Panthers captain Sasha Barkov speaks after Florida's 4-3 loss to Boston on March 26. Spencer Knight has been on fire as of late. Knight earned his second straight shutout Wednesday night and his third is his last four starts. Knight has really elevated his game in the month of March and will be a key component for the Checkers down the stretch. He has not allowed a goal in over 151 minutes of play. Panthers General Manager Bill Zito and his staff must be thrilled at the recent play of their top goalie prospect. Zito signed Knight to an extension in September 2022 that carries an AAV of $4.5 million. Usually that type of money is reserved for NHL players, so it is unique for the Panthers to show this kind of patience and development with a player who is making that kind of money. This year may be key for Knight’s confidence, and no one would be surprised to see him in a Panthers uniform next season. Charlotte also saw recently signed prospect Ben Steeves [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-sign-minnesota-duluth-star-ben-steeves-to-two-year-elc] make his AHL debut last night. Steeves recorded a team leading 6 shots on goal in his first game as pro. The Checkers are 8-2 in their last 10 games and currently sit in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. They are a likely playoff team and Knights resurgence has played a big factor in this. Knight, Steeves and top Panthers prospect and Checkers leading scorer Mackie Samoskevich are all players to keep an eye if you want to watch the Charlotte playoff push unfold. The Future looks bright in Florida. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers face Islanders looking to continue trending in right direction [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-face-islanders-looking-to-continue-trending-in-right-direction] Aleksander Barkov grateful for chance to get healthy ahead of postseason [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/aleksander-barkov-grateful-for-chance-to-get-healthy-ahead-of-postseason] Three takeaways: Panthers angry about loss to Boston, can still gain from it [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-panthers-angry-about-loss-to-boston-can-still-gain-from-it#:%7e:text=%E2%80%9CIt%20was%20just%20that%20tight,but%20suffering%20sometimes%20is%20good.] TSN'S Jeff O'Neill picks Paul Maurice as his Jack Adams winner [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/tsns-jeff-oneill-picks-paul-maurice-as-his-jack-adams-winner] Panthers blow three leads, fall to visiting Bruins in key divisional matchup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-blow-three-leads-fall-to-visiting-bruins-in-key-divisional-matchup]
