Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Florida Panthers enter Saturday night riding momentum - and they'll try to keep it alive against a familiar foe.
Winners of 8 of their past 10 games, the Panthers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to Sunrise in a rivalry matchup that has defined the Eastern Conference for nearly a decade. Between them, Florida and Tampa Bay have combined to win four of the past six Stanley Cups, and one of the two has represented the East in the Final every year during that span.
Florida returned home earlier this week after an impressive 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, a victory that pushed them further up the standings and reinforced how sharp they've looked in December. That game also marked another milestone for Sergei Bobrovsky, who earned career win No. 445 to tie Terry Sawchuk for eighth place on the NHL's all-time wins list.
Bobrovsky has been outstanding during this stretch. The veteran netminder sits at 16-8-1 with a 2.78 goals-against average. With Curtis Joseph only nine victories ahead of him, Bobrovsky continues to climb into elite historical company.
Offensively, Brad Marchand has been the engine. The Panthers winger leads the team with 20 goals and 21 assists and is currently riding a six-game point streak, collecting 10 points over that span. His presence has added another layer of edge and consistency to Florida's top-six attack.
Seth Jones' impact flying under the radar
While Marchand and Bobrovsky grab headlines, one of Florida's most impactful players has been defenseman Seth Jones. The 31-year-old leads all Panthers blueliners with 21 points and tops the entire roster in average ice time at 23:59 per game.
«I don't think people appreciate how well Seth is playing for us,» head coach Paul Maurice said. «He's dominant right now.»
Jones' all-situations usage has also placed him firmly in the Olympic conversation for Team USA, though his focus remains on Florida's playoff push.
There's also lingering edge from the last meeting between these teams. In Florida's recent win over Tampa Bay, Jones caught Lightning forward Brandon Hagel up high with an elbow/forearm during the third period, a hit that knocked Hagel out of the game.
No penalty was called on the play, and the NHL later determined that Jones would not face any supplemental discipline. Given the already volatile nature of this rivalry, the incident only adds another layer of tension heading into Saturday's matchup.
With just one point separating them in the Atlantic Division standings, Saturday's game carries weight - and as always, pride.