SUNRISE, Fla. --With a chance to extend their franchise-record winning streak to start the season to six games, the Panthers will welcome the Coyotes to FLA Live Arena on Monday.
Sitting in first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 5-0-0, the red-hot Panthers have scored a franchise-record 22 goals through their first five games while surrendering just nine, giving them a league-best +13 goal differential.
PREVIEW: Focused on 'Next Task,' Streaking Panthers Host Coyotes
"It's really important that we got off to a good start and that we were able to show our stuff against great teams, but it's going to get harder and harder as we go," Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "We're looking at the next task at hand, which is the Coyotes tonight."
In their most recent outing, Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice -- including netting the go-ahead goal while shorthanded in the third period -- and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 of 29 shots to lift the Panthers to a hard-fought 4-2 victory in a tough road contest against the Flyers on Saturday.
Trailing 2-1 after almost 40 minutes in Philadelphia, Ekblad said the Panthers never panicked.
"I think you'll notice in games that we're never too frustrated or stressed out," Ekblad said. "If we're down 2-1 or whatever, we have to go out and continue to play and try to tie it up. We've done a good job of just keeping it even-keeled. The next task at hand is the most important."
In addition to keeping their cool, game in and game out, when they're on the ice, the Panthers have also done a great job this season of building early cushions. Outscoring the opposition 4-1 in the first period, they've registered the first goal in all five games that they've played thus far.
When asked about this trend, Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said it starts from in net.
"I think we've been doing things the right way early in games," he said. "For the most part, we've been pretty consistent in our team game, and our possession game has been where we want it to be. The goaltending has probably been the biggest reason why the starts have been good."
The numbers certainly back up that claim.
Leading the way, Bobrovsky has gone 4-0-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .942 save percentage, while rookie Spencer Knight, who will man the crease against the Coyotes tonight, turned aside 30 of 31 shots in a 4-1 victory at Tampa Bay in his only start thus far on Oct. 19. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, Florida sits second in the NHL with a .965 save percentage at 5-on-5.
"Consistent. Perfect. So Good," said Ekblad, listing off a slew of positive adjectives to describe the goaltending tandem. "They've been great. They're making the huge saves. They're making the easy saves. They're making every save possible. It's fun to watch and fun to be a part of."
Complimenting that outstanding goaltending with a balanced attack up front, the Panthers have 13 players that have recorded multiple points already this season. Huberdeau, who has led the team in scoring each of the previous two seasons, ranks first with six points, while Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell and Ekblad have all produced five points.
Dealing with an upper-body injury, Lundell is expected to sit out tonight's game.
Still in search of their first win of the season, the Coyotes have stumbled out of the gate while posting a 0-4-1 record. Struggling at both ends of the ice, they've been outscored 24-8 in that span, with those eight goals currently standing as the fewest scored by any team in the league.
After losing 5-1 to the Oilers on Thursday, they were shut out by the Islanders 3-0 on Saturday.
Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said the team showed some progress against New York.
"It's one of those nights where we deserved something to show for it," he said afterward. "I believe it will balance out by the end of the season. I'm proud of the effort, proud of the focus."
Former Jr. Panther and Pembroke Pines native Shayne Gostisbehere leads Arizona in scoring with four points (all assists), while Clayton Keller (two goals, one assist) and Phil Kessel (three assists) are tied for second with three points apiece. After them, four players have two points.
Yet to announce a starting goalie as of this morning, Karel Vejmelka could get the nod in net as he's appeared in four of five games for the Coyotes thus far. In those contests, the 25-year-old has registered a 0-2-1 record behind a 2.88 goals-against average and .900 save percentage.
Despite their differing starts to the season, the Panthers know they can't sleep on the Coyotes.
"No matter who your opponent is you've got to be ready to play," Quenneville said. "You've got to be ready to be competitive and make sure you have respect for your opponent. These guys are trying to play fast. They've got some attack to their game, a simple game. Let's not change anything and be respectful in that regard that the other team is going to be ready to play."
PANTHERS NOTES
- Sam Reinhart has notched two goals and five assists in 10 career games against Arizona.
- Aleksander Barkov has tallied five goals and four assists in 11 career games against Arizona.
- Patric Hornqvist has scored 12 goals in 24 career games against the Coyotes.
- Aaron Ekblad has earned at least one point in four of the first five games this season, racking up two goals and three assists in that span. A contributor in all situations, he also leads the Panthers in plus/minus (+8), shots on goal (19) and average ice time per game (25:24).
- Radko Gudas leads the Panthers in hits (24); MacKenzie Weegar has the most blocks (11).
- Mason Marchment has recorded at point in all three games he's played in this season.
- Florida leads the NHL with eight different players that have scored at least two goals.
- Dating back to last season, the Panthers have won 11 straight regular-season games.
PANTHERS LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau - Sam Bennett - Owen Tippett
Mason Marchment - Eetu Luostarinen - Sam Reinhart
Frank Vatrano - Joe Thornton - Patric Hornqvist
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling - Radko Gudas
Kevin Connauton - Brandon Montour
Goaltenders
Spencer Knight
Sergei Bobrovsky
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
- Oct. 21: D Chase Priskie was recalled from Charlotte (AHL).
- Oct. 20: D Olli Juolevi was placed on IR.
- Oct. 18: D Matt Kiersted was loaned to Charlotte (AHL); D Kevin Connauton was activated off IR.
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HOW TO WATCH / LISTEN
When:Monday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: FLA Live Arena - Sunrise, FL
TV: Bally Sports Florida
Stream: Bally Sports App, ESPN+ (Out of Region)
Radio:560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); SiriusXM Channel 221 / App & Streaming 932
Tickets:
HERE
In-Arena Activations:
50/50 Raffle
