MARCH 13, 2021 vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
BB&T Center | 7 P.M. ET
Television: Fox Sports Florida | ESPN+
Radio: 560 WQAM| 640 WMEN | 100.3 WCTH | 107.9/1370 WZTA | SIRIUSXM CH. 223/STREAMING CH. 932
PANTHERS vs. BLACKHAWKS
ALL-TIME vs. CHI: 15-18-3-7
ALL-TIME HOME vs. CHI: 8-9-1-4
STREAKS: FLA has won each of its last two games against CHI and have earned points in each of their seven games against CHI (4-0-3)
2020-21 vs. CHI: 2-0-0
LAST HOME WIN vs. CHI: Jan. 19, 2021 (5-4 OT)
TEAM STATS
| FLORIDA (17-5-4) | CHICAGO (14-9-5) | |
| GOALS FOR | 88 (5th) | 85 (T-9th) |
| GOALS AGAINST | 74 (T-18th) | 86 (8th) |
| POWER PLAY % | 26.3 (8th) | 31.0 (3rd) |
| PENALTY KILL % | 77.6 (18th) | 73.9 (24th) |
| SHOTS FOR PER-GAME | 34.0 (1st) | 29.7 (T-16th) |
| SHOTS AGAINST PER-GAME | 31.1 (T-9th) | 34.4 (1st) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 52.0 (T-8th) | 46.7 (30th) |
| FACEOFF WIN % | 49.0 (20th) | 47.0 (26th) |
CATS STATS
- Tonight, in a pregame ceremony the Panthers will honor Keith Yandle for reaching his 1,000th NHL game on March 7 at CAR. Upon reaching his 1,000th NHL game, Yandle became the 12th player in history to play their 1,000th NHL game with the Panthers.
- The native of Boston, Mass., became the 352nd NHL player, 116th defenseman, 52nd U.S.-born player and the 19th U.S.-born defenseman to reach the 1,000 games played milestone, as well as the fifth member of the 2005 NHL Draft class to reach 1,000 games and only the second defenseman to do so.
- The owner of the third-longest “Ironman” streak in NHL history (892), Yandle has posted four assists over his last five games. His 12 power-play points this season ranks tied for fourth among NHL defensemen.
- In the third period on March 11 at CBJ, the Panthers overcame a three-goal deficit within 7:52 to tie game at 4-4. The Cats completed the comeback in OT with a goal from Frank Vatrano. Florida completed a comeback after trailing by at least three goals in the third period for the second time in the past two seasons (Nov. 12, 2019 at BOS, 5-4 W [Shootout]), and for the third time in franchise history.
- This season, the Panthers have won four games after trailing by multiple goals, at any point, which trails only WPG (5) for the most among all NHL teams this season.
- The Cats own a 7-3-3 home record this season and have earned points in four of their last five home games (2-1-2). Florida’s last five home victories have all been won in regulation. Jonathan Huberdeau‘s 14 points on home ice leads the team, while Frank Vatrano has scored a team-leading six goals.
- Florida reached their 10th road win of the season on March 11 at CBJ. FLA’s 10th win in their 13th road game of the season marked the fewest games the club has needed to reach 10 road wins (previously: 10-5-0, 1995-96). The Panthers .808 road win percentage leads the NHL. The Panthers finished with a 4-1-0 record over their recent five-game road trip.
- Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov enters tonight’s game with nine points (2-7-9) over his last eight games. Owning the second-most points in franchise history, Barkov ranks second on the Panthers this season in points (28) and assists (19). He leads the Panthers in shots on goal (90), takeaways (21-T), total ice time for forwards (546:06) and faceoff win percentage (52.3 – min. 100 faceoffs).
- Jonathan Huberdeau enters tonight’s game on a five-game point streak (2-6-8) and has amassed 16 points (6-10-16) over his last 14 games. The eighth NHLer to reach 30 points this season, Huberdeau leads the Cats in points (32), assists (22) and power-play points (14), while ranking second on the club in goals (10).
- Aaron Ekblad has recorded three goals and eight points over his last five games (3-5-8). With his 151st NHL assist on the game-winning goal on March 11 at CBJ, Ekblad passed Jay Bouwmeester for third in assists by a defenseman in franchise history. Florida’s franchise leader in goals (80) and power-play goals (28) scored by a defenseman, Ekblad stands at second in the NHL this season for goals by defensemen (9) and first in power-play goals by D-men (5). He is one goal shy of reaching 10 goals in a season for the sixth time in his seven-season career.
- In his 300th NHL game, Frank Vatrano completed the Panthers comeback on March 11 at CBJ with his second overtime game-winning goal of the season, the third OT-winner of his career. Vatrano is the seventh Panthers player in history to have recorded multiple OT goals in a season.
- Sergei Bobrovsky enters tonight’s game on a season-high four-game personal win streak. He is one win shy of his longest win streak as a Panther. Bobrovsky has earned points in each of his last six starts (5-0-1) owning a .919 save percentage and .926 even strength save percentage.
- Patric Hornqvist enters tonight’s game as the Panthers leading goal scorer (11G). The 34-year-old forward has notched 22 points (11-11-22) over 26 games in his first season with FLA. Reaching his 500th NHL point on March 6 at NSH, Hornqvist is four games shy of his 800th NHL game.
- Ryan Lomberg tallied his first NHL goal on March 11 at CBJ. He is the fifth Panthers rookie this season to have scored a goal and fourth to record their first NHL goal. Lomberg ranks tied for first among FLA forwards in hits (42).
- Mason Marchment enters tonight’s game with six points (2-4-6) over his last eight games. The 25-year-old’s 17 hits over his last eight games leads all FLA forwards in that span.
- Among all of FLA’s rookies this season, Eetu Luostarinen has played a team-leading 26 games and ranks tied for first on FLA with 21 takeaways.
- Owen Tippett has recorded goals in each of his last two games for the first time in his career. He registered the game-winning goal on March 9 at CBJ. He is the third FLA rookie this season to have scored a GWG.
- Noel Acciari has produced five points over his last four games (3-2-5). He leads all FLA forwards in blocked shots (23) and is tied for first among FLA forwards in hits (41).
- MacKenzie Weegar enters tonight’s game on a three-game point streak (1-3-4). All 14 (2-12-14) of Weegar’s points this season have been recorded at even strength. Leading the Cats with 517:42 EV-TOI, Weegar’s 14 even-strength points lead all Panthers defensemen.
- Radko Gudas leads all NHL defensemen in hits (120) and leads FLA in plus/minus (+10).
- The Panthers are six goals shy of their 5,500th goal as an NHL franchise (currently 5,494).
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
– March 9: D Markus Nutivaara activated from IR, F Owen Tippett recalled from Taxi Squad
– March 8: D Riley Stillman recalled from Taxi Squad, F Grigori Denisenko, D Kevin Connauton loaned to Taxi Squad
FLA-CHI CONNECTIONS
- FLA forward Anthony Duclair played 23 games for CHI (2017-18), recording eight points (2-6-8).
- FLA defenseman Gustav Forsling played all 122 games of his NHL career for CHI (2016-17 to 2018-19), notching 27 points (8-19-27).
- FLA forward Vinnie Hinostroza is a native of Chicago, Ill., and was selected by CHI in the sixth round (169th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He played 106 games for CHI (2015-16 to 2017-18), posting 39 points (13-26-39).
- FLA Head Coach Joel Quenneville served as Head Coach of CHI for 11 seasons (2008-09 to 2018-19), winning the Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013 and 2015) and owning a 452-249-96 regular season coaching record.
- FLA Assistant Coach Andrew Brunette played 78 games for CHI (2011-12), recording 27 points (12-15-27).
- FLA Assistant Coach Ulf Samuelsson served as an Assistant Coach for CHI for two seasons (2017-18 to 2018-19).
- FLA Senior Advisor to the General Manager Rick Dudley served five seasons (2004-05 to 2008-09) for CHI as Director of Player Personnel and Assistant General Manager .
- FLA Director of Player Personnel Bryan McCabe played 79 games for CHI (1999-00), posting 25 points (6-19-25).
- FLA Chief Commercial Officer Shawn Thornton played 31 games for CHI (2002-03 to 2005-06), recording three points (2-1-3) and 70 PIM.
- FLA Goaltending Coach Robb Tallas appeared in 12 games for CHI (2000-01), posting a 2-7-0 record.
- FLA Director of Hockey Operations & Salary Cap Management Braden Birch was originally selected by CHI in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft.
- CHI defenseman Connor Murphy’s father Gord Murphy played six seasons for FLA (1993-94 to 1998-99), posting 142 points (42-100-142) over 410 games and served as an assistant coach for four seasons (2010-11 to 2013-14).
- CHI forward Brandon Pirri appeared in 122 games for FLA over three seasons (2013-14 to 2015-16), amassing 62 points (40-22-62).
- CHI forward Lucas Wallmark played seven games for FLA (2019-20), posting two points (1-1-2).
CHASING FRANCHISE HISTORY
| Franchise Goals | Franchise Assists | Franchise Points |
| 1. Olli Jokinen (188) | 1. Jonathan Huberdeau (311) | 1. Jonathan Huberdeau (469) |
| 2. Aleksander Barkov (164) | 2. Aleksander Barkov (271) | 2. Aleksander Barkov (435) |
| 3. Jonathan Huberdeau (158) | 3. Stephen Weiss (249) | 3. Olli Jokinen (419) |
| 4. Scott Mellanby (157) | 4. Olli Jokinen (231) | 4. Stephen Weiss (394) |
| 5. Pavel Bure (152) | 5. Robert Svehla (229) | 5. Scott Mellanby (354) |
PANTHERS LEADERS
Games Played: 10 Players (26)
Goals: Hornqvist (11)
Assists: Huberdeau (22)
Points: Huberdeau (32)
Power-Play Goals: Hornqvist (6)
Power-Play Points: Huberdeau (14)
Shorthanded Goals: –
Shorthanded Points: –
Shots: Barkov (90)
PIM: Yandle (26)
+/-: Gudas/Verhaeghe (+10)
Faceoff Win % (Min. 100 faceoffs): Barkov (52.3)
Blocked Shots: Weegar (34)
Hits: Gudas (120)
TOI/GP: Ekblad (25:18)
PP TOI/GP: Yandle (3:59)
SH TOI/GP: Acciari (2:42)
Wins: Bobrovsky (10)
Shutouts: –
ACTIVE STREAKS
Goal Streak Hornqvist (2 Goals, 2 Games), Tippett (2 Goals, 2 Games)
Assist Streak Huberdeau (5 Games, 6 Assists), Weegar (2 Games, 3 Assists), Ekblad (2 Games, 2 Assists), Forsling (2 Games, 2 Assists)
Point Streak Huberdeau (5 Games, 2-6-8), Weegar (3 Games, 1-3-4), Hornqvist (2 Games, 2-0-2), Tippet (2 Games, 2-0-2), Verhaeghe (2 Games, 1-1-2), Ekblad (2 Games, 0-2-2), Forsling (2 Games, 0-2-2)
TONIGHT AT BB&T CENTER
- Tonight, in a pregame ceremony the Panthers will honor Keith Yandle for reaching his 1,000th NHL game on March 7 at CAR. Upon reaching his 1,000th NHL game, Yandle became the 12th player in history to play their 1,000th NHL game with the Panthers. Every fan in attendance at tonight’s game at BB&T Center will receive a Keith Yandle 1,000 NHL Games poster upon egress.
- Tonight is a Reverse Retro Saturday at BB&T Center. The Panthers will wear their adidas Reverse Retro jerseys six times this season. The team’s crest is featured front and center, while palm tree graphics on the shoulders and pointed sleeve stripes add considerable design details that nod to the South Florida region. The ’96 on the collar honors the Florida Panthers 1996 team who reached the Stanley Cup Final in only their third season in the National Hockey League. Fans can purchase these jerseys by visiting FLATeamShop.com.
- Tonight, fans will be able to give back to the Florida Panthers Foundation through the 50/50 raffle. Fans at BB&T Center can purchase 50/50 raffle tickets at select kiosks throughout the arena or online for fans who are within a 75-mile radius of the game at FlaPanthers5050.com and in the Florida Panthers mobile application. Ticket prices include: 5 for $10, 20 for $20, 80 for $40 and 300 for $100. For tonight’s 50/50 fans can purchase the ‘Keith Yandle 50/50 Special’ which includes 333 raffle tickets for $100.
- Contactless, Mobile Food Ordering is now available for all games at BB&T Center. The Florida Panthers are offering fans safe and convenient purchasing experiences while at the BB&T Center, enabling mobile ordering through the NHL league-wide 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.
- The BB&T Center is the first National Hockey League Building to Achieve Well Health-Safety Certification. The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment now and into the future. The Florida Panthers & BB&T Center guests can expect:
- WELL Certified and improved cleaning procedures throughout the building
- Routine maintenance and improved air filtration through arena
- Emergency response plan and protocols
- Robust safety plans for employee health and wellness
PANTHERS COMMUNITY HEROES
- City Furniture Military Hero: Craig Halsey
Tonight’s Hero Among Us is US Army Lieutenant Colonel Craig Halsey. Craig has served in the US Army since 1999 for a total of 22 years. His deployment locations include Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Craig has been awarded 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Air Medals, and 5 Meritorious Service Medals.
- BB&T (Now Truist) Territory Teammate: John Mandile
GREAT MOMENTS IN PANTHERS HISTORY
March 15, 2018: Aleksander Barkov recorded an assist for his 70th point of the season in a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins at home. He became the first Panthers skater to reach that mark since Olli Jokinen in 2007-2008.
