Sat, Oct. 9, 2021
Preseason
Florida Panthers
Team Game: 7
Home Game: 4
5 – 1 – 0
3 – 0 – 0 (Home)
2 – 1 – 0 (Road)
VS
Tampa Bay Lightning
Team Game: 7
Road Game: 3
2 – 4 – 0
2 – 2 – 0 (Home)
0 – 2 – 0 (Road)
LAST GAME
Panthers 2, Lightning 6 – Oct. 7 – Amalie Arena
FLA Goals: Thornton (1), Tippett (3)
TBL Goals: Cirelli (2), Perry (3, 4), Stamkos (1-PPG, 2-PPG), Maroon (2)
FLA Goalie: Knight – 17 Saves, Gibson – 3 Saves
TBL Goalie: Elliott – 21 Saves
FLA Shots: 23
TBL Shots: 26
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Oct. 8: F Aleksander Barkov re-signed to an 8-year contract extension
- Oct. 6: D Noah Juulsen, F Zac Dalpe and F Serron Noel recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
- Oct. 2: F Karch Bachman, F Henry Bowlby, F Grigori Denisenko, F Aleksi Heponiemi, F
Logan Hutsko, F Justin Nachbaur, F Serron Noel, F Cole Schwindt, D Max Gildon and G Evan
Fitzpatrick assigned to Charlotte (AHL). F Zac Dalpe, D Noah Juulsen and G Sam Montembeault
placed on waivers for assignment to Charlotte (AHL)
PANTHERS vs. LIGHTNING
ALL-TIME vs. TBL: 71-48-10-17
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. TBL: 29-32-6-7
2020-21 vs. TBL: 5-2-1
LAST TIME OUT
In the second of three consecutive preseason matchups between the Panthers and Lightning, Joe
Thornton scored his first goal in a Panthers uniform and Owen Tippett tallied his third goal of the
preseason and added an assist. With six points (3-3-6) over five preseason contests, Tippett is tied
for the team lead in points in the preseason with Aleksander Barkov (1-5-6).
BATTLE OF FLORIDA
Tonight’s preseason game is the final of three consecutive matchups of the NHL’s two Florida
franchises in three Florida locations: Amway Center, Amalie Arena and FLA Live Arena. Each team
has won one game in the preseason series. The Panthers faced the Lightning eight times in the
2020-21 regular season, where the Cats owned a 5-2-1 record against their intrastate rival. The Cats
and Bolts then dueled in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time ever.
FROM THEN TIL NOW
The Panthers enter the 2021-22 preseason coming off of their best regular season in club history in
terms of win percentage. In 2020-21, Florida posted a record of 37-14-5 for a franchise-best .705 win
percentage, earning the second seed in the Central Division. The Panthers 79 points were the
fourth-most by an NHL team during the regular season, and they led the league with 34.9 shots on
goal per game.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Panthers recorded a 20-5-3 record for a franchise-best .768 win percentage on home ice in
2020-21. In their final 15 home games of the regular season, they boasted a 13-2-0 mark. The Cats
gave up 2.32 goals against per game at home, tied for the sixth-fewest among NHL teams, and
scored 3.36 goals per game, tied for ninth-most.
BARKOV COUNTY
Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov was named the recipient of the 2020-21 Frank J. Selke
Trophy, becoming the first Panthers player to be named the league’s top defensive forward. He led
FLA in goals (26), even-strength goals (18), even-strength points (38), shots (176), and a careerhigh 54.9 faceoff win percentage during the regular season. He ranked second on FLA in assists
(32), points (58), power-play goals (7), power-play points (19), game-winning goals (6), overtime
goals (2), takeaways (39), and total time on ice (1,046:52), and became the only Panther in club
history to record six consecutive 50-point and 20-goal seasons. Barkov was just one of 10 NHL
forwards to take over 1,000 faceoffs in 2020-21, and his 50 games played were the fewest of those
10 players.
SAM’S NEW CLUB
Sam Reinhart joins the Cats after leading the Buffalo Sabres with 25 goals and 40 points (25-15-40)
in 2020-21, and his 10 power-play goals ranked tied for the fifth-most in the NHL. Over his six full
NHL seasons, Reinhart has recorded at least 40 points six times and has tallied at least 20 goals
five times.
JUMBO JOE IN SOFLO
Joe Thornton signed with Florida as a free agent on Aug. 13. Entering his 24th NHL season,
Thornton’s 680 NHL games played stands as the sixth-most in league history. He owns the seventhmost career assists (1,104) and 14th-most career points (1,529) in NHL history, both marks the most
of any active NHL skater. Thornton produced 20 points (5-15-20) over 44 games with Toronto in
2020-21.
JONNY B. GOOD
Jonathan Huberdeau enters the 2021-22 season having paced the Cats in assists and points for
the past two consecutive seasons. In 2020-21, Huberdeau led the Panthers in assists (41), points
(61) and power-play points (24) for the second straight season, ranking second on the club in goals
(20) and even-strength points (37) and fourth in even-strength goals (15), power-play goals (5), and
shots (122). His 61 points ranked tied for 11th-most of any NHL skater, and his 41 assists were tied
for eighth-most. 2020-21 marked Huberdeau’s fifth campaign with at least 20 goals, and his fourth
consecutive campaign with at least 60 points. The 28-year-old is Florida’s franchise leader for
assists (330) and points (498).
BENNY AND THE CATS
Sam Bennett recorded 15 points (6-9-15) over his first 10 games as a Panther, setting a new
franchise record for points recorded by a Panthers player in their first 10 games with the club. 12 of
those 15 points (5-7-12) came at even strength. From his debut with Florida on April 17 through
Florida’s final regular season game on May 10, Bennett led the Cats with 39 shots on goal and led
Florida forwards with 29 hits.
EK’S GON’ GIVE IT TO YA
Prior to suffering a season-ending injury March 28, 2021 at DAL, Aaron Ekblad ranked tied for first
among NHL defensemen with 11 goals and led all league blueliners with six power-play goals and
three game-winning goals. The 25-year-old produced 22 points (11-11-22) over 25 games for the
Cats last season.
RETURN OF THE MACK
MacKenzie Weegar posted a career-high 30 assists and 36 points (30-6-36) in 2020-21, pacing
Panthers defensemen in those categories. He led all NHL defensemen with 31 even-strength points
(6-25-31) and tied for the league lead among all skaters with a +29 rating.
WHAT ABOUT BOB?
Sergei Bobrovsky led FLA goaltenders in games played (31), wins (19), saves (847), and
shorthanded save percentage (.952) in 2020-21. On home ice last season, Bobrovsky posted a 10-
3-2 record. He also produced wins in six consecutive starts from March 4 – March 15.
ST. PATRIC
Patric Hornqvist enters his 14th NHL season coming off a 2020-21 campaign where he led Florida
with eight power-play goals. His 32 points (14-18-32) tied for the fifth-most on the Panthers and
matched his point total from his 2019-20, doing so in seven less games played. His 80 hits were the
third-most among Florida forwards in 2020-21.
FRANK THE TANK
Frank Vatrano leads the Panthers with four preseason goals in four games played. Prior to games
played on Oct. 6, his four tallies tied for second-most among NHL skaters in the preseason. In 2020-
21, Vatrano led Florida with a career-high seven game-winning goals, three overtime goals and 10
third-period goals. His 18 goals scored were tied for third-most on the Cats.
THE BUTCHER
Radko Gudas led all NHL skaters with 250 hits in 2020-21, the second-most hits by a Panther in
one season since NHL began tracking hits in 2005-06. He ranked second on FLA in blocked shots
(72) and even-strength time on ice (839:42), and third among FLA defensemen in time on ice
(948:45) and shorthanded time on ice (106:17). He set a club record for most hits in a game twice
last season, recording 11 hits on March 23 at Chicago and on May 10 vs. Tampa Bay.
TIPPING THE SCALES
Owen Tippett ranks tied for first on the Panthers with six points (3-3-6) over five preseason games.
He has recorded multiple points in each of his past two games: a goal and an assist on Oct. 7, and
two third-period goals on Oct. 5. Tippett led Florida rookies in goals (7), assists (11) and points (18)
in 2020-21.
CUP OF JOEL
Head Coach Joel Quenneville enters the 2020-21 season with 962 career regular season wins as
an NHL bench boss, the second-most wins in league history. Over two seasons as head coach of
the Panthers, Quenneville owns a record of 72-40-13 for a .628 win percentage and has led the Cats
to the postseason each year
