The longest homestand of the season is not going particularly well for the Florida Panthers. Over the past week, Florida has dropped each of the first three matchups on their season-long six game homestand, one that continues on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. When adding the Cats’ 6-3 loss to Edmonton that occurred a couple weeks ago to the mix, the Panthers home losing streak is stretched out each of their past four games. It’s a less-than-ideal situation considering Florida is already navigating the season without a plethora of key players, including captain Sasha Barkov, emotional leader Matthew Tkachuk, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and forwards Eetu Luostarinen, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich and Cole Schwindt. Entering play on Thursday, the Panthers are in the unfamiliar spot of dead last in the Eastern Conference. Florida holds a 12-12-1 record through 25 games, sitting five points back of third place in the Atlantic Division and six points behind the second Wild Card spot. The longer it takes for the Cats to snap back into gear, the more difficult it will be for them to leapfrog half the conference to climb back into a postseason position. One positive for the Panthers is that they should have Carter Verhaeghe back in the lineup after he missed Tuesday’s loss to Toronto to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Another plus is that Florida will be playing Nashville, one of the three Western Conference clubs with less points than the Panthers. This will be the second and final meeting between the Cats and Preds this season following Florida’s 8-3 dismantling of Nashville last Monday. We’ll see if Florida can recapture some of the moxie they showed that night when the two teams lock horns Thursday in Sunrise. Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s party with the Predators: Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand Jesper Boqvist – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer Noah Gregor – Jack Stucnicka – Luke Kunin Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers Expecting Two Key Forwards To Return At End Of The Month [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-expecting-two-key-forwards-to-return-at-end-of-the-month] Three takeaways: Panthers mettle to be tested as shorthanded roster struggles to stay afloat [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-panthers-mettle-to-be-tested-as-shorthanded-roster-struggles-to-stay-afloat] Panthers lose fourth straight at home, fall into cellar of Eastern Conference [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-lose-fourth-straight-at-home-fall-into-cellar-of-eastern-conference] Despite Maple Leafs Place In Standings, The Panthers Are Gearing Up For The Playoff Rematch [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/despite-maple-leafs-place-in-standings-the-panthers-are-gearing-up-for-the-playoff-rematch] Panthers welcome Maple Leafs to Sunrise in matchup of teams at bottom of Eastern Conference standings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-welcome-maple-leafs-to-sunrise-in-matchup-of-teams-at-bottom-of-eastern-conference-standings] Photo caption: Nov 24, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Donovan Sebrango (6) skates with the puck against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)
