Florida has gone 2-2-0 on their five-game road trip following Saturday's 5-1 win in Edmonton
Florida has gone 2-2-0 on their five-game road trip following Saturday's 5-1 win in Edmonton
The Florida Panthers will wrap up their extended, five-game road trip on Monday night when they visit the Calgary Flames.
It’s been a trip of high highs – a pair of resounding wins in Columbus and Edmonton – and low lows – consecutive 4-0 losses in Seattle and Vancouver – but the Cats can end it on a high note with a win in Calgary.
Monday’s tilt will be the first of two meetings between the Cats and Flames this season.
The Panthers failed to earn a win over Calgary last season, going 0-1-1 against the Flames in the time since the massive trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, along with a prospect and a first round pick.
While we’re all well aware of how well things have gone for the Panthers since the trade, it’s been far from similar in Calgary.
The Flames failed to make the playoffs last season and are off to a 12-14-5 start to the current campaign.
They are fresh off a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning but overall have won just two of their past eight games. Calgary holds a 7-6-1 record at the Scotiabank Saddledome and currently sit three points back of St. Louis for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Florida has been a strong road team so far this season, skating to a 9-6-2 record when away from Amerant Bank Arena. The nine road victories are tied for fourth-most in the NHL entering play Monday.
The success starts on the defensive side of the ice.
Florida gives up an average of just 2.41 goals against per game on the road, which is third fewest in the league, behind only Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
The Panthers have also posted a 90.7% success rate on the penalty kill since Nov. 20, killing 39 of 43 opponent power plays.
That’s good for third-best in the NHL during that span.
Florida has also allowed just one power play goal against over their past five games.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Monday’s battle in Calgary:
Evan Rodrigues – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Nick Cousins
Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Stenlund – Steven Lorentz
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Josh Mahura
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