Panthers Pregamer 3.4.21 at NSH

MARCH 4, 2021 at NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Bridgestone Arena | 8 P.M.
Television: Fox Sports Florida

Radio: 560 WQAM| 850 WFTL | 100.3 WCTH | 107.9/1370 WZTA | SIRIUSXM STREAMING 932

PANTHERS vs. PREDATORS

ALL-TIME vs. NSH: 16-9-3-6

ALL-TIME ROAD at NSH: 6-6-2-2

2020-21 vs. NSH: 1-0-1

LAST ROAD WIN vs. NSH: Oct. 19, 2019 (3-2 W – Shootout)

TEAM STATS

	FLORIDA (13-4-4)	NASHVILLE (10-12-0)
GOALS FOR	66 (T-11^th)	50 (27^th)
GOALS AGAINST	58 (T-18th)	68 (T-9^th)
POWER PLAY %	25.0 (T-10^th)	18.7 (19^th)
PENALTY KILL %	77.1 (19^th)	71.2 (29^th)
SHOTS FOR PER-GAME	34.5 (1^st)	32.2 (5^th)
SHOTS AGAINST PER-GAME	30.7 (13^th)	29.1 (23^rd)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %	53.5 (5^th)	53.6 (4^th)
FACEOFF WIN %	48.7 (T-21^st)	52.0 (11^th)

CATS STATS

Florida has overcome a deficit in the third period of each of their last three games and has overcome a multi-goal deficit in the third period in two of their last three games. In each of Florida’s last three third periods, the club has scored at least two goals.
Frank Vatrano has scored in three consecutive third periods. Patric Hornqvist has scored three third period game-tying goals this season and the Cats have come back to tie a game in the third period six times this season.
Over Florida’s last eight games (Feb. 17-March 1), the club has accumulated a league-leading 322 shots on goal. In that span, Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist have each logged a team-leading 32 shots. Through the eight games, the Panthers have averaged a league-best 40.3 shots per game. Florida has posted at least 40 shots in three of their last five contests.
Florida owns a 6-1-1 record on the road this season, registering a 3-1-0 record over their most recent road trip (Feb. 15-Feb. 20). On the opposition’s ice this season, the Panthers have logged a 93.1 PK%. Aleksander Barkov (4-6-10) and Jonathan Huberdeau (3-7-10) lead the Cats in road scoring, while Barkov and Patric Hornqvist have tallied a team-best four goals on the road this season.
Over FLA’s last 15 games (Feb. 4 – March 1), the club has posted a league-best 127 takeaways. In that span, Eetu Luostarinen ranks second in the NHL for takeaways (16).
Florida posted an 8-4-2 record in February, ranking third in the NHL for the month. Florida’s eight February wins marked the fifth time in franchise history that the club has recorded at least eight wins in the month. The Cats’ 18 points in February tied for the most points accumulated by the club in the month in Panthers history.
Aleksander Barkov registered an assist in his 500th NHL game on March 1 vs. CAR. He is the 11th player in franchise history to have played 500 games in a Panthers uniform. Barkov enters tonight’s game with 11 points (4-7-11) over his last nine games, including points in each of his last three games (1-2-3).
Jonathan Huberdeau has amassed eight points (4-4-8) over his last nine games. Huberdeau leads the Cats in points (24), assists (16) and power-play points (10), while tied for the team lead in even-strength points (14). Huberdeau recorded his first career hat trick and posted five points (3-2-5) on Feb. 4 vs. NSH.
Aaron Ekblad leads the Panthers with 529:47 total TOI. The two-time NHL All-Star ranks tied for second on the club with three power-play goals and is tied with Robert Svehla (26) for the most power-play goals by a defenseman in franchise history. The 25-year-old blueliner has scored six goals this season, leading all Panthers defensemen.
Frank Vatrano enters tonight’s game on a three-game goal streak, scoring a goal in each of Florida’s last three third periods. He scored a game-winning goal on Feb. 25 vs. DAL, a game-tying goal on Feb. 27 vs. CAR and another game-tying marker on March 1 vs. CAR. Vatrano has posted four points (3- 1-4) over his last six games. Vatrano is tied for the team lead in goals scored at even strength (7) this season.
Eetu Luostarinen has registered two points (1-1-2) over his last three games. The 22-year-old ranks second on the Cats in takeaways (18) and logged seven takeaways over his last four games. All three of Luostarinen’s goals this season have been scored in the third period. Mason Marchment enters tonight’s game with a career-high three-game assist streak (0-3-3).
Sergei Bobrovsky owns a 6-2-2 record and 4-1-2 home record. Bobrovsky has made at least 30 saves in each of his last two starts, including a season-high 37 save performance on Feb. 25 vs. DAL. The native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, owns a .926 even strength save percentage over his last five starts.
The owner of the third-longest “Ironman” streak in NHL history (887), Keith Yandle is three games away from reaching his 1,000th NHL game. Upon playing his 1,000th game, Yandle will become the fifth member of the 2005 NHL Draft class to reach 1,000 games and only the second defenseman.
Radko Gudas leads the Panthers with 105 total hits. Gudas is expected to play in his 500th NHL game tonight.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

– March 1: F Owen Tippett, D Riley Stillman recalled from FLA Taxi Squad, F Brett Connolly loaned to FLA Taxi Squad, F Noel Acciari activated from IR, F Anthony Duclair and D Noah Juulsen placed on IR, F Logan Hutsko agreed to terms on a 2-year entry-level contract (starting 2021-22).
– Feb. 25: F Mason Marchment, D Kevin Connauton recalled from FLA Taxi Squad, F Owen Tippett loaned to FLA Taxi Squad, F Grigori Denisenko reassigned from SYR (AHL) to FLA Taxi Squad, D Markus Nutivaara placed on IR.

FLA-NSH CONNECTIONS

FLA forward Patric Hornqvist was selected by the Predators in the seventh round (230th overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft. He played 363 games for Nashville (2008-09 to 2013-14), recording 216 points (106-110-216). Hornqvist also played in 24 playoff games with the Predators (2009-10 to 2011-12), notching eight points (3-5-8).
NSH forward Erik Haula played seven regular season games and four playoff games for FLA (2019-20), producing two assists in the regular season and one goal in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
NSH forward Rocco Grimaldi was selected by the Panthers in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft. He played 27 games for Florida (2014-15 to 2015-16), recording six points (4-2-6). He also played two playoff games for the Panthers in 2015-16.
FLA Special Advisor to the General Manager Roberto Luongo and NSH forward Matt Duchene played together for Team Canada at the 2014 Olympics Games in Sochi, Russia, earning Gold Medals.
FLA forward Aleksander Barkov and NSH forward Mikael Granlund were teammates on Team Finland at the 2014 Olympics, earning Bronze medals. Barkov, Haula, and Granlund and NSH goaltender Pekka Rinne were also teammates at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
FLA defenseman Anton Stralman, FLA forward Patric Hornqvist, NSH defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and NSH forward Filip Forsberg were teammates on Team Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
FLA defenseman Aaron Ekblad and NSH forward Matt Duchene were teammates on Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championships, earning Gold Medals.
FLA forward Brett Connolly, NSH forward Ryan Johansen, and NSH defenseman Ryan Ellis were teammates on Team Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships, earning Silver Medals.
FLA defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and NSH defenseman Mark Borowiecki share the hometown of Ottawa, Ontario.
FLA defenseman Markus Nutivaara and NSH forward Mikael Granlund share the hometown of Oulu, Finland.
NSH defenseman Matt Benning is the older brother of FLA prospect Michael Benning.
FLA Senior Advisor to the General Manager Paul Fenton spent 20 years with the Predators organization, serving as Director of Player Personnel (1998-99 to 2005-06), Assistant General Manager (2006-07 to 2017-18), and General Manager of the Milwaukee Admirals (2013-14 to 2017-18).
FLA Assistant to the General Manager Blake Geoffrion was raised in Nashville and was selected by the Predators in the second round (56th overall) of the 2006 NHL Draft. He played 42 games for the Predators (2010-11 to 2011-12), producing 11 points (6-5-11).
FLA Director of European Amateur Scouting Jari Kekalainen’solder brother Janne has served as a scout for Nashville since 1999-00.
FLA Assistant Coach Andrew Brunette played 77 games for Nashville (1998-99), registering 31 points (11-20-31).

CHASING FRANCHISE HISTORY

Franchise Goals	Franchise Assists	Franchise Points
1. Olli Jokinen (188)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (305)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (461)
2. Aleksander Barkov (163)	2. Aleksander Barkov (266)	2. Aleksander Barkov (429)
3. Scott Mellanby (157)	3. Stephen Weiss (249)	3. Olli Jokinen (419)
4. Jonathan Huberdeau (156)	4. Olli Jokinen (231)	4. Stephen Weiss (394)
5. Pavel Bure (152)	5. Robert Svehla (229)	5. Scott Mellanby (354)