Coming off their best offensive performance of the season, the Florida Panthers look to keep rolling when they host the New Jersey Devils on Thursday in Sunrise, Fla.
The Panthers’ 8-5 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday saw Florida post season bests in goals, shots (41), and fewest shots allowed (15). Sixteen different Florida players recorded at least one point, setting a new franchise record.
The performance was far from perfect, however, given that the Canucks still managed five goals despite their low shot total. It was the third time this season that Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed five or more goals in a game. Bobrovsky (9-5-0, 2.80 goals-against average, .883 save percentage) has generally played well despite these occasional blowups.
Bobrovsky likely will start again Thursday, as the Panthers will want their regular goalie on the ice against a Devils team that has been one of the NHL’s best squads over the first six weeks of play.
New Jersey earned a 3-1 win over Florida in the teams’ first meeting on Oct. 16. The Devils head into this latest statement game against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions looking for a bounce-back, as New Jersey fell flat on Tuesday in a 5-1 road loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Despite outshooting the Lightning 27-17 in the first two periods, the Devils still allowed the game’s first three goals. Tampa Bay was 2-for-3 on power play in the game, while New Jersey was 0-for-4 with the extra attacker.
“We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the 5-on-5 game with the two goals we gave up and how those materialized, and then our power play didn’t take hold of the game,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said.
The Devils are only 2-for-20 on the power play over their last eight games. By contrast, the Panthers’ power play has been on a heater, going 6-for-19 over their last four games.
New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom allowed five goals on 29 Tampa Bay shots, and the struggling goalie now has a 3.83 GAA and an .864 save percentage over nine games this season. Teammate Jake Allen probably will face the Panthers given the Devils’ unofficial timeshare in net, and Allen’s superior numbers (2.24 GAA, .916 save percentage in 10 games) could make him more of a regular No. 1 goalie going forward.
Jesper Bratt has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) to lead the active portion of New Jersey’s roster. Jack Hughes leads the Devils with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists), but the star center is sidelined until January due to finger surgery.
The Panthers have lost two more players to significant injuries. Florida coach Paul Maurice said forward Cole Schwindt broke his arm in a collision with Bobrovsky during the Canucks game, while forward Eetu Luostarinen is week-to-week after sustaining burns during a barbecue accident.
Forward Jack Devine was called up from the AHL to help fill these holes in the roster. The seventh-round pick from the 2022 draft will be making his NHL debut on Thursday.
“Obviously, something I’ve been working a long time for,” said Devine, 22. “(I’m) just grateful for the opportunity to be here. Super excited to get my first day going.”
Brad Marchand leads the Panthers in goals (13) and points (23). Marchand has amassed 12 of those points (eight goals, four assists) over the course of his ongoing eight-game point streak, which started after he missed a game on Oct. 28.
–Field Level Media
