Panthers Pregamer 4.15.21 at TBL

APRIL 15, 2021 at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

ALL-TIME vs. TBL: 68-48-10-16

ALL-TIME ROAD vs. TBL: 28-32-6-6

2020-21 vs. TBL: 2-2-0

TEAM STATS

	FLORIDA (27-12-4)	TAMPA BAY (28-12-2)
GOALS FOR	135 (T-8^th most)	142 (T-4^th most)
GOALS AGAINST	115 (13^thfewest)	107 (7^th fewest)
POWER PLAY %	22.1 (12^th)	25.2 (5^th)
PENALTY KILL %	80.2 (15^th)	82.7 (T-8^th)
SHOTS FOR PER-GAME	33.9 (2^ndmost)	30.4 (9^th most)
SHOTS AGAINST PER-GAME	30.4 (16^thfewest)	28.3 (T-6^th fewest)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %	52.0 (T-8^th)	52.3 (T-6^th)
FACEOFF WIN %	49.9 (T-16^th)	50.0 (15^th)

CATS STATS

The Panthers and Lightning have split the 2020-21 season series with each team earning two wins over four matchups. Over the four games, Aleksander Barkov has produced a team-leading five points (1-4-5), while Frank Vatrano leads the club with three goals.
Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov has produced five goals and seven points (5-2-7) over his last six games since returning from injury. Since returning to the lineup for Florida on April 3 vs. CBJ, Barkov owns a 57.6 faceoff win percentage. The 25-year-old native of Tampere, Finland, leads Florida in points (44), goals (18) and shots on goal (133), while ranking second on FLA in assists (26), even-strength goals (13) and even-strength points (30).
Barkov owns a team-best 54.0 faceoff win percentage and 59.2 5v5 shot attempt percentage, while averaging 21:17 TOI per game, the most among all FLA forwards. He is two goals shy of his sixth consecutive season with at least 20 goals.
Jonathan Huberdeau ranks second on FLA in points (43), while ranking first on the club in assists (29) and power-play points (18). Florida’s franchise leader in assists (318) and points (480) has played the third-most games in a Panthers uniform in franchise history. He has produced 34 points (11-23-34) over 35 career games vs. TBL, the most he has produced against a single team in his career.
After missing six games due to injury, Anthony Duclair notched an assist in his return to the lineup on April 13 at DAL. Duclair has notched 17 points (4- 13-17) through 30 games with the Panthers. His +10 rating ranks fourth on FLA.
Frank Vatrano has produced six points (4-2-6) over his last seven games. The 27-year-old native of East Longmeadow, Mass., registered his third OT game-winning goal of the season on April 13 at DAL, joining Olli Jokinen (4 – 2005-06, 3 – 2003-04) and Mike Hoffman (3 – 2018-19) as the only Panthers players to notch at least three OT-winners in a single season in club history. Vatrano leads the Cats with five game-winning goals this season. His 12 even-strength tallies ranks tied for second on FLA, while tied for third on the club in goals (14).
MacKenzie Weegar enters tonight’s game with five points (1-4-5) over his past six games. The native of Ottawa, Ontario, ranks tied for second among NHL defensemen this season in even-strength points (23) and ranks third in takeaways (28). His +19 rating ranks second on FLA and tied for third among all NHL defensemen, while leading FLA in blocked shots (57) and ranking second in hits (99). Weegar’s career-high 25 points and 22 assists lead all FLA defensemen.
Sergei Bobrovsky has posted a 10-5-1 record over his last 16 appearances. After being honored in a pregame ceremony on April 3 vs. CBJ for his 500th NHL game, Sergei Bobrovsky registered a season-high 44 saves for his third consecutive win. His 44 saves were the second-most he has recorded in a game in a Panthers uniform. He is seven wins shy of his 300th NHL win, joining Evgeni Nabokov (353) and Nikolai Khabibulin (333) as only the third Russian-born goaltender to earn 300 wins in the NHL.
The Panthers acquired forward Sam Bennett from CGY on April 12. The 24-year-old native of Holland Landing, Ontario recorded 12 points (4-8-12) over 38 games this season, all at even strength, and he ranked third on CGY with 79 hits. Over his past six seasons with CGY, Bennett amassed a team-leading 678 hits and logged 169 blocked shots, the second-most by a CGY forward since 2015-16. Bennett produced a team-leading five goals and tied for the club lead in points (8) over 10 playoff games with CGY in 2020.
Acquired on April 10, Brandon Montour led all BUF defensemen in goals (5), even-strength points (11), shorthanded points (2), while leading the team in blocked shots (53) and total even-strength time on ice (704:51). Prior to his trade, Montour produced two points (1-1-2) over his last three games played.
Newly signed forward Nikita Gusev ranked second on NJD in points, recording 44 points (13-31-44) in 66 games during 2019-20, while leading the team in assists (31) and even-strength points (29). A four-time KHL All-Star and 2017 Gagarin Cup Champion, Gusev led the KHL in scoring during the 2018-19 season, posting 82 points (17-65-82) over 62 games. Named the KHL’s Most Valuable Player in 2017-18, Gusev led the league in assists over each of his last two seasons in Russia. The native of Moscow, Russia, captured a Gold Medal with the Olympic Athletes from Russia in 2018 and led the Olympics in scoring (4-8-12).
Since March 30, Gustav Forsling has logged 169:35 TOI, the second-most on the Panthers while leading the club in average SH-TOI (2:45). Forsling’s +8 rating on the season ranks second among FLA defensemen. His three goals are tied for his career-high in a season.
Patric Hornqvist leads FLA with seven power play goals and ranks fourth on the Panthers with 28 points (12-16-28). The two-time Stanley Cup Champion ranks second on Florida in shots (127), while ranking second among FLA forwards in hits (70). Hornqvist tied his season-high for hits in a game (6) on April 6 at CAR. He is two points shy of his eighth consecutive season with at least 30 points.
Radko Gudas leads all NHL defensemen in hits and ranks second in the league overall (190), averaging 4.52 hits per game and ranks second on FLA in blocked shots (55). He tallied his first goal with FLA on April 13 at DAL. The native of Prague, Czech Republic, is one assist shy of his 100th NHL assist.
The Cats have tallied at least one power play goal in each of their last two games.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
– April 14: D Brandon Montour, D Noah Juulsen activated to active roster
– April 13: F Sam Bennett, F Nikita Gusev added to active roster, F Anthony Duclair activated from IR, F Lucas Wallmark, G Spencer Knight

recalled from Taxi Squad, D Kevin Connauton loaned to Taxi Squad
– April 12: F Sam Bennett and 2022 6th round pick acquired from CGY in exchange for F Emil Heineman and a 2022 2nd round pick

– April 11: F Nikita Gusev signed to a 1-year contract

– April 10: D Brandon Montour acquired from BUF in exchange for 2021 3rd round pick, D Kevin Connauton recalled from Taxi Squad, D Brady Keeper

loaned to Taxi Squad
– April 8: D Brady Keeper, G Spencer Knight recalled from FLA Taxi Squad | D Lucas Carlsson, F Lucas Wallmark acquired from CHI in exchange for F Brett Connolly, D Riley Stillman, RFA rights F Henrik Borgstrom, 2021 7th round pick
– April 5: F Mason Marchment re-signed to a 1-year contract extension, D Vladislav Kolyachonok reassigned from Minsk (KHL) to Syracuse (AHL)

FLA-TBL CONNECTIONS

FLA defenseman Radko Gudas was selected by TBL in the third round (66th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. He played 126 games for TBL (2012-13 to 2014-15), producing 32 pts (7-25-32).
FLA defenseman Anton Stralman played 355 games for TBL (2014-15 to 2018-19), amassing 130 points (29-101-130). Stralman went to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final with TBL, recording 10 points (1-9-10) over 26 games during the 2014-15 Stanley Cup playoffs.
FLA forward Carter Verhaeghe played 52 games for TBL (2019-20), notching 13 points (9-4-13). He won the 2020 Stanley Cup with TBL, producing two assists over eight postseason games.
FLA goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (2013-14 to 2016-17), FLA forward Alex Wennberg (2014-15 to 2016-17) and FLA defenseman Markus Nutivaara (2016-17) were teammates with TBL goaltender Curtis McElhinney on CBJ.
FLA defenseman Anton Stralman was teammates with TBL defenseman Ryan McDonagh on NYR from 2011-12 to 2013-14, including an appearance in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
FLA goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was teammates with TBL goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and TBL forward Nikita Kucherov on Team Russia at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
FLA defenseman Brandon Montour was teammates with TBL forwards Anthony Cirelli and Mathieu Joseph on Team Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championships, earning Silver Medals.
FLA forward Nikita Gusev was teammates with TBL goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and TBL forward Nikita Kucherov on Team Russia at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships, earning Silver Medals.
TBL Head Coach Jon Cooper served as Assistant Coach on Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey which included FLA defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
FLA defenseman Anton Stralman and TBL defenseman Victor Hedman were teammates on Team Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Championships, earning Gold Medals.
FLA forward Anthony Duclair and TBL forward Brayden Point were teammates on Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships, earning Gold Medals.
FLA forward Carter Verhaeghe and TBL forward Gemel Smith share the hometown of Toronto, Ontario.
FLA forward Owen Tippett and TBL forward Mitchell Stephens are cousins and share the hometown of Peterborough, Ontario.
FLA forward Alex Wennberg and TBL defenseman Andreas Borgman share the hometown of Stockholm, Sweden.
FLA Senior Advisor to the General Manager Rick Dudley served as General Manager of TBL from 1999-00 to 2001-02.

CHASING FRANCHISE HISTORY

Franchise Goals	Franchise Assists	Franchise Points
1. Olli Jokinen (188)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (318)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (480)
2. Aleksander Barkov (173)	2. Aleksander Barkov (278)	2. Aleksander Barkov (451)
3. Jonathan Huberdeau (162)	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)