Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers' top scorers carry Florida into Washington today, with Barkov and Marchand not expected to play.
The Panthers sit at 9-5-2 and have gone 7-3-0 over their last 10, including a 5-3 win over Chicago on Wednesday. Today they face a Capitals team that has lost two straight.
Jameson Olive reported Friday that neither Aleksander Barkov nor Brad Marchand is expected to play. Barkov is listed on injured reserve with a knee injury, out until at least Nov. 27, and Marchand until at least Nov. 21.
So who drives this team? Start with Matthew Tkachuk, who leads Florida with 22 points. Only four of them are goals. The other 18 are assists, which makes him the engine of every line he touches, as we noted when Matthew Tkachuk led the Panthers against Chicago.
Seth Jones sits right behind him with 19 points, 16 of them assists. A defenseman setting up that much offense is a big reason the Panthers have stayed afloat without their captain.
The Panthers posted "Cats @ Caps ?" on Saturday to set up the matchup.
Brady Tkachuk supplies the finish. He has eight goals, three of them on the power play, even though his -4 rating is the worst among the group. We broke down Brady Tkachuk's eight-goal start before Barkov was shelved.
The goal scorers behind Florida's power play
Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each have nine goals. Reinhart has six of his on the power play, while Verhaeghe has five, plus two game-winners and a +6 rating.
Reinhart is also four points shy of 700 for his career, sitting at 696.
Paul Maurice doesn't have the luxury of rolling out his full top six, and the scoring has leaned heavily on five names. Barkov isn't due back before Nov. 27, so that group has to keep producing starting today.
Quick hits
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKSRoman Kantserov and the Blackhawks try to snap a five-game skid tonight in Carolina, where the Hurricanes will debut brand new jerseys. Chicago needs something, anything, to go right.
MINNESOTA WILDMichael Russo noted this morning that Joel Eriksson Ek's line has been on the ice for 16 Wild goals and none against at 5v5 this season. That's a perfect number, and it's hard to ignore.
CALGARY FLAMESZayne Parekh told Eric Francis he feels like he belongs, and the Flames defenseman is playing like it. Confidence looks good on him.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFSJohn Tavares is set to return tonight as the Maple Leafs host the Canadiens with a season that needs fixing. His timing couldn't be more important.
NEW YORK RANGERSPavel Dorofeyev is three goals shy of 100 in the NHL, and the Rangers open a four-game West Coast trip in Seattle tonight. The milestone could arrive quickly.
Latest Stories
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Lineup Change: Blue Jackets lose Garland vs PanthersWILSON FINALLY SPEAKS ABOUT SATURDAYRMNB just shared Tom Wilson's explanation for boarding Sandis Vilmanis, and he says he reached out to the Panthers' locker room.
Tom Wilson explains his boarding hit on Sandis VilmanisBOSTON HAS PICKED ITS NEW ENEMYBrady Tkachuk and the Panthers left Boston with a 4-1 loss Sunday, and now Bruins media are calling Florida their most hated team.
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Panthers' nine wins come with a catchA BIG DAY FOR THE TKACHUK FAMILYMatthew Tkachuk and his brother Brady are celebrating their father Keith's Hall of Fame induction, and the Panthers forwards call it legacy.
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Brady Tkachuk starts a wild night at TD Garden