The Florida Panthers are off tonight while they keep working toward Sunday’s matinee against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. After losing the first two games of the road trip, Florida sits at 5-4-2 and sixth in the Atlantic Division.
In Charlotte, the Checkers got a third-period winner from Gracyn Sawchyn 9:50 into the final frame and edged the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-2. It was Sawchyn’s first goal of the season.
Matvei Shuravin chipped in his first goal and an assist, Nate Smith also scored, and Brett Chorske picked up two assists. Riese Gaber, Jack Devine and Sam Lafferty each added one assist.
In net, Kirill Gerasimyuk turned aside 17 of 19 shots and moved to 3-0. The Checkers and Thunderbirds will meet again tonight at Bojangles Coliseum.
Plenty of Panthers prospects were in action elsewhere, too. Stepan Gorbunov logged two shots on goal, won 10 of 14 faceoffs and blocked a shot in Traktor Chelyabinsk’s 3-1 win over Bars Kazan in the KHL. Gorbunov has one goal in 16 games this season.
Simas Ignatavičius had one shot on goal and a block in 13:29 of ice time during Genève-Servette HC’s 5-0 loss to HC Ajoie in Switzerland’s National League. He has one goal in 14 games this season.
In the OHL, Shamar Moses finished with one shot on goal, lost a faceoff and went plus-one in the North Bay Battalion’s 5-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves. Busch has five goals and four assists in 13 games this season.
Cole Zurawski was busy setting up offense for Kingston, collecting two assists and three shots in the Frontenacs’ 4-2 win over the Ottawa 67s. Since arriving in Kingston in a trade from North Bay, Zurawski has four points in three games.
Joans Kemps took two minor penalties and went minus-one in the Seattle Thunderbirds’ 4-2 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings in Western Hockey League play. Kemps has four assists in nine games this season.
At Penn State, Shea Busch had two shots on goal, took a minor penalty and finished plus-two in the Nittany Lions’ 5-1 win over Canisius. He’s still searching for his first NCAA point through five games.
Ryder Cali also contributed in college action, taking a minor penalty and finishing even in Providence’s 3-0 win over UMass Lowell. Cali has two goals in four games for the Friars.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Have A Goalie Story Fans Need To Watch
Cooper Black finally got his first taste of the NHL spotlight, and it came in a spot Florida fans have been waiting to see filled more consistently. The Panthers goalie, signed as a free agent two years ago, made his debut against Pittsburgh and drew immediate attention simply by stepping into the crease, with Matthew Tkachuk among those praising the way he handled the night despite the result.
The challenge for Black now is figuring out what comes next after an encouraging first look in a tough setting. Florida has a developing goalie storyline on its hands, and Black's debut offered enough poise to make it worth watching closely, even in a 4-0 loss that left the final scoreline doing the heavy lifting. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Shake Up Their Lineup As Slide Starts Raising Questions
After consecutive losses, Paul Maurice made a noticeable set of tweaks to Floridas lineup as the Panthers try to steady themselves before meeting the Chicago Blackhawks. Sandis Vilmanis moved up into a more prominent role, while the blue line got a familiar look again with Radko Gudas and Dmitry Kulikov back together, part of a broader shuffle meant to tighten things up after the recent slide.
Florida also turned back to Akira Schmid in goal for the upcoming game, a sign the coaching staff is looking for a different feel as it resets the group. The projected lines and pairings suggest Maurice is willing to lean on some combinations with more familiarity, but the bigger question now is whether the changes will be enough to stop the bleeding and give the Panthers a cleaner response on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Waste A Promising Debut In Another Frustrating Loss
The Panthers got a fresh look in goal and still came away empty-handed in Pittsburgh, falling 4-0 to the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Florida had been riding a three-game winning streak before back-to-back losses brought the momentum to a halt, and rookie Cooper Black at least gave the club a reason to keep watching with his NHL debut in net, turning aside 17 shots in a busy first appearance.
Even with chances available, the Panthers could not solve Arturs Silovs, who made 26 saves for the shutout as Pittsburgh controlled the finish. For Florida, the result fit the frustration of a night when the opportunities were there but the scoreboard never moved, leaving the club to sort through another flat offensive showing as the road trip moved on. [Read more 🡒]