Fort Lauderdale – Counts every second.
The Florida Panthers improved to 43-25-3 after shooting the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday, continuing their quest to win first place in the Atlantic.
Coming from behind against the Penguins, Sam Reinhart scored twice in the match, and then Anton Landell equalised the score 3-3 in the third term.
With the Panthers close, Sergei Bobrovsky saved 24 times in regulation and overtime and won three important stops in the shootout, but Alexander Barkov was once again captivated by the skill competition.
This season, the Panthers captain converted it to four of his five attempts in the shootout.
The Panthers, who didn’t play again until Friday, recharged for Monday and Tuesday before being showered with ice again to practice at the Baptist Health Iceplex on Wednesday.
It was a welcome rest for a team looking to make their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup final.
“That’s a good time,” Evan Rodriguez said of the break that followed skating on Wednesday. “It helps us to charge a bit and take us to the right heart frame that enters the final 11 games and the playoffs.”
Still in a favorable position, the Panthers are 6-4-0 in the last 10 games.
Returning to South Florida, already winning, the Panthers will play again in front of fans against the Utah Hockey Club on Friday, and will face the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Withstanding the recent intense road schedule, Rodriguez said he was very pleased to hear the roar of the house again once more as players began to increase their games for another playoff run.
“It was amazing,” Rodriguez said this season about the energy at the Amerant Bank Arena. “Our rinks are shaking throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Going from the Stanley Cup final vibe to the regular season, we’re wobbling again, and we’re shaking. I think the whole locker room is looking forward to that.”
Click here to get tickets for the Friday match on Soflorida night.
Division Race
It can’t get much closer.
The Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3), tied together by 89 points, have the same record and 11 games left.
Not too late, the Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5) has 87 points and 11 games.
As long as the race is approaching, the Panthers are focusing on their play, and everything else is trying to make themselves work.
“The TV is on. You can see highlights and standing spots, but we try not to worry too much about it,” Eetu Luostarinen said of monitoring the rankings.
Still, the heated race should provide a bit of extra boost for the rest of the game.
“It gives you something to fight,” Rodriguez said. “It gives you something to get something. You want to be in the playoffs. If you’re not fighting for something on just a cruise, your game may not be where you want it.”
Getting a massive dose of the division during the final stretch, the Panthers face enemies from the Atlantic in nine of the last 11 games.
“It’s going to be a hard game because every team needs these points,” says Luostarinen.
This season, the Panthers are 9-7-1 against division opponents.
“There’s no weak link on our side (Eastern Conference),” coach Paul Maurice said. “These are heavy games.”
Of these last 11 games, the Panthers play Maple Leaf twice and Lightning once, and Maple Leaf and Lightning will also face one last time.
“The three teams sitting at the top had a pretty good regular season, so they’re good teams,” Maurice said when asked about the three teams competing for the division. “There are very different energy sources, different energy levels. I think there’s a mentality that everyone feels that (playoffs) coming.”
Health Updates
Malwis, who wasn’t skating on Wednesday, said Sam Bennett and Nico Miccola were both good.
“It’s all based on the amount of games they’ve played. We can do it now so we can get them another day of rest,” Maurice said.
Continuing skating with the team, including this morning, Maurice said the team is aiming for Brad Merchand to make their Panthers debut against the Utah Hockey Club on Friday.
“I’ll do my assessment tomorrow after having full practice,” Maurice said.
Malkend, who hadn’t played since March 1, was bought by the Panthers at the trade deadline of March 7 after scoring 47 points (21 goals and 26 assists) in 61 games against the Boston Bruins this season.
Since trading fell, veterans have been taking part in both morning skating and practice.
This morning he skated on the second line in Florida.
“Matthew (Tkachuk) has come out of our lineup and there’s a place for him,” Maruice said. “Some of it is just comfort. Of all the players he has, he played some games with Sam Bennett.”
Following Thursday’s practice, stay tuned for the latest updates on Marchand’s status.
