The Florida Panthers have a busy week ahead of them.
The defending Stanley Cup champions, who are heading off on a four-game road trip, will play two straight games in the West, with a two-game break in the middle of each.
Even after playing nearly 1,900 games in the NHL, that’s new for Paul Maurice.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve never seen anything like this before,” the Panthers’ head coach said after Monday’s practice at the Baptist Health Iceplex. “I’ve never seen a four-game road trip with two games in a row with two days off in between. I never remember.”
Fortunately, that’s a situation that suits the Panthers as well.
In the second half of this season, the record is 5 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws.
After visiting Anaheim and Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday, he will take a break on Thursday and Friday before visiting San Jose and Vegas on Saturday and Sunday.
“I like playing in back-to-back games,” Maurice said. “It’s not going to be pretty. Our goalie is going to have to be really good, but fighting through it is going to be more like playing playoff hockey than playing three games at home and having every two days off.” Similar. These will be difficult.”
The Panthers are currently 27-17-3, three points out of first place in the Atlantic Division.
To see what’s happening around the Territory this week and beyond, continue below.
game
Tuesday, January 21st: Anaheim Ducks – 10pm ET
**TV & Streaming**: Panthers+, WSFL-TV, WHDT, WFTX, ESPN+ (out of market) Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT-AM & 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH ( Panthers App; SiriusXM App and Streaming 931
Wednesday, January 22nd: Los Angeles Kings – 10pm ET
**TV and Streaming**: TNT, truTV, Max Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward). 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; Stream 931 Cats on the SiriusXM App & Tap: Click Here
Saturday, January 25th: San Jose Sharks – 10pm ET
**TV & Streaming**: Panthers+, WSFL-TV, WHDT, WFTX, ESPN+ (out of market) Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT-AM & 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH ( Panthers App; SiriusXM App and Streaming 931
Sunday, January 26: Las Vegas Golden Knights – 8:00 PM ET
**TV & Streaming**: Panthers+, WSFL-TV, WHDT, WFTX, ESPN+ (out of market) Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT-AM & 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH ( Panthers App; SiriusXM App and Streaming 931
road warriors
Between a preseason game in Quebec, a trip to Finland and 23 road games, the Panthers have played almost as much against the calendar as their opponents for most of this season.
“Honestly, it was crazy,” forward Tomas Nosek laughed. “I don’t remember traveling much in the first half, but that’s how it is. Maybe it’s better to be fresh in the second half. Every team has a tough schedule. You can’t say you’re the only one having a tough schedule. Just play and be ready for every game.”
Thankfully, things are starting to calm down a bit.
After this trip, use of the Pacific and Mountain time zones will end.
Just like last season, the road to the playoffs is on track.
“It’s good to have the road trip out of the way,” forward Carter Verhe said. “Going out west and playing a game with a lot of travel distance definitely takes a toll on your body. It’ll be good to get things rolling here heading into the second half.”
rolling knight
Spencer Knight has been flashing a confident smile lately.
The 23-year-old goaltender, who helped the Panthers win last week, stopped all 34 shots in a 3-0 shutout win over the Ducks on Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena.
In his past four starts, he has 4 wins, 1 loss, and 0 losses, with a save percentage of .937.
“He was great,” Verhage said. “He’s very solid there.”
Playing in two consecutive games this week, Knight will likely find the back of the net twice on the road.
boqvist on fire
Jesper Boqvist is reaching new heights.
The speedy forward added more fuel to his current scoring spree as he set a new career high with his 11th goal of the season in Saturday’s win over the Ducks.
Boqvist, who will retire in 2024, is tied for first on the Panthers in points (6) and second in points (4) since Jan. 1.
Of those four goals, two were the winning goals.
“He’s a very good addition to our team,” Verhage said. “He brings a lot of speed and tenacity.”
Register for Cats Cup
The Panthers are partnering with HockeyFest Game On! We will be holding our first Cats Cup tournament.
The event, sponsored by Coors Light & Verizon, will take place on March 15 and 16, 2025 at Amerant Bank Arena.
There are adult and children’s divisions, and each match is played 3-on-3 with a goalkeeper. You can add two players to each roster for an additional fee.
There’s food, music, drinks and more for everyone.
For more information or to register your team, click here.
beer fest is coming
Who’s ready to watch hockey while drinking bubbly?
The Panthers, presented by Funky Buddha Brewery, will host their second “Packs & Pints” beer fest of the season when they take on the Ottawa Senators on February 8th.
Fans who purchase the ticket package, which is open only to fans 21 and older, will receive beer sampling, live music, brewery snacks, and tickets to the game.
A portion of the proceeds will also be donated to the Florida Panthers Foundation.
Click here to purchase.
milestone watch
Paul Maurice is four wins away from reaching 900 NHL wins. Dmitri Kulikov is five assists away from reaching 200 NHL assists. Paul Maurice is five games away from playing his 1,900th NHL game. Dmitri Kulikov is five games away from his 1,000th NHL game.
This week’s cat clip
Samo is at the wheel!
Take a ride with this month’s newest BMW teammate, Macky Samoskevic.
Check out his interview in the clip below.
