Panthers Pregamer 5.1.21 at CHI

MAY 1, 2021 at CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

ALL-TIME vs. CHI: 18-20-3-7

ALL-TIME ROAD vs. CHI: 8-11-2-3

	FLORIDA (33-14-5)	CHICAGO (22-22-6)
GOALS FOR	169 (T-3^rd most)	140 (T-15^th most)
GOALS AGAINST	142 (18^thfewest)	160 (24^th fewest)
POWER PLAY %	21.3 (T-12^th)	22.2 (9^th)
PENALTY KILL %	79.6 (T-15^th)	76.4 (27^th)
SHOTS FOR PER-GAME	34.7 (1^st)	29.6 (T-17^th most)
SHOTS AGAINST PER-GAME	30.0 (16^thfewest)	33.1 (29^th fewest)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %	53.2 (T-5^th)	47.1 (26^th)
FACEOFF WIN %	50.3 (14^th)	46.8 (28^th)

CATS STATS

The Panthers will play their final road game of the regular season tonight at CHI. Aleksander Barkov has produced a team-leading nine points (3-6-9) through the seven contests this season against CHI. Barkov owns a 62.9 faceoff win percentage vs. CHI this season. On the road this season, Barkov leads the team in goals (11), while Jonathan Huberdeau has produced a team-best 32 road points. Huberdeau’s 32 road points rank fourth in the NHL. Florida’s 16 road wins are tied for third in the NHL and their 89 goals scored on the road rank second in the NHL. The Panthers stand at fourth in the NHL for road PP% (26.6) and have scored four times on the power play over their last two road games (4/9 – 44.4).
Aleksander Barkov has produced 11 goals and 15 points (11-4-15) over his last 15 games and eight points (6-2-8) over his last eight games. Barkov has scored six goals over his last six games. In the month of April, Barkov’s 11 goals ranks tied for third in the NHL. With his fifth three-point performance of the season on April 27 at NSH, Barkov reached the 50-point mark for the sixth consecutive season, making him the only Panther in franchise history to reach 50 points in six consecutive seasons. His power-play goal on April 27 at NSH marked his 49th career power play goal, passing Stephen Weiss (48) for the third-most power-play tallies in franchise history.
With his two-goal game on April 22 vs. CAR, Barkov became the first Panthers player to reach the 20-goal mark this season. Barkov has registered at least 20 goals in six consecutive seasons, a franchise record. The 25-year-old native of Tampere, Finland, leads FLA in goals (24), even-strength goals (17) and shots on goal (166), while ranking second on the club in points (52), assists (28-T), even-strength points (34) and third in takeaways (35). Barkov owns a team-best 54.1 faceoff win percentage while averaging 21:19 TOI per game, the most among all FLA forwards.
Jonathan Huberdeau enters tonight’s game with 16 points (4-12-16) over his last 10 games, while owning a league-high +14 rating in that span. Huberdeau matched his career-high for points in a game with a five-point performance (2-3-5) on April 27 at NSH. He is the only player in franchise history to have registered two five-point games with the Panthers.
Huberdeau ranks first on FLA in points (58), assists (40), power-play points (23) and even-strength points (35). The second Central Division player this season to reach the 50-point mark, Huberdeau is three points shy of his fourth career season with at least 60 points. Florida’s franchise leader in assists (329) and points (495) is five points away from becoming the first Panthers player in franchise history to record 500 points for the club.
Anthony Duclair enters tonight’s game with 14 points (5-9-14) over his last 12 games played. Duclair has notched 12 points (4-8-12) through his last 10 games since he returned to the lineup from injury on April 13 at DAL. Over Duclair’s last 12 games, he owns a +15 rating, and has registered 12 of his 14 points at even-strength. He tallied his first power-play goal with FLA on April 27 at NSH. Duclair currently owns a four-game point streak (2-2-4) and two-game goal streak. The native of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, owns a career-best +22 rating this season, the third-highest on FLA. With his 20th assist of the season on April 26 at NSH, Duclair reached the 20-assist mark in a season for the second time in his NHL career.
Since his debut with FLA on April 17, Sam Bennett has amassed 11 points (5-6-11) in eight games, scoring five goals over his last seven games played. His 11 points since joining the Cats ranks fifth in the NHL. He tallied his first career OT goal to earn the win for FLA on April 29 at CHI, marking his fourth consecutive game with a point (2-4-6). Acquired from CGY on April 12, Bennett has recorded points in 11 of his last 12 total games played, amassing 16 points over that span (5-11-16). Bennett’s OT goal marked his fifth tally as a Panther surpassing his goal total with CGY from this season (4) and placing him one point shy of matching his point total before the trade (4-8-12 in 38 GP). With a three-assist performance on April 27 at NSH, Bennett matched his career-high for assists in a game.
MacKenzie Weegar has produced six points (1-5-6) over his last four games. Over the four-game span, Weegar has produced points at even-strength, on the power play, shorthanded and in OT. With a career-high four-point game (1-3-4) on April 24 vs. CAR, Weegar tied the franchise record for points by a defenseman in a game. Of the seven FLA defensemen to have ever recorded four points in a game, Weegar is the only one who posted a shorthanded point.
Weegar ranks first among NHL defensemen in even-strength points (28) and tied for first in takeaways (37). His +23 rating ranks tied for first on FLA and tied for fifth among NHL defensemen. He leads FLA in blocked shots (73) and ranks second on the club in hits (110). Weegar’s career-high 32 points and 28 assists lead all FLA defensemen. His 28 assists rank tied for second on FLA.
Frank Vatrano scored his team-best and career-high seventh game-winning goal of the season on April 27 at NSH. His goal was also his 10th third period tally of the season, tied for the fourth-most in the NHL. Vatrano ranks tied for fourth in the League in game-winning goals (7). His seven game-winners are the most in a season on FLA since Aleksander Barkov‘s eight GWGs in 2015-16. Vatrano stands at second on FLA in goals (18-T) and even-strength goals (16).
Sergei Bobrovsky is five 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.
Spencer Knight has earned wins in each of his three appearances this season, owning a .943 save percentage and 1.67 goals against average. The 20-year-old is the second-youngest goaltender in NHL history (20 yrs, 10 days), to win in each of his first three games of his career behind only Bill Ranford (19 yrs, 110 days, 1985-86). The first goaltender born in the 2000s to play an NHL game, Knight is the first Panthers goaltender to have posted a win in his NHL debut (April 20 vs. CBJ) and also set a new franchise record for the youngest goaltender to earn a win for the Panthers (20 years, 1 day), surpassing Roberto Luongo‘s first win with the franchise on Nov. 25, 2000 (21 yrs, 235 days).
Over their last 10 games, the Panthers have scored 12 goals in the first period, the second-most in the NHL since April 13. Through that span, Aleksander Barkov has scored a team-leading four times in the first period.
The Panthers have totaled 134 shots over their last three games, tying their franchise record for shots in a game (55) on April 27 at NSH. Over that span, Owen Tippett (17) and Sam Bennett (16) lead the Cats in shots on goal.
Florida is the first team in the Central Division to have two 50-point scorers on their roster: Jonathan Huberdeau (18-40-58) and Aleksander Barkov (24-28-52).
Radko Gudas leads the NHL in hits (223), averaging 4.46 hits per game.
Alex Wennberg has posted four points (2-2-4) over his last four games.
Markus Nutivaara has notched two assists over his last three games.
Florida owns a 7-2-1 record over their last 10 games.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
– April 28: D Brady Keeper, G Sam Montembeault reassigned from SYR (AHL) to Taxi Squad

– April 27: F Grigori Denisenko, F Aleksi Heponiemi recalled from Taxi Squad to active roster

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 122 games for CHI (2016-17 to 2018-19), notching 27 points (8-19-27).
FLA forward Lucas Wallmark played 16 games for CHI (2020-21), recording three assists.
CHI forward Riley Stillman was selected by FLA in the fourth round (114^th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He played 43 games (2018-19 to 2020-21) for FLA, recording five assists. Riley’s father Cory Stillman played 165 games for FLA (2008-09 to 2010-11), producing 109 points (39-70-109).
CHI forward Brett Connolly played 90 games for FLA (2019-20 to 2020-21), registering 37 points (21-16-37).
CHI forward Vinnie Hinostroza played nine games for FLA (2020-21).
FLA defenseman Keith Yandle and CHI defenseman Connor Murphy were teammates on ARI (2014-15).
FLA forward Mason Marchment and CHI forwards Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat were teammates on the Eerie Otters (2014-15).
FLA goaltender Spencer Knight and CHI forward Mike Hardman were teammates at Boston College (2019-20 to 2020-21).
FLA forward Aleksander Barkov and CHI goaltender Kevin Lankinen were teammates on Finland’s National U16 Team (2010-11).
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 Head Coach Joel Quenneville and CHI Assistant Coach Marc Crawford won the 1996 Stanley Cup together on the coaching staff of COL. Quenneville served as an assistant coach under Crawford.
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 Development Coach Brian Campbell played 376 games for FLA (2011-12 to 2015-16), amassing 175 points (28-147-175). He also played in 13 Stanley Cup playoff games for FLA (2011-12 and 2015-16), registering six points (1-5-6).
FLA forward Mason Marchment’s father Bryan Marchment played 149 games for CHI (1991-92 to 1993-94), producing 40 points (11-29-40).
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).

CHASING FRANCHISE HISTORY

Franchise Goals	Franchise Assists	Franchise Points
1. Olli Jokinen (188)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (329)	1. Jonathan Huberdeau (495)
2. Aleksander Barkov (179)	2. Aleksander Barkov (280)	2. Aleksander Barkov (459)
3. Jonathan Huberdeau (166)	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)