Panthers Pregamer 3.6.21 at NSH

MARCH 6, 2021 at NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Bridgestone Arena | 2 P.M. ET
Television: Fox Sports Florida | NHL Network

Radio: 560 WQAM| 640 WMEN | 100.3 WCTH | 107.9/1370 WZTA | SIRIUSXM STREAMING 932

PANTHERS vs. PREDATORS

ALL-TIME vs. NSH: 17-9-3-6

ALL-TIME ROAD at NSH: 7-6-2-2

STREAKS: FLA has won each of its last three road games at NSH

2020-21 vs. NSH: 2-0-1

LAST ROAD WIN at NSH: March 4, 2021 (5-4 W)

TEAM STATS

	FLORIDA (14-4-4)	NASHVILLE (10-13-0)
GOALS FOR	71 (T-10^th)	54 (T-26^th)
GOALS AGAINST	62 (T-17th)	73 (T-7^th)
POWER PLAY %	26.6 (6^th)	18.2 (21^st)
PENALTY KILL %	77.8 (19^th)	70.1 (29^th)
SHOTS FOR PER-GAME	34.7 (1^st)	32.3 (5^th)
SHOTS AGAINST PER-GAME	30.9 (12^th)	29.5 (20^th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %	53.3 (5^th)	53.5 (4^th)
FACEOFF WIN %	48.0 (T-23^rd)	52.8 (5^th)

CATS STATS

With a 5-4 win at NSH on March 4, Florida improved to its third consecutive road win at NSH, marking the longest win streak at Bridgestone Arena in franchise history. The Cats have won each of their last three visits to Nashville since Jan. 19, 2019. Through Florida’s season series with NSH, the Panthers own a 2-0-1 record. All three contests finished as one-goal games (6-5 OTL, 2-1 W, 5-4 W).
Jonathan Huberdeau (4-3-7) and Aleksander Barkov (2-5-7) lead the Cats in scoring vs. NSH this season.
Florida owns a 7-1-1 record on the road this season, registering a 4-1-0 record over their last five road games. Florida’s 7-1-1 road record marks their best road record through the club’s first nine road games in franchise history. On the opposition’s ice this season, the Panthers have logged a 93.6 PK% (29/31). Aleksander Barkov (4-9-13) and Jonathan Huberdeau (4-8-12) lead the Cats in road scoring.
The Panthers have five players who have scored four goals on the road this season (Barkov, Ekblad, Hornqvist, Huberdeau, Verhaeghe). FLA is one of only two teams (MTL) to have posted one regulation loss on the road this season.
Over Florida’s last nine games (Feb. 17-March 4), the club has accumulated a league-leading 360 shots on goal. In that span, Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist have each logged a team-leading 36 shots. Through the nine games, the Panthers have averaged a league-best 40 shots per game. Florida has posted at least 30 shots in each of their last nine contests and have reached at least 40 shots three times.
Florida has overcome a deficit in the third period in three of their last four games and have overcome a multi-goal deficit in the third period in two of their last four games.
Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov registered a season-high three assists on March 4 at NSH, extending his point streak to four games (1-5-6), the second four-game point streak of his season. The native of Tampere, Finland has registered 14 points (4-10-14) over his last 10 games. Owning the second-most points in franchise history, Barkov ranks second on the Panthers this season in points (25) and even-strength points (15), is tied for first in assists (17) and tied for second in power-play points (10).
Jonathan Huberdeau has amassed 10 points (5-5-10) over his last 10 games. Huberdeau leads the Cats in points (26) and power-play points (11), while tied for first on the club in assists (17). On March 4 at NSH, the native of Saint-Jerome, Quebec, recorded two points (1-1-2), including his 157th NHL goal, tying Scott Mellanby for the third-most goals in franchise history.
Aaron Ekblad recorded a career-high four points (2-2-4) on March 4 vs. NSH, becoming the sixth defenseman in franchise history to record four points in a game. Ekblad’s two goals in the game were both scored on the power play, making him the fifth defenseman in club history to score twice on the man advantage and the second to do so in a road game. His first PPG marked the 27th of his career, passing Robert Svehla (26) for the most powerplay goals by a Panthers defenseman all-time.
Ekblad leads the Panthers with 529:47 total TOI and leads the club’s defensemen in goals (8) and points (15). The Panthers own a 93.9 5v5 SV% with Ekblad on the ice, the highest percentage among Panthers defensemen who have played at least 10 games. Ekblad’s eight goals and five PPGs lead all NHL defensemen.
With 31 saves on March 4 vs. NSH, Sergei Bobrovsky improved to a 7-2-2 record. Bobrovsky has made at least 30 saves in each of his last three starts, including a season-high 37 save performance on Feb. 25 vs. DAL. The native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, owns a .929 even strength save percentage over his last three starts, owning a 2-0-1 record in that span.
Mason Marchment enters tonight’s game with a career-high four-game point streak (1-3-4). The 25-year-old scored his first NHL goal on March 4 at NSH.
Eetu Luostarinen has registered two points (1-1-2) over his last four games. The 22-year-old ranks second on the Cats in takeaways (18) and logged seven takeaways over his last five games.
The owner of the third-longest “Ironman” streak in NHL history (887), Keith Yandle is two 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 to do so.
Patric Hornqvist ranks tied for first on FLA in goals (9) and has produced 19 points (9-10-19) in 22 GP with FLA this season. The two-time Stanley Cup Champion has recorded four points (2-2-4) over his last four games.
The Panthers have logged a league-leading 423 hits over the club’s last 16 games (Feb. 4 – March 4). Over that 16-game span Radko Gudas has registered a league-leading 87 hits (in 15 GP). He leads the Panthers with 109 total hits.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

– March 2: F Owen Tippett loaned to Taxi Squad
– 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 (306)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (463)
2. Aleksander Barkov (163)	2. Aleksander Barkov (269)	2. Aleksander Barkov (432)
T-3. Scott Mellanby (157)	3. Stephen Weiss (249)	3. Olli Jokinen (419)
T-3. Jonathan Huberdeau (157)	4. Olli Jokinen (231)	4. Stephen Weiss (394)
5. Pavel Bure (152)	5. Robert Svehla (229)	5. Scott Mellanby (354)