Panthers hit Ottawa searching for a road win, and reinforcements may be coming

Since that seven-wins-in-eight burst in mid-December, Florida has slipped into a choppy stretch. The Panthers are 22-18-3 and coming off a 6-2 loss in Montreal on Thursday.

The good news is the injury cloud is thinning, at least a little. Brad Marchand is day to day after sitting Thursday, and Matthew Tkachuk has been practicing in full contact the past few days.

Ottawa is wobbling too, sitting ninth in the Atlantic at 20-18-5 for 45 points. The Senators are coming off a rough 8-2 loss to Colorado, and their goaltending situation has been loud enough that they even brought in James Reimer on a tryout.

As a fan, this feels like one of those nights where Florida either gets honest hockey, or gets punished for cute plays.

If Marchand can go, the latest projected look has Carter Verhaeghe with Sam Bennett and Marchand, which is a straight-line trio that should live in the offensive zone. The rest of the forward mix screams grind, protect the middle, and make the game miserable.

The blue line looks familiar at the top with Gustav Forsling beside Aaron Ekblad, and Niko Mikkola alongside Uvis Balinskis. With Seth Jones still out, the Panthers need their exits clean and their gaps tight, especially early.

Ottawa's recipe is simple when Brady Tkachuk gets rolling, crash the crease, create chaos, and dare refs to call everything. Florida has to keep the slot calm and win rebounds, not just win faceoffs.

If Matthew Tkachuk does dress, it changes Florida's identity on the spot, more puck recovery, more net-front bite, and a power play that looks dangerous again. Even if he doesn't, this is still the kind of divisional game you bank points in.

Florida doesn't need perfect, it just needs a road win that feels like Panthers hockey, layered, heavy, and stubborn, then let the returning stars finish the job.

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