Mikkola To Play, Tarasov To Start As Panthers Make No Other Lineup Changes Ahead Of Matchup With Jets

The Florida Panthers will begin another three-game road trip tonight, starting against the Winnipeg Jets.

To kick off the road trip, Matthew Tkachuk will play his second game of the season and is expected to skate alongside Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe. Tkachuk didn’t start the game on that line in his season debut but was moved up as the game went along. 

The 28-year-old finished with no points, three shots on goal, two penalty minutes, and a minus-2 rating in 20:58 of ice time. He’s spoken about wanting to be thrown into the fire and believes his game will improve as he continues to play.

There was some concern regarding defenseman Niko Mikkola, who exited Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks early with an injury. He missed the following practice but was expected to play. Today, coach Paul Maurice confirmed the 6-foot-6 defender will be in the lineup in his usual spot on the second pair.

Maurice’s final confirmation was that Daniil Tarasov would be in between the pipes for the Panthers. Tarasov has posted wins in back-to-back starts and has recorded a save percentage above .915 in each start. 

The Panthers have tried to get Sergei Bobrovsky’s game going again, but he hasn’t been able to find it. Tarasov has performed well when called upon, and he’ll start the road trip against a Jets team that’s won five of its last seven games.  

Additionally, Tobias Bjornfot will be in the lineup for his third consecutive game, skating alongside veteran defender Jeff Petry. 

Puck drop is at 8 p.m. EST at the Canada Life Centre. 

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