Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers head to Washington for a Saturday matinee against the Capitals.
Florida arrives off Wednesday night's 5-3 win over Chicago. At 9-5-2 with 20 points, the Panthers sit 11th in the NHL and fifth in the Atlantic Division.
They have also been good away from home. The Panthers are 5-3-2 on the road and 7-3-0 over their last 10 games, a stretch that keeps them in the thick of the Atlantic race.
The offense runs through Matthew Tkachuk leading the Panthers in scoring. He has 22 points, and 18 of them are assists. Seth Jones is right behind with 19 points from the back end.
Brady Tkachuk has 17 points, and Sam Reinhart has 9 goals, 6 of them on the power play. Washington needs to stay out of the box, because Florida's top unit has been punishing teams that give it chances.
Florida leans hard on that handful of skaters. With the roster the way it is, that works for now, but it leaves very little room if one of them goes cold.
Barkov and Marchand travel, but the lineup stays unsettled
Jameson Olive reports that Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand are traveling with the team but are not expected to play Saturday. Barkov is listed on injured reserve with a knee injury, expected out until at least Nov. 27. Marchand is listed on IR as well, with a knee injury and an expected return of at least Nov. 21.
No lineup or goalie decision for Paul Maurice has been confirmed. That part stays open until the team skates.
Washington is a team Florida can beat. The Capitals are 8-6-0 and have lost two straight, the latest a 6-5 defeat to Dallas on Tuesday.
Head coach Spencer Carbery spoke about facing the Panthers, Dylan Strome's playmaking and the benefit of Boone Jenner's veteran presence, according to the team's own post.
Strome has 14 points in 14 games, and Jenner has 6 goals. Those two give Washington a veteran center and a goal scorer who can hurt a Florida team without its captain.
Mike Vogel's matinee preview frames the game around the O-and-Beau connection as the Capitals close out their homestand against Florida.
RMNB also has a rundown of what came out of the Capitals' practice today ahead of the game.
Florida still has to find out how the lineup looks without two of its biggest names. That answer comes at Saturday's afternoon puck drop in Washington, the first leg of a back-to-back for the Panthers.
Quick hits
BOSTON BRUINSMikey Eyssimont is back in the lineup after missing a game with a puck to the mouth, according to Mark Divver. Good news for Boston, and a quick turnaround for a guy who took one in the face.
UTAH MAMMOTHThe Mammoth have placed Kailer Yamamoto on injured reserve, per NHL Rosters. Utah will need someone to step into that spot in the lineup.
TRADE BUZZPierre LeBrun said Islanders GM Mathieu Darche "will surely try" to land Nikita Kucherov. That puts New York in the mix, and the Kucherov talk is not going away.
ANAHEIM DUCKSLeo Carlsson and Jackson Lacombe are feeding a six-game scoring run as the Ducks visit the Flames in Calgary tonight. Anaheim is rolling, and those two are driving it.
DALLAS STARSThe Stars took 3 of 4 points on the road after last night's 2-1 shootout loss in Columbus, and Mikko Rantanen scored again. A decent trip, and it ends at home.
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Brady Tkachuk starts a wild night at TD Garden