Nashville has points in 15 straight while Florida has lost three of five
Nashville has points in 15 straight while Florida has lost three of five
It’s been what feels like ages since the Florida Panthers last took the ice for an NHL-sanctioned hockey game.
Four days have passed, which at this stage of the regular season might as well be an Olympic break, and now the Panthers are eager to resume their quest to finish what they started at this time last year.
Florida will face a tough test right out of the gate, with the red-hot Nashville Predators coming to town.
Nashville is on a tear, riding a 13-0-2 run all the way to the top wildcard spot in the Western Conference.
They’re also seemingly catching the Panthers at a good time, based off Florida’s recent play.
The Panthers are just 2-3-0 over their past five games, a period in which there was a bit of a shift in how the team defended.
With four days between games, Florida has had some time to right the ship and snap back into place.
There are some lineup questions the Panthers are facing as they prepare for Thursday night’s game though.
Florida captain Sasha Barkov has not practiced all week, skating on his own Wednesday while letting a nagging ailment heal.
Matthew Tkachuk was hurt during Monday’s practice and hasn’t skated since.
Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said on Wednesday that Barkov should be fine to play Thursday, but regarding Tkachuk, Maurice said he’d need to get a skate in before jumping back into a game.
“I think Barkov plays, for sure,” Maurice said. “We’ll have to get Tkachuk back on the ice. He may be 100% fine, but because he didn’t skate today, I can’t give you a stronger answer. Barkov did skate this morning.”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJo5OEbSBNQ[/embed]
Maurice also will be making another change in Florida’s defensive corps following the two-game suspension handed to Dmitry Kulikov.
The seventh defenseman on the Panthers roster is recent waiver claim Tobias Bjornfot. Maurice indicated on Wednesday that if Florida was going to make a roster move, they’d make that decision by 5 p.m.
With that deadline long past, it appears the Panthers are going with the 22-year-old Bjornfot, at least for now.
Also, for all the fans who are planning to head to Amerant Bank Arena, don't forget to wear white.
The Panthers are hosting White Out Night and will be wearing their white jerseys on home ice.
Here are the projected lines and pairings for Florida’s matchup with the Predators:
Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Vladimir Tarasenko
Jonah Gadjovich – Kevin Stenlund – Ryan Lomberg
Gus Forsling – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura – Tobias Bjornfot
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