Questions arise if the Panthers have the energy to keep up

Less than twenty four hours after an emotional, historic comeback win over Carolina, Florida hosts the St. Louis Blues in Sunrise. The Panthers have been rolling lately, but this is the kind of scheduling spot that exposes legs, focus, and discipline. George Richards summed it up simply, do they have anything left in the tank.

Florida enters having won seven of its last eight games, climbing back into the playoff picture despite missing key pieces. That surge has been powered by structure, belief, and emotional buy-in. The concern now is emotional hangover after a night that took everything out of the room.

Paul Maurice's group has preached staying inside the process, and nights like this test that commitment. The Blues aren't a highlight team, but they're heavy, opportunistic, and comfortable grinding games into uncomfortable places. That style can punish teams that cheat for offense or lose puck battles early.

Florida's likely lineup won't change, and Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to handle the crease again. That puts added importance on a clean start, because chasing a game on tired legs is a dangerous ask against a Blues team that protects the middle well.

Tactically, Florida needs simplicity. Short shifts, pucks deep, bodies to the net. The Blues thrive when opponents try to be cute through the neutral zone. Florida's recent success came from direct play and layered pressure, not creativity.

There's also a mental layer. St. Louis doesn't care about Florida's momentum or storylines. They'll test willingness early with physical play and net-front traffic.

Florida has momentum, belief, and structure. Tonight asks if they also have reserves.
If the Panthers can grind this one out, it won't be remembered as loudly as last night. But it might matter just as much.