Florida remains in the thick of the Wild Card race after their comeback win over the Leafs on Wednesday

Considering the Florida Panthers are in the midst of a daunting road back-to-back and playing their third game in three different cities in four nights, the mood around the team is probably the best it’s been in over a week.

Against all odds, the Panthers, playing without Sam Bennett and Sergei Bobrovsky, came from behind to defeat the high-powered Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

The victory threw some gasoline on what had been a dwindling flame representing Florida’s playoff hopes.

A day later, in a different Canadian metropolis, the Cats must do it again, and hope for some help on the out-of-town scoreboard.

Entering Thursday’s games, Florida sits one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Wild Card spot. Pittsburgh hosts the Nashville Predators on Thursday and have a game in hand on the Panthers.

A Florida win and a Penguins loss would mean the Panthers, somehow, would have climbed back into a playoff spot.

Regardless of what happens in the Steel City, Florida needs to make sure they leave Montreal with two points.

Despite their record, the Canadiens won’t be a pushover. The Habs have won two of their past three games overall as well as two straight on home ice.

One big question heading into the game is regarding who will tend the goal for Florida.

Bobrovsky is dealing with a non-COVID illness and was unable to play on Wednesday.

Alex Lyon was subsequently thrust into action, with Mack Guzda getting recalled from AHL Charlotte to serve as back-up.

Lyon was nothing short of spectacular for Florida, stopping 38 shots in a season saving win over the Maple Leafs.

Unfortunately, the maximum effort put forth by Lyon would be tough for any goalie to replicate on consecutive nights. 

Is it impossible? No. 

Improbable? Well, yeah.

Lyon was put into a similar situation earlier this season when he started back-to-back road games against the Rangers and Penguins. He gave up 12 goals in those two games, a 6-2 loss in New York and a 7-6 overtime loss to the Pens.

It was after the game in Pittsburgh that Panthers fans first got a glimpse into exactly the kind of man Lyon is. He’s become quite popular in the time since, and for good reason.

Will Lyon be called back into action Thursday, or will Bobrovsky be well enough to give it a go?

What about Sam Bennett, could he make a sudden return to a Panthers team badly missing him? 

Probably not on that one, as Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday he’d want Bennett to get a good skate in before rejoining the lineup.

Those answers will likely come around two hours before game time when Maurice speaks to the media.

UPDATE: Alex Lyon will start in goal for Florida.

Maurice said the Panthers will roll out the same lineup in Montreal as they did the night before in Toronto. 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Sasha Barkov on snapping Florida’s four-game losing streak: “It was huge for us. We really needed that win to get our confidence and get the things going again.”

Alex Lyon looking ahead: “Who knows how tomorrow is going to go? I’ve just got to try and prepare the same way and not get too high from this game. That’s going to be a challenge for me.”

Brandon Montour on Florida being a confident team: “We have all the belief in the world. Losing four in a row is obviously not what you want, but no matter what happened, we still want to work hard every shift. Everyone knows we’re good enough to get there.”

Paul Maurice on the win in Toronto: “This is something that can be a players win, because the coach had lost orbit around halfway through the second, so the players got that. That’s theirs. They get to keep it.”