Sam Reinhart said after Wednesday night's 5-3 win over Chicago that the Panthers still haven't found their rhythm at home.
Florida sits at 9-5-2 with 20 points, and the home and road numbers explain why that quote matters. The Panthers are 4-2-0 at home and 5-3-2 on the road, a split that says a lot about how this season has been scheduled so far.
Reinhart did his part against the Blackhawks with a goal and two assists. He has nine goals on the season, six of them on the power play, and he led the way again when Florida needed points.
Sandis Vilmanis had the biggest line of the night with two goals and two assists. Seth Jones and Carter Verhaeghe also scored, which is the kind of depth a team without its captain has to find.
The overall picture is solid without being loud. Florida is 11th in the NHL with a +5 goal differential, and the standings table shows exactly how tight the middle of the pack is.
Reinhart told Jameson Olive that "points are hard to come by," especially in this division, and that the team has been on the road a lot.
Why Saturday in Washington is another road test
Florida is fifth in the Atlantic Division, and every point matters there. The Panthers are 7-3-0 in their last 10, and 11th in the league undersells a team playing that well without its two most important forwards.
Saturday's game is at Washington, so the home rhythm Reinhart is waiting for will have to wait a little longer. The Capitals are 8-6-0 and fourth in the Metropolitan Division, and they have lost two straight, most recently 6-5 to Dallas on Tuesday.
Washington is 6-4-0 at home. Florida's road record is better than its home record, so the Panthers don't have to be nervous about the trip, though they would clearly like a night in their own building soon.
Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, who have each played two games this season, are still rehabbing. The latest on Brad Marchand's return timeline has not been encouraging, and he is listed on injured reserve with a knee injury, expected out until at least Nov. 21.
Barkov is also listed on injured reserve with a knee injury, and according to the latest injury report he is expected out until at least Nov. 27.
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