals, while Aleksander Barkov, Frank Vatrano and Mason Marchment also scored.
Unfortunately, two of those four goal scorers won't be in action tonight as Bennett (suspension), Marchment (COVID protocols) and Sam Reinhart (COVID protocols) won't suit up against Calgary.
Additionally, Carter Verhaeghe will be a game-time decision after missing practice on Monday.
Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky will start his second straight game. Owning a 14-3-2 record with a .918 save percentage, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has gone 11-1-0 on home ice this season.
"We're very fortunate that we have a lot of depth," Brunette said.
Named the NHL's "Third Star of the Week" for the week ending Jan. 2, Jonathan Huberdeau, a potential All-Star this season, leads the Panthers and ranks fourth in the league in scoring with 41 points (11 goals, 30 assists), including posting one goal and seven assists over his last two games.
With Bennett unavailable, Huberdeau will be on a line with Anton Lundell and Anthony Duclair.
"When you get a star, it means you're playing well," said Huberdeau, who also previously earned first-star honors back in early December. "For me, it's about winning games. We've been playing well at home. Tonight, we've got a big team coming in. We've got to be ready, and I've got to play the same."
For Lundell, a 20-year-old rookie, an opportunity to play with Huberdeau is always welcome.
"He's a really good player," said Lundell, who has lit the lamp twice over his last three games. "He's been here for a long time, and you can see why he's so good. Everything he does with the puck is something that you want to learn. You just look at him and you enjoy everything that you see."
Sitting in third place in the Pacific Division with a record of 17-7-6, the Flames, who have had 10 of their last 12 scheduled games postponed due to COVID-19, have won each of their last two games, most recently putting forth a dominant effort during a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday.
Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Trevor Lewis and Oliver Kylington all found the back of the net against Chicago, while Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 of 31 shots in the blue paint.
One of the key fortifications of the team's second-ranked defense (2.23 goals allowed per game), Markstrom, a former draft pick of Florida, has gone 12-6-5 with a .930 save percentage this season.
"I think this is a good test for us," Gaudreau told CalgaryFlames.com when asked about tonight's matchup with the Panthers. "We've obviously had a lot of success on the road, so hopefully we can bring that with us in these next three games, get off to an early lead and play well."
Up front, Gaudreau leads the Flames in both points (36) and assists (23), while Andrew Mangiapane has the most goals (18). One of the biggest early-season surprises in the NHL, Mangiapane's 18 goals have already matched the career-best mark that he set last season, but in 26 fewer games played.
This will be the first meeting between Florida and Calgary since March 1, 2020.
"It's going to be a hard-working game," Brunette said. "It's another good test for us at home."
