Lineup change ahead of the Florida Panthers vs Colorado Avalanche matchup

The update is simple and stressful, Jones is considered day to day and is not expected to play against Colorado. When your season has already felt like a nightly lineup shuffle, that news lands heavy.

Jones has quietly become a pillar for Florida. He plays big minutes, calms breakouts with his first pass, and gives the power play a steady quarterback who can keep pucks alive at the line.

The timing is brutal because the Avalanche are the NHL's hottest problem right now. They come in with speed through the neutral zone, and they punish hesitation, especially when a defense pair is learning each other on the fly.

Florida answered by recalling Toby Bjornfot from AHL Charlotte, and that tells you how thin the margin is. This is not just a «next man up» moment, it's a «play a cleaner game» moment.

Bjornfot does not have to be perfect, but he has to be predictable. Florida's defense needs simple exits, hard rims when the first look is gone, and no cute plays inside the dots against Colorado's pressure.

This is also where Sergei Bobrovsky can tilt the ice. If Florida keeps the slot manageable and lets him see pucks early, he can drag the Panthers into a tight game where one bounce flips the night.

The power play is the other swing point without Jones. The top unit has to move it faster, get shots through, and hunt rebounds, because Colorado will turn blocked attempts into rush chances the other way.

If Florida steals this one, it is not just two points. A win over a rolling Avalanche team, while short a key defenseman, would be a real confidence jolt that carries into the next stretch.