DEC. 30, 2021 VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
FLA LIVE ARENA | 7:00 P.M. ET
Television: Bally Sports Florida
Radio: 560 WQAM (DADE/BROWARD); 850 WFTL (PALM BEACH); 100.3 WCTH (FLORIDA KEYS), SIRIUSXM NHL NETWORK RADIO CHANNEL 91/APP & STREAMING 932
TONIGHT AT FLA LIVE ARENA
- Tonight, the first 10,000 fans to enter FLA Live Arena will receive a Santa hat courtesy of The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine.
- Tonight, fans can stop by the Coors Light Cold Zone to enjoy a holiday pop-up bar featuring specialty holiday themed cocktails, a live band and Coors Light giveaways.
- Contactless, Mobile Food Ordering is now available for all games at FLA Live Arena. The Florida Panthers are offering fans safe and convenient purchasing experiences while at FLA Live Arena, enabling mobile ordering through the FLA Live! mobile app, and contactless purchases and payments via self-service kiosks and user-friendly Clover devices at concession stands throughout the arena. Learn more at FloridaPanthers.com/MobileOrdering.
TONIGHT’S CITY FURNITURE MILITARY HERO: Connie Christensen
Tonight’s Hero Among Us is Vietnam War Veteran, Connie Christensen. An Army trained Operating Room Nurse; Connie served in South Vietnam from 1970-71. She was retired from the Army of the United States with 39 years 9 months of military service to her credit in both the Active and Reserve Components. In 2001, Connie was awarded the Legion of Merit by the Secretary of the Army.
50/50 RAFFLE
All season long fans can give back to the Florida Panthers Foundation through the 50/50 raffle while trying to win big! Fans at FLA Live Arena can purchase 50/50 raffle tickets at kiosks throughout the arena or online for fans who are within a 75-mile radius of the game at FlaPanthers5050.com and in the FLA Live! mobile application. Ticket prices are: 5 for $10, 20 for $20, 80 for $40, and 300 for $100. Fans can purchase tickets and receive double the amount of raffle tickets prior to puck drop on each home game night.
LAST GAME
Panthers 4, Rangers 3 – Dec. 29 – FLA Live Arena
FLA Goals: Lundell (6), Weegar (1), Verhaeghe (8), Duclair (10)
NYR Goals: Panarin (10), Zibanejad (8), Kreider (19)
FLA Goalie: Bobrovsky (W) – 30 Saves
NYR Goalie: Sheserkin (L) – 28 Saves
FLA Shots: 32
NYR Shots: 33
Notes: Florida logged a season-high 40 hits…Gustav Forsling notched two assists (0-2-2)…Patric Hornqvist led Florida with eight hits…MacKenzie
Weegar tallied his first goal of the season…FLA PP: 0-2, FLA PK: 2-2
BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT
- F Noel Acciari | Games Missed: 30
- D Markus Nutivaara | Games Missed: 21
Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 153
RECENT TRANSACTIONS: - Dec. 27: G Spencer Knight recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
PANTHERS vs. LIGHTNING
ALL-TIME vs. TBL: 72-48-10-18
ALL-TIME HOME vs. TBL: 42-16-4-10
2021-22 vs. TBL: 1-0-1
CATS STATS - Jonathan Huberdeau has recorded 39 points (14-25-39) over 40 career games vs. TBL.
- Aleksander Barkov has produced 31 points (6-25-31) over 36 career games vs. TBL.
BATTLE OF FLORIDA
Tonight, the Panthers and Lightning will face off for the third time this season and the for 11th time the two intrastate rivals have played each other in the regular season this calendar year. Over their prior 10 regular season matchups this calendar year, the Cats own a 6-2-2 record against Tampa Bay, outscoring the Lightning 37-28. This season, Aleksander Barkov leads Florida with three points (1-2-3) over two games against Tampa Bay.
COMEBACK CATS
Florida tallied three goals in the third period Dec. 29 vs. NYR to earn their sixth third-period comeback victory of the season, the most among NHL teams. Florida has earned four wins this season when trailing after two periods, tied with CBJ and VGK for the most such wins in the league. Over the past two seasons, the Cats have recorded a league-leading 30 comeback victories.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Panthers earned their league-leading 15th home win Dec. 29 vs. NYR, in their 18th home contest of the season. Only three teams have recorded 15 home wins in fewer contests since 1987-88: ANA (17 GP, 2013-14), WSH (17 GP, 2008-09) and SJS (17 GP, 2008-09), per NHL PR. Florida paces all NHL teams in points (30), points percentage (.833), goals (73), and shots (688) on home ice in 2021-22. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Panthers with 23 points (5-18-23) at home in 2021-22, and Aaron Ekblad has scored all eight of his goals on home ice, the most home goals scored by an NHL defenseman this season, and 19 points (8-11-13), tied for most home points among NHL blueliners.
Florida Panthers: Media Notes
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
The Cats have logged 28 takeaways over their past two games. Florida leads all clubs with 335 takeaways this season, led by MacKenzie Weegar (43), Carter Verhaeghe (29) and Anton Lundell (29). Lundell’s 29 takeaways lead all NHL rookies.
BARKOV COUNTY
Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov has posted at least one point in 11 of his past 12 games (8-5-13) and in 14 of his 17 total games played. His goal Dec. 7 at STL was the 191st of his career, which represents the most goals scored by any Panther in franchise history. Barkov leads Florida in faceoff win percentage (53.8) and paces FLA forwards in time on ice per game (20:36) and plus-minus rating (+13 – tied with Anthony Duclair).
HUBY SNACKS
Jonathan Huberdeau is tied with Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair for the team lead with 10 goals scored this season. He leads Florida with nine power-play points, 23 assists, 33 total points (10-23-33) and 23 points on home ice (5-18-23), ranking tied for 10th among league skaters in assists. Huberdeau was named the NHL’s 1st Star of the Week and the NHLPA Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 5 after leading all NHL skaters with nine points (1-8-9) over three games game played, including matching his career highs with a four-assist, five-point (1-4-5) performance Dec. 2 vs. BUF. Huberdeau’s performance against Buffalo marked the eighth time in club history that a player has recorded five-plus points in a game.
EK’S GON’ GIVE IT TO YA
Aaron Ekblad has logged seven points (2-5-7) over his past eight games. His +18 rating this season leads Florida and ranks tied fourth among NHL blueliners. Ekblad’s 24 points (8-16-24) rank eighth among league defensemen, and his 16 even-strength points (6-10-16) are tied for fifth-most. His eight goals scored are tied for third-most of any defenseman. The Windsor, Ontario native has posted six multi-point games this season, tied with Carter Verhaeghe for most on Florida. He leads Florida defensemen in goals, assists and points, and paces the team and ranks third among NHL defensemen with 94 shots on goal.
THE DUKE OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Anthony Duclair tallied his 10th goal of the season Dec. 29 vs. NYR. The goal marked his eighth tally scored on home ice in 2021-22, tied with Aaron Ekblad for most home goals by a a Panther this season. Duclair posted a season-high six shots on goal Dec. 16 vs. LAK. He has produced 18 points (10-8-18) over 22 games this season, tied for fifth-most on Florida. The native of Point-Claire, Quebec has recorded five points (2-3-5) over his past seven games.
RETURN OF THE MACK
MacKenzie Weegar scored his first goal of the season Dec. 29 vs. NYR. He skated a career-high 31:32 time on ice Dec. 16 vs. LAK, the eighth-most TOI by any skater this season and the most by a Panther since the 2013-14 season. Weegar has notched 15 assists (1-15-16) this season, ranking second among Florida defensemen. Weegar’s six takeaways Nov. 30 vs. WSH are tied for the most takeaways in a single game by any NHL skater in 2021-22. The 27-year-old native of Ottawa, Ontario ranks second on FLA with 81 hits this season and he leads the team with 67 blocked shots, which ranks tied for sixth among league skaters.
HOME IS WHERE THE ‘HART IS
Sam Reinhart has produced three points (2-1-3) over his past three games, and two multi-point performances over his past five games. Reinhart scored a goal for the third consecutive game and tallied the game-deciding goal in the shootout Dec. 4 vs. STL, on his first shootout attempt as a Panther. He has produced 10 points (5-5-10) over his past nine games, including a career-high four-point (1-3-4) performance Dec. 2 vs. BUF. His 23 points (9-14-23) this season are third-most on Florida.
AGENT CARTER
Carter Verhaeghe scored his eighth goal of the season Dec. 29 vs. NYR. All eight of Verhaeghe’s goals this season have come at even strength, tied for second-most even-strength tallies on the club. He notched his team-leading fifth multi-assist game of the season Dec. 12 at COL (0-2-2). His performance was also his sixth multi-point game this season, tied with Aaron Ekblad for most on Florida. Verhaeghe’s 23 points (8-15-23) rank tied for third-most on the Panthers, and his 21 even-strength points (8-13-21) are the second-most on the club. He has posted six assists (0-6-6) over his past seven games.
FINNISH PHENOM
Anton Lundell scored his sixth goal of the season Dec. 29 vs. NYR. All six of his goals have come at even strength. Lundell has produced 13 points (6-7-13) over his first 26 NHL games. The Espoo, Finland native leads NHL rookies in takeaways (29) and faceoff wins (165), and paces all NHL forwards in shorthanded time on ice per game (2:46 – min. 15 GP).
BENNY AND THE CATS
Sam Bennett notched an assist and logged six hits Dec. 29 vs. NYR. Bennett leads the Panthers with three power-play goals this season, and he paces FLA forwards with 88 shots on goal and ranks second among the group with 57 hits. Bennett’s nine goals (9-5-14) this season are tied for third-most on the team.
YOU’RE ON THE CASE, BOBROVSKY
Sergei Bobrovsky earned his 13th win of the season Dec. 29 vs. NYR. He owns a 10-1-0 record on home ice in 2021-22, tied for the most home victories among NHL goaltenders. Bobrovsky owns a .917 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average over 20 appearances this season.
USE THE FORS
Gustav Forsling notched two assists Dec. 29 vs. NYR, his fourth multi-assist game of the 2021-22 campaign. Only Carter Verhaeghe (5) has recorded more multi-assist games on Florida this season. Forsling’s 15 assists are tied for second-most among Panthers defensemen. The Linkoping, Sweden native has produced three assists (0-3-3) over his past two games.
A JUMBO ACHIEVEMENT
Joe Thornton tallied his second power-play goal of the season Dec. 12 at COL. The goal marked his 1,534th point, surpassing Mark Recchi for 12thmost points in NHL history. Thornton is two games shy of his 1,700th NHL game. Only five other players have reached 1,700 games played in league history.
MOST CAREER POINTS — NHL HISTORY
- Ray Bourque – 1,579
- Joe Thornton — 1,534
- Mark Recchi – 1,533
- Paul Coffey – 1,531
SAINT PATRIC
Patric Hornqvist logged eight hits Dec. 29 vs. NYR, the most by a Panthers forward in 2021-22. He has registered 15 hits over his past two games played, and he leads Florida forwards with 58 hits this season. Hornqivst registered eight shots on goal Dec. 12 at COL, the most shots in a game by any Panther this season. He produced his second multi-point game of the season Dec. 10 at ARI, logging a goal and an assist.
MONTOUR OF DUTY
Brandon Montour scored his fourth goal of the season Dec. 12 at COL. He has tallied two goals over his past four games. Montour has produced 12 points (4-8-12) over 29 games in 2021-22.
WELCOME TO THE GUD LIFE
Radko Gudas notched an assist Dec. 29 vs. NYR. leads Florida and ranks second among all NHLers with 121 hits this season. He is six hits shy of surpassing Roman Polak (2,024) for most hits by a Czech Republic-born player in NHL history. Gudas ranks second on the team in blocked shots (45).
