Due to the cramped schedule coming up, Chris Driedger will be in net Thursday night when Florida plays the Columbus Blue Jackets.

On Wednesday, coach Joel Quenneville said the plan before Florida hit the road was for Sergei Bobrovsky and Driedger to split these two games against Columbus.

Bobrovsky started for Florida Tuesday and made 19 saves — including five in overtime — as the Panthers beat the Jackets 4-3 in a shootout.

Quenneville said the decision was made to rotate the two goalies “early in the year” what with the Panthers having consecutive back-to-back sets against Detroit and Nashville coming up.

Following Thursday’s game, the Panthers play back-to-back sets in Detroit (Saturday/Sunday) and at home against Nashville (Thursday/Friday).

“We want to make sure both guys are going and into it and as we go along, things will get sorted out by performance,” Quenneville said.

“We have the back-to-backers, four games in six (nights). It is kind of the way we budgeted the trip.

“Whether it’s the opponent, the travel, the closeness of games, the standings … things are going to be very interesting and may determine who will be starting.”

Driedger started the season-opener against the Chicago Blackhawks after Bobrovsky missed all of training camp because he was in the league’s Covid-19 protocol.

He made 28 saves in Florida’s 5-2 victory.

Bobrovsky made Florida’s second start after less than a week of practice, giving up four goals on 36 shots in Florida’s 5-4 overtime win against the Blackhawks.

In his two starts this season, Bobrovsky is 2-0 with a 3.35 GAA and a save percentage of .879.

Driedger (1-0) has a 2.00 GAA and a save percentage of .933.

”It felt great out there,”Driedger said after the opener. “I had some pregame nerves but I think we all did. If you don’t feel a little nervous before the first game of the season, there might be something wrong with you.

“I felt good, when the puck drops, you just have fun. I really enjoyed being out there. … The guys played a heck of a game, we really shut it down in the third period and that’s how good teams win hockey games, they play with the lead. It was a great effort. The guys did a great job.”

Thursday will be the first game Florida will play against Columbus without Bobrovsky since he left the Blue Jackets to sign with the Panthers in 2019.

Last season, Bobrovsky won his first game against Columbus in Sunrise then went 0-1-1 in the two games at Nationwide Arena.

Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Nationwide Arena; Columbus, Ohio

TV/Radio: FSF/560-AM

Records: Florida 3-0-0; Columbus 2-2-3

Last season: Columbus won two of three

Up next: Florida at Detroit, Saturday, 7 p.m.; Columbus at Chicago, Friday, 8 p.m.