Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell is embracing the challenges of being a No.1 center in the NHL, and tonight he'll take on Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson.
The Florida Panthers continue their road trip with a duel against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres, looking to stay in the win column after a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Throughout this road trip, the Panthers have faced the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Senators, and now the Sabres. Each team has a center who is considered a No.1 center, and Panthers' Anton Lundell has been tasked with matching up against each one.
Against the Maple Leafs, Lundell finished with no points and a minus-3 rating in 21:56 of ice time. The Maple Leafs' No.1 center, Auston Matthews, finished with a goal and four shots on net in 19:48 of ice time.
The second game of the road trip was against the Canadiens, and in his matchup against Nick Suzuki, the two were pretty even. In a 6-2 blowout loss, Lundell finished as a minus-1 with five shots on net in 19:55 of ice time. Suzuki recorded an assist and a plus-2 rating in 21:51 of ice time.
The third matchup witnessed the Panthers and Lundell defeat the Senators and Tim Stutzle 3-2. Lundell picked up a power play assist in 20:55 of ice time, while Stutzle recorded no points or shots in 24:01 of ice time.
Tonight, Lundell will be tasked with attempting to shut down and outplay Tage Thompson. Thompson is one of the premier offensive players in the NHL, possessing excellent hands and a rocket of a shot that he can use in a variety of ways. This season, the 28-year-old future Olympian has scored 22 goals and 41 points in 43 games. He's added a physical element to his game, and the 6-foot-6 center has truly become a force at both ends of the ice.
Anton Lundell and Tage Thompson (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)Lundell has flourished this season, with his minutes and role increasing after Aleksander Barkov was sidelined. Still, Lundell understands that each night brings a different challenge, and shutting down the NHL's best centers is an important part of his job.
“There’s not a lot of guys that are that tall, that skilled and that fast,” said Lundell about Thompson. “He’s just good overall. Just need to treat him as a superstar and be aware of where he is on the ice. His shot is great, so we don’t want him to shoot too much.”
The 24-year-old has scored 13 goals and 32 points in 44 games this season, on pace to beat his previous career highs. He's just four goals back of his career high of 17 and 13 points back of his career high of 45 points.
Lundell has taken a big step forward this season, but the Panthers are still struggling to find consistency and solidify themselves as a playoff team.
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