FORT LAUDERDALE – After getting some time to rest and recharge during the All-Star break, the Florida Panthers returned to practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex on Sunday.
“It felt like it came at a perfect time,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said of the team's well-deserved downtime. “We’ve played a lot of hockey here over the last year and a half. I feel very refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for a lot more games.”
Set to return to action against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena, the Panthers cruised into the break on a four-game win streak while playing great hockey.
In second place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 31-14-4, the Panthers trail the Boston Bruins by just five points for first.
Additionally, they’ve also built up a sizeable cushion through 49 games, owning a 14-point lead over the first team currently outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
While some might argue a break can slow a hot team down, the Panthers don’t feel that way.
In their minds, it just provided their current well-oiled machine a chance to gas up.
“We got into the break feeling good about our play, but it’s not something we needed to hang onto,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “I don’t think that we were on a roll. I don’t think we were lucky. There wasn’t any mojo to [the streak]. It just was just working hard. All the pieces of the game were pretty good. Now we’re just going to keep trying to build from that.”
Looking formidable on both sides of the puck, the Panthers currently rank third in the NHL on defense (2.57 goals allowed per game) and 13th on offense (3.20 goals scored per game).
Over the past few months, both the power play and penalty kill have also been clicking.
With a strong system in place, players expect to snap back into game-mode fairly quickly.
“We were playing well,” captain Aleksander Barkov said. “We were playing the right way. We’ve got to find it again. Today was a good day of work. It’ll be the same thing tomorrow and then we’re ready to go. I’m sure everyone remembers how to play hockey.”
Looking at the remaining schedule, the Panthers have 18 games left at home and 15 on the road.
Powering through a grueling slate of road games in the first half of the season, they only have one trip left that’s longer than three games and will venture outside of the Eastern Time Zone just once when they travel to Dallas to face the Stars on March 12.
With that, the last big hurdle for the Panthers on their push back to the playoffs will be three sets of four-game weeks, including consecutive four-game weeks towards the end of the season.
But after having to successfully climb out of a deep hole just to reach the playoffs last season, the Panthers are confident they’ve learned what it takes to shine during the second half.
“It’s just all about building your game,” Tkachuk said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a first seed or an eighth seed or anything in the middle, it’s just about how you are playing going into it.”
BACK TO THE OLYMPICS
The biggest news coming out of All-Star Weekend – other than Sergei Bobrovsky and Sam Reinhart having a blast on the big stage – was the announcement that the NHL is returning to the Olympics.
For the first time since 2014 in Sochi, Russia, the NHL will allow its players to participate in the Winter Games in 2026 in Milan, Italy and in 2030 under an agreement announced by the NHL, NHLPA, International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC.
“I think it’s great that hockey’s in there and that all countries get their very best players,” said Maurice, who also noted the immense effect the Olympics can have on growing the game of hockey in nations both large and small. “There’s so much pride and patriotism that goes into the Olympics. You do want to see the best athletes there. I think it’s fantastic.”
In addition to returning to the Olympics, the NHL also announced a new best-on-best international tournament called the “4 Nations Face-Off” that will take place in 2025 and feature players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.
"There's a bunch of international events coming here,” said Tkachuk, who should be a shoo-in for a roster spot with Team USA at both tournaments. “Hopefully I'm going to be fortunate enough to play well and just make that team. That would be a dream of mine."
While Tkachuk has never had a chance to play in the Olympics, Barkov is eager to return after getting his first taste of the event in 2014 as a prodigious 18-year-old with Finland.
"From my experience in 2014, it's up there with one of my best hockey experiences and memories I've ever had in my life,” Barkov said. “I’ll always remember every second that I got to be there. … I'm fortunate I got to do it once and hopefully get to do it again."
While we’ll have to wait a year until the inaugural“4 Nations Face-Off” and two years until the next Olympics, the seeds of excitement have already been planted for both players and fans.
UPDATES ON COUSINS AND LOCKWOOD
Will Lockwood and Nick Cousins both participated in today’s practice.
In a full-contact jersey, Cousins, who’s been sidelined since Jan. 2 while in concussion protocol, skated on the third line alongside Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell during line rushes.
“Before the break there I had three or four good practices and then had the break to kind of re-energize myself and get back up to speed,” said Cousins, who’s suited up in 37 games this season. “Now we’re back here ready to go and all the guys are rested up for a big second half. I’m just trying to come in and help the guys any way that I can.”
In concussion protocol since Jan. 19, Lockwood skated in a yellow no-contact jersey.
While Lockwood still has some checkpoints to hit on his road to recovery, Maurice said that Cousins could potentially return to action in the near future if he continues to progress.
“Nick's in full contact, but we didn’t have much of it today,” Maurice said. “We’ll get into more contact tomorrow. Lockwood’s not there yet, so he’s not in consideration. Nick getting through tomorrow would then [put him] in consideration.”
In terms of other lineup notes, both Reinhart and Bobrovsky were absent from practice after participating in the All-Star Game on Saturday.
Both are expected to be back on the ice on Monday.
