Summary:
Florida begins a four game road-trip tonight where they’ll match up against some of the top teams in the western conference. After a third-period resurgence against the Islanders on Friday, Florida’s offense has been electric thanks to the play of Vincent Trocheck and Jimmy Hayes. Will Florida’s youth continue to bury the puck? On to the game!
Historical Context:
In 25 games played against the Anaheim Ducks, the Panthers have 11 wins, 10 losses, 3 ties and 1 overtime loss. This leaves the team with 26 points and a .520% points percentage. This ranks Anaheim as team number 6 out of 29 on the Panthers total win column.
What To Expect:
Florida’s current road-trip will be a defining moment for the team this season. After tonight’s match-up against Anaheim (who are currently tied for the 2nd best record in the NHL), the team will play the LA Kings (Currently tied 9th in the NHL), San Jose Sharks (Also, tied 9th) and the Nashville Predators (Tied 6th in the NHL). This will be a great measuring stick for the team to see where they fall among the top teams in the NHL and every point they pick up on this trip will be crucial. It’ll be interesting to see how young centers Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad fare against some of the more impressive 1-2 centers punches in the Western Conference.
Know Your Enemy:
Ryan Getzlaf: Getzlaf is one of the most complete two-way centers in the game right now. Sitting at 5 goals, 12 assists and 17 points in 17 games, Getzlaf is an impressive force anywhere on the ice. Combined with Corey Perry, he can be lethal in the offensive zone and will be a handful for Florida to contain tonight.
Expected Line Combinations:
Florida Panthers:
L1: Kopecky/Barkov/Upshall
L2: Huberdeau/Bjugstad/Boyes
L3: Jokinen/Trocheck/Hayes
L4: Fleischmann/MacKenzie/Thornton
D1: Mitchell/Ekblad
D2: Campbell/Robak
D3: Olsen/Gudbranson
Starting G: Montoya
Backup G: Luongo
Anaheim Ducks:
L1: Maroon/Getzlaf/Perry
L2: Silfverberg/Kesler/Beleskey
L3: Rakell/Karlsson/Cogliano
L4: Etem/Thompson/Jackman
D1: Fowler/Stoner
D2: Lindholm/Manson
D3: Allen/Vatanen
Starting G: Andersen
Backup G: LaBarbera
Closing Thoughts:
Make sure to vaccinate for mumps.
Kris M. can be reached for contact on Twitter or via email at thesunshineskate@gmail.com.
