The Florida Panthers are rolling into Minnesota tonight with some momentum and a little bit of swagger. Fresh off a gritty 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets, the Cats are looking to keep their road trip trending in the right direction as they face a Wild team they haven’t seen since 2024.
Thursday’s win in Winnipeg wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the kind of grind-it-out performance Florida needed. Matthew Tkachuk, who’s been unusually quiet on the scoresheet this season, finally got on the board with a slick setup to Sam Bennett for a second-period one-timer. That’s a big development for the Panthers - Tkachuk is a tone-setter, and if he’s heating up, that could be a game-changer for a team still clawing at the playoff picture.
In net, Daniil Tarasov was solid, stopping 17 shots to keep things tight and give Florida a chance to win it in the shootout. And that’s exactly what they did - Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart made quick work of Connor Hellebuyck, burying their chances and sealing two crucial points. With that win, the Panthers stay within striking distance of a playoff spot, sitting just five points back.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is coming off an overtime thriller of their own. The Wild edged the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Thursday thanks to a clutch performance from Kirill Kaprizov, who found the back of the net twice - including the game-winner in OT. He’s been electric all season, and when he’s on, Minnesota becomes a very tough out.
Filip Gustavsson was busy in net, turning away 30 of 33 shots, while Mats Zuccarello chipped in with a pair of goals himself. That kind of veteran production is exactly why the Wild are sitting comfortably in second place in the Central Division.
So tonight’s matchup at Grand Casino Arena has some serious intrigue. Florida’s fighting to stay in the hunt, trying to build on a gutsy win and get their big guns going. Minnesota, on the other hand, is looking to keep pace near the top of the division and ride the hot hands of Kaprizov and Zuccarello.
Two teams with very different stakes - one chasing, one defending - but both coming in with momentum. Should be a good one.