1 – The puck dropped on the 2024 preseason for the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators on Sunday when the NHL foes met in their traditional exhibition doubleheader at Amerant Bank Arena. The Stanley Cup champion Panthers flexed their muscle, winning both ends by 3-2 and 6-2 scores as they sprinkled veterans throughout the lineup for both games. We’ll get into analysis of the games in the points below, but the main takeaway is that 8,076 fans turned out for the first game, filling the lower bowl of the arena. That’s believed to be a Panthers preseason record? No one has said that it isn’t. The Cats have clearly carried momentum from the 2023-24 season when they set a franchise record, a 12% bump from the previous season which led the entire NHL.
2 – Last week in this space we noted that one of the most intriguing battles in the preseason will be for the #2 goaltending job, as Sergei Bobrovsky’s back-up. The fact Spencer Knight opened the preseason between the pipes for the Panthers was a tell for me that he’s the leader in the clubhouse. In Game 1 on Sunday, Knight played the opening 30 minutes and sparkled as he stopped all 19 shots he faced and exited with a 2-0 lead. The 23-year old from Darien, CT was calm, cool and collected in the Cats crease, dabbling in cocky. That is in no way a criticism! Pro sports are all about confidence, and Spencer clearly is at the top of his game. Cooper Black played the final 30 minutes, making five saves on seven shots and was credited with the win.
3 – In the nightcap, Bobrovsky drew a thunderous roar as he was introduced as the starting netminder. However Bob could’ve had a nap as Nashville didn’t put up much of a fight, not registering their first shot on goal until the 10:25 mark of the first period. Bobrovsky, who turned 36 on Friday, stopped six of seven Predators shots. Chris Driedger played the second half, stopping 18 of 19 pucks.
4 – There was as much of a buzz in the building over the Nashville debut of Steven Stamkos on Sunday as there was for the Cats playing on home ice for the first time since capturing the Stanley Cup on June 24 with a 2-1 win over Edmonton in Game 7. Wearing his familiar #91, Stamkos played on a line with Tommy Novak and Luke Evangelista (a far cry from Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov!), scoring once and was a minus-3 in his Preds exhibition debut. He even smashed his trademark smile a few times!
5 – I left the rink with a jampacked notebook full of thoughts. In the early game, fans were tantalized by watching the line of veterans Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues. They formed the first powerplay group, with newcomer Nate Schmidt quarterbacking the point. Schmidt and fellow Panther newcomer Tomas Nosek were original members of the Vegas Golden Knights “misfit” group during that franchise’s inaugural season in 2017-18. Nosek made his Florida debut in Game 2 on Sunday, but was injured while toppling heavily into the boards behind the Nashville net in the first period. Other veterans in the Game 2 lineup included Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart.
6 – The Panthers made headlines across the continent by welcoming assistant coach Christine Bumstead onto the bench on Sunday. The University of Saskatchewan womens hockey assistant coach was added to the Panthers hockey staff for this summer’s Development Camp and training camp as part of the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Program. Florida head coach Paul Maurice wasted no time putting Bumstead on the bench for a game. “Coaches will view the game a lot of times better from the bench than they will from up top,” Maurice told reporters afterwards. “It’s not what we’re used to seeing. So, she gets it. She’s a good coach. And I think, when you talk about opportunity and maybe exposure as well, she’s going to get an opportunity to be a head coach somewhere down the line. … She’ll get there.”
7 – We cover the Tampa Bay Lightning at the South Florida Tribune too! The Bolts made news last week by naming Victor Hedman as the 11th captain in team history, succeeding Steven Stamkos. The 33-year-old Swede is entering his 16th NHL season, all with Tampa Bay, and was described as a “cornerstone player” by Lightning GM Julien Brisebois in announcing the decision. Ryan McDonagh and Nikita Kucherov will serve as alternate captains. Tampa Bay opens its preseason at home on Tuesday evening against Carolina. On Wednesday evening, the Lightning and Panthers will faceoff in exhibition play at the Kia Center in Orlando.
8 – Former Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas (2021-23) has been named the first captain for the Anaheim Ducks since the retirement of franchise great Ryan Getzlaf two seasons ago. “The Butcher” joined the Ducks last season after being a key part of the Cats’ Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2023, totaling six goals and 18 points in 66 games on Anaheim’s blueline. The 34-year-old from Prague, CZR is the ninth captain in Ducks history and the first European to wear the “C” in Anaheim since Teemu Selanne in 1997-98.9 – ODDS & ENDS: The Panthers visit Carolina on Friday and host the Hurricanes on Saturday in an exhibition home-and-home set. Opening faceoff times have been moved to 6:00 pm for both contests. … The Stanley Cup continues to make its rounds across South Florida. Cup custodian Phil Pritchard tells the South Florida Tribune that the trophy will remain in the area until Florida’s home opener on October 8 versus Boston. … If you want to catch the Cats’ home-opener and Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony, it’ll cost you! Tickets at Panthers official ticketing partner Seat Geek range in price from $183-$633. However, for Florida’s next home game versus Vancouver on October 17, tickets can be had for as low as $24.
10 – It’s our fourth and final division prediction of the Fall – the Atlantic Division – and perhaps the most agonizing! Here goes: Florida – Toronto – Boston – Detroit – Tampa Bay – Ottawa – Montreal – Buffalo. If I’m going to boldly say the Bolts are going to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017, that means somebody’s going to have to take a step up and we feel it’s the Red Wings. With the addition of Cam Talbot in goal – who’s coming off an All-Star campaign with Los Angeles – and two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko, now should be their time.
Thanks and we’ll see you at the rink!
(Veteran hockey writer and broadcaster Rod Pedersen covers the NHL for the South Florida Tribune. He also hosts the award-winning weekly Cats N Bolts Podcast and daily Rod Pedersen Show on Game+TV and WQEE Radio)
