On Tuesday night, the Florida Panthers battled the Dallas Stars in what was the Panthers preseason home opener. Fans in attendance at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, were treated with observing players of the present and the “future” for both teams. Along with the skill on the ice, home fans were ecstatic about the outcome which saw Jonathan Huberdeau score two goals and the Panthers defeat the Stars by a score of 3-2.
Panthers Lineup
Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Jaromir Jagr
Lawson Crouse – Nick Bjugstad – Shane Harper
Greg McKegg – Rocco Grimaldi – Quinton Howden
Logan Shaw – Corban Knight – David Booth
Willie Mitchell – Erik Gudbranson
Brian Campbell – MacKenzie Weegar
Mike Matheson – Alex Petrovic
Roberto Luongo
Mike McKenna
Statistics
Florida
- Goals: Jonathan Huberdeau (2), Nick Bjugstad (1)
- Assists: Jaromir Jagr (2), Aleksander Barkov (1), Brian Campbell (1)
- Special Teams: Power Play (1 for 4); Penalty Kill (5 for 5)
- Shots On Goal (SOG): 35
- Saves: 22
Dallas
- Goals: Tyler Seguin (1), Jason Demers (1)
- Assists: John Klingberg (1), Jason Dickinson (1)
- Special Teams: Power Play (0 for 5); Penalty Kill (3 for 4)
- Shots On Goal (SOG): 24
- Saves: 32
The Rat Trick
- Mike Matheson, Lawson Crouse and Rocco Grimaldi are going to make it very difficult on the coaching staff to send them back to either juniors in Crouse’s case or to the AHL. All three of these youngsters looked like they belonged in the NHL. One thing this writer noticed is that all three of these players make their linemates play better. On the other side of the spectrum, Corban Knight and Logan Shaw were very forgettable. On another note, forward David Booth skated hard but did not seem to protect the puck which led to a few turnovers.
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Jaormir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov are like a never ending Christmas morning to me. Watching that line dominate for long stretches of time throughout the game is utterly amazing. I am not sure words can express the joy that as a fan of the Florida Panthers I experience when I watch these three players play. Also, a healthy and hard working Huberdeau makes a world of difference. He was very strong on the puck and seemed confident every time he stepped on the ice. It was the best I have seen him skate since his rookie season in 2012-13.
- The goalie depth situation on this team is starting to worry me a bit. Roberto Luongo was solid in making 15 saves during two periods of play. However, McKenna did not show any promise of making any NHL roster. The Panthers season may hinge on Luongo’s health as Al Montoya did not have a strong showing last season nor in his first preseason game. This is an issue that General Manager Dale Tallon needs to address quickly or else the team is one goaltender injury away from watching the team sink like the Titanic.
Coming Up Next
The Florida Panthers (2-1) will travel a few hours north to play the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Friday, September 25th. In the meantime, the team is scheduled for an off day on Wednesday but is expected to take the ice on Thursday, September 24th, for a on-ice practice session at the Panthers Ice Den in Coral Springs. As always, team practices are free and are open to the public.
Rats N' Pucks 