Browsing: Panthers

The Florida Panthers are stuck in a rut.

Florida dropped their fourth straight game on Thursday night when they gave up a late 1-0 lead to the Nashville Predators before losing 2-1 in overtime.

The defeat was also the fifth in a row on home ice for the Panthers, which is a bit alarming on its own.

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Now 26 games into the season, Florida is going to have a lot of work to do if they want to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into playoff contention.

Letâ€s get to Thursdayâ€s takeaways:

OVERALL TIGHT GAME

Credit to Nashville, who looked like a far better team than the one Florida dominated while skating to an 8-3 victory last Monday in their barn.

This game was far different as the Predators were much more disciplined in their systems and got much better goaltending from Juuse Saros.

Thatâ€s about where the discipline stopped for either team, though, as there were a total of 11 power plays on Thursday.

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No power play goals, though.

“I think there was offense to have by both teams,†said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think both teams†penalty kill was really good, and it was a 1-1 game at the end because the goalies were good.â€

PENALTIES SHIFTED MOMENTUM

Florida was riding high through the gameâ€s first 40 minutes.

While they held a slim 1-0 advantage, the Panthers were controlling puck possession and racking up the scoring chances.

That all changed thanks to a pair of penalties called on the Panthers, one in the final seconds of the second period and one almost immediately after the first one expired.

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While Nashville didnâ€t score on either power play, starting the final frame up a man for nearly five minutes was enough to build their confidence and shift the tone of the game.

Florida had also enjoyed three straight power plays during the second period, and when many of your power play guys also go out on the penalty kill, thatâ€s a lot of ice time for a select group of players.

“Well, we come out, we’re in the box for four minutes in the first five minutes, and at that point in time, weâ€ve run that top-end of guys because we’ve had so many minutes on the power play, there’s not much rest for them, so (Nashville) get a little quicker than we did,†said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Most of their action came in a barrage of shots. It wasn’t sustained.â€

BUILDING ON SMALL VICTORIES?

Itâ€s not all doom and gloom for the Panthers.

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Quite frankly, it canâ€t be.

There is plenty of hockey left to be played this season, and Florida is a team that still knows its ceiling is much higher than what theyâ€ve shown to this point.

Eventually, things should turn back in a positive direction for the Panthers, but they need to start building toward that immediately.

“You’re not going to be confident,†said Maurice. “It’s an impossible thing to give. It’s got to be earned. You just need to stack up smaller plays, break your game down to incremental things, moving the puck on the tape, finishing checks, just getting pucks on the net instead of picking corners. But, you know, we’re cracking posts right now, and at least that part’s there. The opportunities are there.â€

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Photo caption: Dec 4, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save against Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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Revenge is sweet, when it’s on your side.

The Nashville Predatorsavoided a sweep by the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Pantherswith a 2-1 come-from-behind thriller in overtime on a goal that was allowed after the net had come off its moorings.

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Sound familiar?

The Preds lost a controversial game in overtime earlier this season to the Minnesota Wildafter the goal was allowed when goalie Justus Annunen knocked the net loose.

Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the Preds tasted the benefit of a loose net and sent Panthers fans home disappointed.

Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Cats’ lone goal, while Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos got the Preds’ two hard-fought goals.

The win avenges an 8-3 loss to the Cats in late November, and Florida has now dropped four straight, languishing in last place in the Eastern Conference.

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After Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky robbed Matthew Wood on a breakout, Carter Verhaeghe faked out Juuse Saros on the other end after a nice setup by Sam Bennett for a 1-0 lead at 16:26 of the opening frame.

Both teams had numerous chances to change the scoreboard, but it wasn’t until the third period that the Preds finally knotted the game.

Ryan O’Reilly put in a rebound off a Michael Bunting shot at the 13:41 mark to make it a 1-1 game, spoiling Bobrovsky’s shutout bid and requiring overtime.

Then, Steven Stamkos fired in the golden goal at 4:01 of the extra frame from O’Reilly, and the Preds come away with an unbelievable win.

The net came off its moorings, but upon further review, the goal was allowed.

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Earlier in the game, the Preds thought they had a power-play goal, but the officials determined the puck never crossed the goal line. Stamkos’ goal made certain the no-goal wouldn’t come back to haunt them.

The Predators have won four of their last five games, their best stretch of the season thus far. The Panthers haven’t won since beating Nashville at Bridgestone Arena Nov. 24.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Saros Outduels Bobrovsky.

After a rocky stretch, Preds goalie Juuse Saros appears to have found his form. He stopped 27 of 28 shots in the Preds’ 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Tuesday, and passed almost every test against Florida.

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Saros and Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky put on quite a show, but Saros outdueled the Stanley Cup Champion, stopping 30 of the 31 shots fired his way.

His biggest test came in the second period, as the Panthers held a 16-5 shot advantage in the frame. The only blemish came on Verhaeghe’s goal to put the Cats ahead 1-0.

Verhaeghe deked Saros out of position after being fed by Sam Bennett. This came just moments after Bobrovsky robbed Matthew Wood on a breakaway at the other end.

For the game, Florida outshot the Preds 31-29, but Saros earned his money on this night.

The Preds†penalty kill was heavily tested.

As good as the Predators†penalty kill has been most of the season, it had allowed a goal in three of its last four games coming into Thursday.

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In all fairness, the unit was without Cole Smith and Michael McCarron, two of their best penalty killers, both fighting injuries. McCarron was back in the lineup against Florida, and the kill was back in form.

There were some close calls. Nick Blankenburg went to the sin bin for a high-sticking double minor, sending Anton Lundell to the locker room briefly. The Cats had several great chances, including one sequence when Saros lost his stick. Disaster was averted, and the Preds killed off the double minor.

Florida was 17-for-89 (19.8%) on the power play, 18th in the league heading into Thursday. The Preds shut down the Cats’ power play, killing all six penalties. The Preds’ own power play failed to score on all five of its chances.

Ozzy Wiesblatt exited early.

Nov 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Michael McCarron (47), right wing Ozzy Wiesblatt (89), and Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) are broken up during the game at Little Caesars Arena. Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

Wiesblatt has been a bright spot in Nashvilleâ€s lineup this season. He scored his first NHL goal Tuesday against Calgary, and celebrated by pointing to the sky in honor of his late brother, Orca.

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Early in Thursdayâ€s contest, Wiesblatt lost a glove and appeared to injure his hand. He left for the tunnel and didnâ€t return. He’s currently listed as having an upper-body injury.

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Bobby McMann had two assists for the Leafs, who have won three of their last four, and John Tavares added an empty-netter with 18.6 seconds left.

Sam Reinhart got his 14th of the season, a short-handed score in the second period for Florida. But Laughton scored with 7:42 left to restore the two-goal edge for the Leafs.

Florida has lost four of its last five, and four straight at home.

It was the first Florida-Toronto game since the second round of last season’s playoffs, a series where the Maple Leafs took the first two games and held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in Game 3 — before losing that game on a goal by Brad Marchand in overtime. Florida would roll to wins in Games 5 and 7 in Toronto, both by 6-1 scores, and went on to capture its second consecutive Stanley Cup.

But this Florida roster looked a whole lot different than the one last spring did.

The Panthers were again without their long-term injured players — Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov, Eetu Luostarinen and Tomas Nosek among them — plus were without forward Carter Verhaeghe, who missed the game because he and his wife were expecting a baby.

It meant Florida added Jack Studnicka to its fourth line. Studnicka was making his Panthers debut and playing an NHL game for the first time since April 2024.

Maple Leafs: Visit Carolina on Thursday, the end of a six-game road trip.

Panthers: Host Nashville on Thursday, the fourth game of a six-game homestand.

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It was only a few weeks ago when things felt like they were turning a corner for the Florida Panthers.

They were returning from another long road trip and showing some signs of real positivity, playing three straight solid games away from home, an area theyâ€d struggled mightily to that point of the young season.

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After dropping five of their first six road games, including an embarrassing 7-3 affair in Anaheim to kick off that most recent trip, the Cats played quite well in Los Angeles, San Jose and Vegas, only dropping the middle matchup thanks to an incredible effort in goal by the Sharks†top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov.

Returning to home ice, where the Panthers were set to play 10 of their next 11 and where theyâ€d gotten off to a 5-1-1 start on the year, was only supposed to increase Floridaâ€s growing momentum after their strong end on the road.

Unfortunately for the Cats, things havenâ€t followed on that projected path.

After starting the home stretch with three wins in four games, defeating Washington, Vancouver and New Jersey but losing to Tampa Bay, Florida has since dropped each of their past three games at Amerant Bank Arena.

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“I think everyone wants to beat us, thatâ€s always the case†said Panthers defenseman Gus Forsling, referencing the teamâ€s consecutive Stanley Cup wins. “They get one goal, and they get some energy, and things like that happen in the games.â€

“We want to get back to defending,†he added.

Indeed, Forsling and the Panthers are surely frustrated with the defeats.

In each of the previous two – a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia and a 5-3 loss to Calgary – Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead both nights.

All three saw the Panthers surrender late goals, but in different, exasperating ways.

Edmonton scored a pair of empty-net goals that came almost immediately after Daniil Tarasov vacated his crease, never allowing the Cats a chance to try and push for a tying score with an extra attacker.

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The Flyers game…well, it was tied entering the final minute, they won the game by two and didnâ€t score an empty-net goal.

Two nights later against Calgary, Floridaâ€s early two-goal lead was gone by the first intermission, and they entered the final frame down by a pair. Still, it took a Flames†ENG to seal the win, but it was an exclamation point on an extremely unsatisfying week on home ice that was supposed to be the exact opposite.

“Itâ€s a game of inches,†said Panthers forward A.J. Greer. “When we put ourselves in some bad positions, whether thatâ€s defensively or just in general with certain mistakes that we know we shouldnâ€t make, the other teams have been capitalizing on them.â€

This homestead was when the injury-filled Panthers were going to piss off the rest of the league and reel off a bunch of wins, leapfrogging teams in the tightly-packed Eastern Conference playoff race and setting themselves up for another strong spring, when most of Floridaâ€s injured players should be returning to the lineup, if not already back.

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Alas, Floridaâ€s ‘one step forward, two steps back†routine has come at a bad time.

The standings arenâ€t so constricted anymore.

Tampa Bay is now four points clear of second-place Boston for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, with Florida nine points back and only ahead of Toronto and Buffalo in the conference.

The Panthers are only four points back of the second Wild Card spot, but there are five teams between Florida and Pittsburgh, the current final playoff position holder.

The good news?

Well first off, it hasnâ€t been all gloom and doom for the Panthers lately.

In addition to the continued scoring surplus from the likes of Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand, several of Floridaâ€s long-slumbering offensive weapons are starting to show serious signs of life.

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The recently-created line of Sam Bennett centering Greer and Carter Verhaeghe has ignited all three players, but if Bennett and Verhaeghe can get back to producing at the levels theyâ€ve come to expect of themselves in recent years, it will go a long way toward the Cats getting back on a successful track.

Additionally, Florida still has decent amount of meat on the bone in terms of their homestand, and two of their upcoming four games in Sunrise are against teams in that five-team mix between the Panthers and the playoffs.

Starting Tuesday, the Cats will host Toronto, Nashville, Columbus and the Islanders this week. Four games in six nights.

Toronto and Nashville are two of the few teams below Florida in the standings, and the Blue Jackets and Islanders are teams that, like the Panthers, are chasing that final playoff spot.

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Itâ€s a great opportunity for the Cats to put a rough week behind them and turn things back in a very positive direction before getting back on the road.

Will they take advantage?

Stay tuned.

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Photo caption: Oct 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice looks on during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

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Aaron Ekblad blocked a shot late against the Philadelphia Flyers, but the news this morning is positive.

The Florida Panthers were defeated 4-2 by the Flyers despite once owning a two-goal lead. The Panthers came out firing, throwing 15 shots on goal in the first period and concluding the opening frame up 1-0. Carter Verhaeghe added the second, but four unanswered goals by the Flyers flipped the script.

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Late in the third period, while trying to keep the Flyers’ lead at a minimum, Ekblad blocked a shot that stung him. He finished the game with one shot on goal, two hits and three blocks in 21:43 of ice time.

There was some concern this morning, but coach Paul Maurice spoke to the media and provided a positive update, stating that he is fine and that he will play on Friday against the Calgary Flames.

Ekblad has had a quiet season offensively, but he continues to be a vital part of their defensive system. With just one goal and seven points in 22 games, the 29-year-old is on pace for just four goals and 26 points.

Despite that, Ekblad averages the second-most ice time on the team and plays a critical role on the Panthers’ shutdown unit with Gustav Forsling.

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The news is a sigh of relief for the Panthers.

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Nov 26, 2025, 01:13 PM ET

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk is skating again, though the Florida Panthers still aren’t sure when their star forward will be able to make his season debut.

Tkachuk had surgery in August after spending much of the second half of last season — including Florida’s run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup — dealing with a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.

He delivered the update on the “Wingmen” podcast that he co-hosts with his brother, Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators.

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“He’s still quite a way away, but he’s back on the ice and he wasn’t two weeks ago,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “So, we’re taking it.”

The Panthers have been operating under the premise that Tkachuk is on a “December-ish” timetable to return, which still sounds logical. Whenever Tkachuk gets back, he figures to provide a huge boost to an injury-decimated lineup, one that has been missing captain Aleksander Barkov after he tore his ACL in his first training camp practice.

Tkachuk spent the first few weeks of the summer rehabbing with hopes of trying to avoid surgery but eventually had the procedure immediately after his wedding and honeymoon in France. He skated twice last week — “the first time I’ve put on my skates, like legit, since Game 6” of the Stanley Cup Final, he said — and then checked in with doctors to come up with the next phase of a plan.

“I’m just excited to get out with the boys,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t know when that’s going to be, but it’s obviously kind of getting over that hump and sooner rather than later. It’s starting to trend really, really well.”

There are a slew of benchmarks Tkachuk has to hit along the way, Maurice said.

Tkachuk missed the final 25 games of the regular season last spring but was able to play through both injuries for the Panthers when they won their second consecutive Stanley Cup. It also would seem like Tkachuk is on pace to be with USA Hockey in February at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Tkachuk had 23 points — eight goals and 15 assists — in 23 playoff games, including seven points in the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton. The Panthers beat the Oilers in six games.

“I’ve just got to get the jets on and start feeling good and I think I’ll be hopefully picking up where I left off, if not hopefully better,” Tkachuk said. “That’s the ideal plan.”

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For a second straight game, the Nashville Predators were behind the ball less than 20 seconds into a game and could not recover.

Sacrificing a goal 11 seconds into the game was just the beginning as the Predators were blown out by the Florida Panthers, 8-3, on Monday at Bridgestone Arena.

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It’s the most goals the Predators have allowed in a game since they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 8-4, on April 1, 2025, and it’s their eighth loss in nine games.

Similar to their loss to the Avalanche on Saturday, the goal scored in the first minute of the game came off a dump into the zone and the opponent loading up the left side of the ice.

Carter Verhaeghe got to the puck first after it was dumped into the Predators’ zone off the face-off and was able to find A.J. Greer on the left side of the slot for a quick shot and score.

On the second goal, Sam Reinhart shoved Nick Perbix off the puck behind the net before moving it to Uvis Balinskis and then Evan Rodrigues for the goal.

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Filip Forsberg and Fedor Svechkov both scored in the first period to tie the game at two. It was Svechkov’s first goal of the season and just his second point of the year.

Jesper Boqvist scored 59 seconds later to give the lead back to the Panthers and Sam Bennett scored off a rebound to restore Florida’s two-goal lead. All in all, there were six goals in the first 20 minutes of the game.

Nov 24, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) and Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) battle for the puck during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

In the second period, Gustav Forsling scored a shot from the point to bump the Panthers’ lead to 5-2. Goalie Juuse Saros was pulled for Justus Annunen after allowing five goals on 15 shots.

Nick Blankenburg responded on the power play two minutes into the third period to cut the Panthers’ lead back down to two and possibly start a Nashville rally. It was just the 11th Predators power play goal this season

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The comeback effort was silenced as Florida scored three unanswered goals, walking away with a whopping 8-3 victory.

Nashville had a wide 39-26 shot advantage and won 57.1% of its face-offs. It had also converted on 1-of-3 power play opportunities and was in the box just twice. Florida also gave away the puck 15 times and the Predators outhit the Panthers, 25-19.

Florida also had just four shots in the second period and seven in the third period, meaning that it scored four goals on 11 shots in the 40-minute stretch.

Statistically, Nashville was the better team, but its defense faltered at every turn. This was the second time this season that Saros had been pulled and Annunen is still winless on the year.

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Saros made 11 saves on 16 shots. Annunen had seven saves on 10 shots.

The Predators have been outscored 15-3 in their last three games, and have not won at home since Nov. 1. If Nashville doesn’t defeat the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, it’ll finish the month of November 1-5-1 at Bridgestone Arena.

It faces two road challenges next in the Detroit Red Wings (Wednesday) and the Chicago Blackhawks (Friday). Detroit is second in the Atlantic Division and Chicago has a surprising start to the year at 10-8-4.

The Predators need some momentum, as they are ranked dead last in the NHL with 16 points in 22 games.

Up next: Nashville Predators (6-12-4) at Detroit Red Wings (13-9-1) on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Little Cesars Arena at 6 p.m. CST

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The Florida Panthers hit the road on Monday for a quick business trip to Tennessee.

Playing their only game away from Sunrise in the span of about a month, Florida took on the Nashville Predators and came away with a resounding 8-3 road victory.

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The Cats got off to a great start, scoring right off the gameâ€s opening faceoff.

After the puck was dumped into the Nashville zone by Seth Jones, Carter Verhaeghe picked it up below the goal line and came back behind the net before sending a quick pass toward the slot.

A cutting A.J. Greer one-timed the puck past the blocker of Juuse Saros to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead just 11 seconds into the game.

Florida continued to keep the pressure on, and just over five minutes later, they doubled their early advantage.

Defenseman Uvis Balinskis had a great look from the slot that was stopped by Saros, but Evan Rodrigues was in a great spot at the side of the crease to snap home the rebound and give Florida a 2-0 lead at the 5:42 mark.

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Exactly 70 seconds later, Filip Forsberg scored a frustrating goal from a sharp angle.

The weak shot from the right corner somehow got between Daniil Tarasov and the goal post, putting the Predators on the board just under seven minutes into the game.

A rebound goal by Fedor Svechkov would tie the score at the 10:32 mark of the opening frame after a backhand from the slot off the stick of Ozzy Weisblatt was stopped by Tarasov.

Jesper Boqvistâ€s third goal of the season would put the Panthers back in front less than a minute later.

His breakaway attempt slid right through the legs of Soros to give Florida a 3-2 lead exactly 59 seconds after Svechkovâ€s goal.

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Floridaâ€s two-goal lead would be restored with just over four minutes left in the period.

Coming into the Predators zone on a rush, Greerâ€s shot from the left boards was kicked out by Soros, but an attempt to clear the rebound by Svechkov went off the shins of Sam Bennett before fluttering into the net to make it 4-2 Cats.

Florida made it a three-goal advantage just 84 seconds into the middle frame when Gus Forslingâ€s point shot grazed the leg of Nick Perbix on its way past Soros.

That would mark the end for Nashvilleâ€s starting goaltender, as Justus Annunen replaced Soros after Florida scored on five of its 16 shots on goal.

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An early third period power play would give the Predators an opening back into the game, and they took it.

Right off the draw after a Jeff Petry tripping penalty, Nick Blankenburgâ€s long wrist shot found its way through a maze of bodies and past Tarasov at the 2:11 mark of the final frame.

It didnâ€t even take three minutes for the Panthers to answer, and it was Greer netting his second goal of the game, once again off a primary assist from Carter Verhaeghe.

Sam Reinnart got in on the fun near the midway point of the period while both teams were skating four-on-four.

Catching the Predators in a line change, Evan Rodrigues came into the offensive zone and fired a shot that went off the pads of Annunen, but the rebound went right to Reinhart at the side of the net.

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His 13th goal of the season and 11th in his past 14 games gave the Panthers a comfortable 7-3 lead.

A snakebit Carter Verhaeghe got in on the fun before the Cats got out of Dodge.

Greer made a great ally-oop pass that Verhaeghe sped down the ice to catch up with, and his patient backhand went over Annunenâ€s glove to make it 8-3 Florida.

It was just Verhaegheâ€s third goal of the year, and his first since Oct. 21 in Boston.

For Greer, the assist was his third point of the night and gave him a career-high +5 on-ice rating to go with his career-high-tying two goals.

On to the Flyers.

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Photo caption: Nov 24, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist (70) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

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Two nights ago in Tampa Bay, the Edmonton Oilers got off to a hot start before taking their collective foot off the gas pedal and eventually losing a close one in overtime. Saturday night in Sunrise, against a familiar foe in the Florida Panthers, we almost saw a similar story play out, but a bounce-back performance from Stuart Skinner and Edmontonâ€s offence saw the Oilers reverse their fortunes with a much-needed 6-3 victory.

This win feels a little more meaningful than most. Itâ€s not just because of their opponent — the very club that has defeated Edmonton in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, in this very rink. (You can call it a revenge game if you want, but no regular-season win is going to soothe those wounds.) Itâ€s the way in which they won — with a 35-save performance from Skinner, a hot start on offence and a strong closing statement — and the timing of it, too.

Saturdayâ€s victory marks Edmontonâ€s first regulation win since Oct. 28. It also sees them close out a gruelling 12-day, seven-game U.S. road trip on a happier note after riding a three-game skid into South Florida, returning home one game above .500 at a pretty pivotal point in the season. The quarter mark of the campaign tends to be the time teams take stock of where they are, and while there are plenty of questions remaining about these Oilers, Saturdayâ€s measuring-stick game might just offer up some optimism.Â

“I thought our guys were really focused and did the little things that we needed to do,†said head coach Kris Knoblauch post-game.

Any sustainable optimism starts with Skinner, whose poor performance through the first two months of the season has once again put him at the centre of Edmontonâ€s woes. While Skinner didnâ€t exactly steal the show despite his impressive save total, he did hold strong in the third period despite a mid-game lull during which the Panthers clawed back from a 4-1 deficit to make it a one-goal game by the end of the second.

It was the goalie at the other end of the ice that struggled most, with Sergei Bobrovskyâ€s night ending about seven minutes into the second period after giving up four goals on 17 shots, starting with a doozy just 25 seconds into the game on a bad angle and ending with another bad-angle shot he shouldâ€ve had. (Panthers backup Daniil Tarasov was the best goalie on the night, allowing zero goals on 12 shots.)

Skinnerâ€s ability to shake off a scrappy goal in the first frame, then quickly rebuild his confidence in the third and stand tall to backstop the Oilers to victory, was notable. Whether or not he can build on this will be a major storyline to watch as the Oilers return home.

“He played really good tonight, especially in the third period,†Knoblauch said of Skinner. “We needed him, and he rose to the occasion.â€

Roslovicâ€s strong November continues with hot start

He wonâ€t earn any style points for it, but Jack Roslovicâ€s game-opening goal was the perfect example of why it never hurts to fire the puck towards the net early on — you never know what might hit. And 25 seconds into the game, as Roslovic spun off the boards in Floridaâ€s zone and unleashed a seeing-eye shot, he hit the perfect spot between Bobrovskyâ€s left pad and the goal post to give Edmonton an early 1-0 lead.

About seven minutes later, the forward was already on hat-trick watch after giving the Oilers a 2-1 lead with a goal that boasted both style and substance. While he didnâ€t get a third on the night, Roslovicâ€s hot start brought the perfect boost to the Oilers Saturday night. It also continued whatâ€s been a quietly great month for him. Eight of Roslovicâ€s nine goals on the season have been scored in November, with five coming on this road trip.Â

Both of Roslovicâ€s goals Saturday night were assisted by Evan Bouchard, who also pitched in on Vasily Podkolzinâ€s second-period beauty for a three-point evening. Fellow defenceman Mattias Ekholm also brought plenty of offence from the blue line with a goal and two helpers of his own. He played a crucial role in launching both Connor McDavid and Matt Savoie out of the zone to capitalize on Floridaâ€s empty net twice in 27 seconds to secure the much-needed victory.

Knoblauch heaped praise on the duo post-game, highlighting what he called a “splendid†performance overall for the d-men.

Bouchard called Saturday’s win “a good game all around.”

“They pushed, we pushed back,” he told Sportsnetâ€s Gene Principe post-game. “We never took our foot off the gas, which was good.â€

No love lost between Cup Final foes

Considering the history between these back-to-back Stanley Cup Final foes, it should surprise absolutely no one that things got off to a rough start in Florida — literally. Less than nine minutes into the game, with the score sitting at 2-1 favouring Edmonton, a scuffle broke out in front of Skinnerâ€s crease following a stoppage in play. The melee started with Oilers defenceman Ty Emberson giving Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe a healthy shove, and escalated quickly when Floridaâ€s A.J. Greer pulled off a very UFC-like double-leg takedown of Trent Frederic.

While certainly entertaining, officials made it clear the maneuver was not appreciated, and broke up the battle before Frederic could make his own feelings about it known. Both players were issued two-minute unsportsmanlike penalties, along with 10-minute misconducts. And itâ€s worth wondering if Greer should expect a call from the NHLâ€s Department of Player Safety for his part.Â

That wasnâ€t the last of the bad blood brewing in Florida. The game had a feisty tone overall, with things heating up again in the final minutes — and again, with Greer playing a central role — while the Oilers†newest enforcer got involved, too. Connor Clattenburg became a fan favourite even before he stepped on the ice for his NHL debut Saturday night, thanks to his 26 penalty minutes earned with the Bakersfield Condors last weekend, and his interview afterwards.

The Oilers called him up for the matchup in hopes of injecting a little sandpaper into the lineup and, with limited options due to cap constraints, he was the perfect choice. Clattenburgâ€s night started with a traditional solo lap and ended with a two-minute roughing call for a very fitting official welcome-to-the-league moment.Â

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For the better part of the season, the Florida Panthers have hung around the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings, despite not being separated by many points.

But, a recent strong stretch with more consistent performances has reintroduced the Panthers back into the division race, and now they sit just four points back of the division-leading Detroit Red Wings with two games in hand.

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There are still teams between the Panthers and Red Wings. The Boston Bruins sit in second with 26 points, three more than the Panthers, but the Panthers have three games in hand. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators sit one point ahead of the Panthers with the same number of games played.

The Montreal Canadiens are currently tied with the Panthers for 23 points, and the Toronto Maple Leafs sit two points back. The Buffalo Sabres sit in last in the Atlantic with 20 points.

The division is very tight, and there has been plenty of movement in the standings through the first 20 games or so, but the Panthers have the experience to take advantage of the opportunities given to them.

The Panthers are about to enter a stretch of games against teams on the outside looking in, when referring to the playoffs, and it’s time they go on a run. It all starts tonight with a rematch against the Edmonton Oilers before matchups with the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Maple Leafs, Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Sergei Bobrovsky will be in between the pipes tonight when the Panthers host Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

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