"Obviously we've been good lately and just want to keep building our streak," Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen said. "When we do all the right things, we're going to be able to win games."
Owning an outstanding 55-15-6 record, the streaking Panthers can also lock down the Atlantic Division and secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference if they can beat the Red Wings and if the Maple Leafs lose their game against the cross-state rival Lightning in any fashion tonight.
But with greater goals in mind, those accomplishments are seen as more of a cherry on top.
"It's hard to think of it when you're in the mix here," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We're just kind of day-to-day here, and we have greater aspirations. [Being in this position] is a nice accomplishment and we should be proud, but we've got more work to do."
Picking up their 11th straight win - which is just one fewer than the franchise-best 12 straight games they won in 2015-16 - the Panthers enter tonight's matchup fresh off a 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders in which Aleksander Barkov led the charge with his third-career hat trick.
Trailing 2-1 late in the third period, Barkov pounced on a loose puck and scored his second goal of the game with 3:58 left in regulation to make it 2-2 and force overtime. Just 20 seconds into the extra frame, Jonathan Huberdeau then set up the captain for the winner with a slick pass.
"He reminds you with nights like tonight how great of a player he is," Brunette said of Barkov, who leads the Panthers with a career-high 37 goals. "He's had a tremendous season and if he was healthy he'd probably be right up there with Huby in that scoring race."
Speaking of Huberdeau, the dynamic winger is chasing some individual accolades as well.
By assisting on all three of Barkov's goals on Long Island, the all-star increased his career-high point total to 111 (30 goals, 81 assists). With just six games left to play, he trails Edmonton's Connor McDavid (113) by just two points in a tight race for the Art Ross Trophy.
"He's a remarkable player and a great guy," Panthers forward Sam Bennett said of Huberdeau, who has notched 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his last seven games. "To see him put up the season and the numbers that he's put up, it's really remarkable. It's just fun to be a part of. Every time he scores or gets a point, all the boys are excited. I just want him to keep going."
After making 24 saves in a winning effort against the Islanders, Sergei Bobrovsky will man the crease once again tonight. Going 11-0-0 in his last 13 appearances, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has posted a 37-6-3 record with a .912 save percentage and three shutouts this season.
Out of playoff contention with a record of 30-37-10, the Red Wings have lost 10 of their last 14 games, but enter tonight's matchup riding high following a 4-3 win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Tied 3-3 in the third period, Jakub Vrana netted his second goal of the game to make it 4-3.
"This was a good game for us, and I think we can take a lot of positives out of it," Vrana said. "I think we played great and deserved to win. We put ourselves in good position to win the game."
Out for the remainder of the season due to an injury, Dylan Larkin leads Detroit in goals (31) and points (69). Tied for second in scoring, Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie Lucas Raymond have tallied 56 points each, while rookie Mortiz Seider leads the club's defensemen with 48 points.
Splitting time in net for the Red Wings so far this month, Alex Nedeljkovic owns a 19-22-9 record with a .901 save percentage this season, while Thomas Griess, who was between the pipes and stopped 38 of 41 against the Bolts, has gone 10-14-1 with a .894 save percentage.
Facing off for the fourth and final time this season, the Panthers have gone a perfect 3-0-0 against Detroit, including securing a 6-1 win in their last head-to-head meeting on April 17.
"It's important to be feeling good going into the playoffs," Bennett said. "You want your game to be at its best right before playoffs, and I think we're doing a good job of that. We're playing pretty solid hockey every night. It's important right now."
