The Florida Panthers are back on the road tonight, heading to Enterprise Center for a quick stop against the struggling St. Louis Blues. It’s a one-off trip, but it comes at a pivotal time for a Panthers squad trying to claw its way back into the playoff picture.
Florida’s recent form has been a mixed bag. They just wrapped up a successful three-game road swing, only to stumble at home in a 4-3 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday. That one stung a bit more than usual, as it came at the hands of their former backup goaltender, Vitek Vanecek, who turned in a solid performance against his old squad.
There were still some bright spots in the loss. Sandis Vilmanis notched his first NHL goal-a milestone moment for the young forward.
Cole Schwindt also found the back of the net, and Carter Verhaeghe added a late tally to keep his point streak alive at three games. Verhaeghe continues to be one of the more consistent producers for this team, and his ability to generate offense in key moments is something the Panthers will need down the stretch.
Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky got the start but couldn’t quite hold it down, stopping 16 of 19 shots. It wasn’t a heavy workload by any means, but the Mammoth made their chances count. With the Panthers sitting six points out of a playoff spot, every game-and every save-starts to feel a little heavier.
On the other side, the Blues are in a tough spot. They’ve dropped five straight (0-4-1) and are coming off a heartbreaker of their own.
St. Louis mounted an impressive third-period comeback against the Dallas Stars, erasing a three-goal deficit with goals from Brayden Schenn (who had two) and Robby Fabbri.
But just when it looked like they might force overtime, Thomas Harley buried the game-winner with just over a minute left in regulation.
That kind of loss can linger, especially for a team already in the midst of a skid. The Blues haven’t been able to find their rhythm lately, and defensive lapses have been costly. Still, their third-period push against Dallas showed there’s no quit in this group.
For Florida, the mission tonight is simple: take care of business against a team that’s reeling. The Panthers can’t afford to let points slip away-not with the playoff race tightening and the margin for error shrinking. Expect a focused effort from a team that knows exactly what’s at stake.