The Florida Panthers arrived at Saturday’s skate in Chicago with a different look in the middle of the lineup after back-to-back blowout losses pushed Paul Maurice to make changes.
Florida is trying to reset quickly after lopsided defeats in Ottawa and Pittsburgh, and the next chance to do it comes Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center.
Maurice made clear after the losses that the response mattered.
“I think it looked the way I thought it did from the bench,” Maurice said. “We’ve got some things we’ve got to clean up in our game and we have an opportunity to do that tomorrow.”
When the Panthers hit the ice, the biggest adjustment was in the forward group. The top line stayed put, and the fourth line stayed intact, but the middle six got a new wrinkle.
Sandis Vilmanis, who was a healthy scratch on Thursday, was moved up to the second line with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe.
“It’s just a little different look,” Maurice said. “When he was with Lundell and Luostarinen, I liked it early on but it’s starting to fall off a bit for me. We gave him a little bit of a reset, so he should have some good legs and good urgency in this game.”
Lars Eller also got a new assignment, sliding onto the left side of the Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen line. Maurice has already spoken highly of Eller early this season, and he’ll now get a chance in a different spot in the middle six.
On the blue line, the only tweak was the return of Radko Gudas, who was back alongside Dmitry Kulikov after sitting out Thursday’s loss to the Penguins. Florida kept its other two defensive pairings the same.
The Panthers also made a change in goal. Akira Schmid gets the start again after rookie Cooper Black made his NHL debut on Thursday.
Florida’s projected lines and pairings for the matchup in Chicago are:
Brady Tkachuk - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk
Carter Verhaeghe - Sam Reinhart - Sandis Vilmanis
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Lars Eller
Boko Imama - Cole Schwindt - Garnet Hathaway
Gus Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola - Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov - Radko Gudas
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 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 🡒]
Sam Reinhart Trade Still Defines Floridas Championship Core
Sam Reinharts arrival in Florida remains one of the defining moves of the Panthers championship era. Acquired from Buffalo in 2021, he quickly became much more than a scoring addition, fitting into the kind of complete forward group that has powered the franchise through deep playoff runs and back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. His game has been a blend of finishing touch, responsible two-way play and consistency that has made him a central figure in everything Florida has built.
The bigger question now is how this trade will keep aging as the Panthers core evolves, because it did not come cheap. Florida paid a first-round pick and goalie prospect Devon Levi to land him, a price that only looks more consequential with each season Reinhart keeps producing at a high level. He has already earned his place among the organizations most important players, even if the full evaluation of that deal still depends on how the rest of this championship window plays out. [Read more 🡒]