The Florida Panthers ideal preparation plan for this tough back-to-back
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Jonathan Ouimet
Jan 14, 2026 (10:53 PM)
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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Florida Panthers rest, Paul Maurice structure, and Brad Marchand progress collide in a rare mid-trip home pause.
After four straight games in cold buildings and against heavy opponents, Florida finally gets a pitstop in South Florida. For a team that's been living on maintenance days, one real practice can feel like oxygen.
Aaron Ekblad said the quiet part out loud about why this matters.
«It's huge,» Aaron Ekblad said of being able to return home during the team's six-game road trip through the Eastern Conference. «It's great to see our families. Obviously, we're away a lot of the year, so to put some time in at home, this is really nice for sure.»
The trip started rough, but the Panthers stabilized it with back to back wins over Ottawa and Buffalo. That Buffalo win was a grindy 4-3 game where Florida had to be sharp late to close it out.
Paul Maurice didn't sugarcoat the Eastern mess either.
«You've got a scratch and claw and stay on it and stay at it,» head coach Paul Maurice said of the playoff race. «We are comfortable, I think, in that.»
Paul Maurice trusts rest to restore Panthers pace
As a fan, this is the kind of mini-break you circle, because you can almost see the legs coming back in real time.
The rest matters most for the injured group, because Wednesday wasn't just a skate, it was a timing day. Brad Marchand is still not cleared, but Maurice described a real step forward after practice.
"He's improving,» said Maurice. «Still day to day. Out of contact, but jumped into some contact drills and we stayed off him. That's an upgrade from where he was a couple of days ago. I don't know if that puts him in the lineup for Carolina, but he's ahead of where he was."
Even without talking numbers, you feel his absence. Marchand is a puck-hound who makes breakouts miserable, and his voice and edge help the lineup stay connected when shifts get chaotic.
Matthew Tkachuk is also in the «watch the recovery» stage after a more game-like workload.
"It'll be a good test for him today to see how he recovers tomorrow," said Maurice.
And with the road trip resuming Friday in Carolina and Saturday in Washington, this home reset isn't a luxury, it's a chance to get healthier before the back to back bites.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 14 | 16 ANSWERS The Florida Panthers ideal preparation plan for this tough back-to-back Do you think this South Florida rest break gets Brad Marchand closer to returning for the weekend back to back? | ||
| Yes, closer | 15 | 93.8 % |
| Still weeks | 1 | 6.3 % |
| List of polls | ||