There’s a lot of Panthers hockey this week, with Florida playing four games. So, this week, I’m doing two deep dive recaps instead of just one. For the midweek, I’ll be covering the Nashville and Arizona games. Florida’s headed on the road to Nashville after a disappointing home stretch, which resulted in a four-game losing streak, looking to get back into the win column and keep the points gap between themselves and Toronto. With both Barkov and Forsling out, some new faces got playing time. Mackie Samoskevich got recalled from the AHL, and Josh Mahura went in for Forsling; Mahura had played earlier this season, stepping in when another defenseman was out. The midweek wrapped up back at home with a rematch against the Arizona Coyotes, and if you remember the last time these two played, then you know that the game got really ugly, with players getting game misconducts and tossed from the game entirely. It was also the match where Nick Cousins got boarded, and he’s still out injured. Overall, there is no love lost between these two teams, and Wednesday night was no exception, with 66 total PIM when all was said and done and eleven total power plays. It was an eventful start to the week, and here’s how things shook out.
Nashville Predators:
The quick road trip on Monday had some special guests, the Panthers’ Dads came along for the ride. They’d even made a stop before the game, and all got cowboy hats. Stolarz was in the net for Florida, Verhaeghe’s line started for the forwards, and Mikkola-Montour pairing would take the opening shift for the defense; Saros was in the net for Nashville. It was no surprise that Florida took control early in the offensive zone; even during games where they’ve lost, they’ve dominated the O-zone time. There was a lot of forechecking pressure early, and Tkachuk got a great chance in the opening seconds of play. The defensive pairs looked a little different with Forsling out; Ekman-Larsson moved up to pair with Ekblad, and Mahura stepped in to play with Kulikov. Florida came out more physical this game, something that was a weakness during the losing streak, and they weren’t allowing the Preds any time and space. Reinhart had a great feed to Kulikov, who made a backhand shot that Saros saved. An unsung hero as of late is Lundell who’s stepped up to playing on the first line with Loustarinen and Reinhart. Lundell’s been extremely impressive in the faceoff circle, winning 21 of 25 faceoffs and his line creating opportunities off of playing with speed and tenacity.
Monday’s game would put Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice into a tie for 2nd for most all-time games coached in the NHL. Mackie, who was playing on the 3rd line, has been great in Charlotte, with eight goals and eight assists in his last 15 games in the AHL. Midway through the period, Florida led in shots 8-2 and had a much higher energy level than we saw last week. Loustarinen went to the box with 9:08 on the clock for slashing; responding well on specialty teams would be important, as, during the Minnesota match, the PK was the worst it’s been all season, allowing five PP goals. There wouldn’t be a repeat of the Wild horror show, though, as the aggressive PK was back. Lundell made a break up the ice and sent it to Reinhart, who took a shot as Saros made the glove save with 8:51 to play. Ekblad cleared to center, and then Kulikov cleared the zone all the way down the ice. Mikkola made a smart play by slowing down Nashville’s entrance into the zone, which allowed the Cats to make a line change. Stolarz kept the game scoreless with a big save just as the PP ended. Ekblad, Montour, and Loustarinen all took shots that got blocked or went wide, still scoreless with just over five minutes in the period. Stolarz came up big again with a save on a loose puck chance. More shots from Ekblad, Montour, Stenlund, and Mikkola pelted the Nashville defense but didn’t find the back of the net. A delayed hooking penalty on the Preds led to Florida running out the 1st-period clock to start the 2nd on a power play, 0-0 after the opening twenty minutes.
The Panthers had over 20 shot attempts in the first period, so plenty of chances to get the puck into the net. Saros was very sharp in the first, stopping the shots that didn’t get blocked by the defense. Florida started the 2nd period on the power play, and Tkachuk wasted no time taking a shot that Saros saved. Montour’s chance went wide, Reinhart’s hit the glove of Saros before defelcing high, and Ekman-Larsson’s shot got rebounded and then saved. The offensive onslaught continued this time from Kulikov and Mackie, but Saros was there with the saves. Nashville finally got a chance of their own; however, Stolarz got the big save with 15:51 on the clock and then a cover at 13:26. Neither team was getting extended offensive zone pressure at the midway point. Montour getting tripped put Florida back on the power play where Reinhart wasted no time; he scored just four seconds after it started. The Panthers won the draw, and Reinhart sent it straight into the bacHe’s the net. He has 10 goals in his last seven road games and holds the franchise record for road game goals; it also extended his point streak to 10 games. Tkachuk took a shot that rebounded but Bennett was there to get it, but shot it wide.
With 8:06 on the clock, Stolarz made a great poke check to break up the Preds play. Nashville responded by tipping in a shot for the goal, they won the faceoff and Luzon took the shot. During the second, the Predators had more shots and zone time. Stolarz made the glove save through traffic with four minutes to go. The last three minutes were mostly back and forth, both teams were finishing checks and not giving a lot of space. Trenin went to the penalty box for boarding Gadjovich, and both received five minute majors for fighting after the boarding happened. Nashville got a dangerous 3-on-2 chance, but Florida was abdidn’tblock it. The PP didn’t last long for the Cats, as Carter Verhaeghe got called for cross-checking just 20 seconds into it. A big kick save by Stolarz kept the game tied as time ran out in the 2nd, a tie game 1-1 at the end of forty minutes.
Some 4v4 play started in the 3rd period, followed by a Predators PP; both would get killed off. A slingshot pass from Bennett to Cats’eghe leads to the Cats’ second goal of the night just 1:11 into the final frame. Verhaeghe cut to the middle of the ice, leaving him 1-on-1 with the goalie in which he’d find the back of the net. The rest of the first four minutes of play are spent going back and forth, however with 15:48 left to play Nashville got caFlorida’stoo many men, it was Florida’s fourth PP of the night; however, the Preds were aggressive and pressuring the puck carrier. Rodrigues & Ekblad both got PP shot chances but didn’t get rewarded, Ekblad then headed to the box for tripping. The didn’tors first shot on goal of the period didn’t come until 6:30 into the final frame during the PP. Stolarz made a reaching save that left the Cats with the lead intacthaven’t2:35 on the clock. So far, The Panthers haven’t allowed a 5v5 SOG for the Predators during the period. Florida nearly got called for too many men due to chaos near the benches, however another official was quick to correct the call much to the Nashville fans displeasure. Montour, Ekblad, and Reinhart all took shotsdidn’td Saros, but he was sharp and didn’t let any through. Ekman-Larsson was the next Cat to go to the box for tripping wishorthandedat play. Kulikov had a great shorthanded chance, followed by Stolarz coming up with the glove save. He read the play perfectly after Florida got caught chasing the puck during the PK.
Stolarz continued to be hot in the net, making two more saves later in the period 33 seconds apart from each other. The Predators were holding the zone time even after the power play had ended. It would be another penalty for Ekblad with 5:09 to play. The PK stayed sharp, only allowing five shots over the last three power plays for Nashville. With just over two minutes to play, the Preds pulled Saros for the man advantage. Florida won the faceoff, and Montour made an impressive shot, sending it 200 ft down the ice for the empty netter goal making it 3-1 with time ticking down. Nashville pulled Saros again at 1:27 left to try the man advantage again, and once again, the Cats made them pay for it as Tkachuk hit the empty net this time with less than 20 seconds on the clock. Time ran out and the Panthers finally snapped the four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Predators. They head home for a rematch against Arizona on Wednesday.
Arizona Coyotes:
A successful road trip to Nashville got the Cats back in the win column, and a rematch with Arizona looming on home ice. Florida and Arizona had a very physical and fight-heavy game the last time around, ahasn’t boarding hit on Nick Cousins hasn’t been forgotten. These teams wasted no time going at it fighting with Lomberg and McBain dropping gloves immediately after the puck dropped, there was some discussionYou’deen the players during warm ups. You’d think that one fight would be enough to get it out of the system and get the game started, but nope, because after the secoO’Brienmpted puck drop, Gadjovich and O’Brien dropped the gloves, hostile emotions from the last game, holding over. All four players headed to the penalty box with 5-minute majors for fighting. On the third attemptFlorida’srop, things finally got underway; Florida’s top line was on the ice to start, Mikkola-Kulikov on defense, and Bobrovsky in the net; Vejmelka was between the pipes for Arizona. Loustarinen got his first shot off with less than a minute into play, more shoving happened not long after when the Coyotes thought we’rell was too close to their goalie. As we’re used to seeing, Florida held the offensive zone early to the start of the match; Mikkola and Verhaeghe had looks that got saved.
The goal-scoring opened early, with Tkachuk beating Vejmelka with a shot from the faceoff circle just two minutes into the period; Verhaeghe and Forsling got the assists. Rodrigues, Kulikov, and Barkov were the next players to get shots toward the net while Mikkola was playing very aggressively, going deep into the Coyote’s offensive zone. Arizona finally cleared their own Coyote’s got a couple of shots off toward Bob, who made a pad save, followed by him swallowing up a puck while stickless. The fighting penalties finished serving only for Ekblad to find his way to the box not long after, he got called for interference with 14:13 on the clock. Stenlund got a breakaway, and while he didn’t get a shot toward the net, it did clear the Flordidn’tne and kill time. Once again, the Panthers didn’t allow a shot on goal during a PP. An odd-man rudidn’te Tkachuk a chance to score, but Vejmelka made the save. There was some nastiness behind the net, resulting in a roughing penalty on O’Brien and led to a very familiar play for Cats fans. O’Briento Tkachuk to Reinhart straight into the net, the quick tic-tac-toe passing is pretty much an automatic goal for Reinhart at this point.
With that goal Reinhart now has an 11 game point streak (tied for 1st in active point streaks), and 18 PP goals on the season (one goal away from tying the franchise record),. The Panthers weren’t done yet. Just 17 seconds later, Bennett converted a breakaway into weren’twith an assist from Verhaeghe, to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Lomberg and Stenlund were working hard, both got shots off one blocked one saved. The parade of penalties would make itself known once again; Ekman-Larsson headed to the box for tripping with 8:30 left to play. Florida’s PK wasn’t allowing shooting lanes to open up anFlorida’sain wasn’t off a penalty without allowing a shot. A Verhaeghe steal and quick passing set up Tkachuk for yet another scoring opportunity that would get saved. Guenther headed to the box for AZ. His offense was hooking, and there were just over three minutes left in the opening period. Florida would hold the offensive zone and get a couple of shots to the net, but no goals. At the end of an eventful first period, the Cats held a 3-0 lead and only allowed five shots for Arizona.
Bobrovsky came up with a big save in the second period on a bouncing puck that got through the defense. He then made three consecutive saves on quick Coyotes shots. Mackie continued to impress by winning a board battle to set up a chance for Rodrigues. The opening five minutes were mostly back and forth after the initial action in the Panthers’ defensive zone. Tkachuk extended the lead to Panthers’e scored with a shot from the faceoff dot. He used patience to wait for the traffic to clear, giving him the shooting lane to score. Tkachuk has been averaging two points per game for the last month and has had five points in his last two games. Verhaeghe got the assist and is only six assists away from setting a career-high. Bob made a great kick save at 13:54 before Bennett went to the penalty box for hooking. The PK wasn’t looking like it was short a man aswasn’tarinen & Stenlund had a breakaway but couldn’t get a shot on goal, Lundell had a short-handed chance, shorthanded also had a breakaway that the Coyotes broke up. The Panthers killed the penalty, and the teams traded time in the offensive zones. Bob got aggressive, challenging the rush coming his way. He cleared the puck but only toward the boards, Bob then made a shoulder save before getting back to the crease. Tempers were still short as Lomberg got into it with Moser, who had gotten called for holding 13:42 into the period. The PP saw shots from Tkachuk, Ekman-Larsson, and Bennett but no goals. Reinhart and Lundell got a rush chance toward the Coyote net; a feed from Reinhart to Lundell would find the back of the net for the 5-0 lead and 1:42 left in the 2nd. The penalties weren’t done yeweren’tovich got sent to the box for holding the stick 1:05 on the clock. Time ran out in the second, and Florida killed about half the penalty.
The Cats killed the rest to start the 3rd, followed by a wrister shot from Montour that got stopped. For the second time tonight, Barkov would be positioned in front of the net with a point-blank chance and be denied. 17:48 left, Bob made a big save to keep Arizona scoreless, and Gadjovich followed that up with a backhanded shot to score his first goal as a Panther. Keep a revolving door on the penalty box because that’s how the that’sty of the 3rd period was spent. Ekblad would be the first of the period when he got called for tripping with 17:27 on the clock. The PK finally gave up a shooting lane for Arizona, and they’d pay for they’dnot getting the shutout. The Coyotes scored with a shot that went in just under the crossbar from Guenther. Arizona continued to hold the offensive zone after the power play expired before Cooley got called for hooking with 11:46 on the clock. Lundell set up Rodrigues whose shot got stopped and Montour’s went Montour’s Coyotes killed the rest of the penalty.
Rodrigues was the next one to the box for tripping, the aggressive PK wouldn’t allowwouldn’ton goal but it wasn’t finishewasn’terhaeghe was the next one; He got called for tripping 6:18 left to play. Bob made a big save with 5:40 left, and then Florida once again killed off the rest. Bennett got a shot toward the net before chaos erupted, Arizona didn’t like Ekdidn’trsson being close to the goale so naturally a fight broke out. Ekman-Larsson took a punch to the head before he retaliated, Lomberg went after Zucker trying to get him to fight because of the Nick Cousins situation and Gajovich and Brown went at it as well. When all was said and done, Ekman-Larsson, Gajovich, Zucker, Brown, and O’Brien all goO’Briento the locker room with double minor penalties for roughing. Cooley would score one more goal for the Coyotes with just over three minutes on the clock. The teams went back and forth as time ran o; Floridada got the win 6-2 in their last home game before the All-Star Break. The Panthers take on the Penguins on Friday and the Islanders on Saturday.
