Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Know Firsthand Not to Underestimate Blackhawks

The Florida Panthers know all about not taking a team lightly.
Just look at their most recent history with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yes, the Blackhawks are a struggling team in a rebuild mode.
They currently sit No. 31 out of 32 teams in the NHL with 16 wins.
Yet one of those wins came against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
On Nov. 21, the Blackhawks beat the Panthers 3-1 — their second straight win over Florida in Chicago.
Petr Mrazek made 32 saves, besting Spencer Knight.
Mrazek will be back in net today for the matinee rematch with Sergei Bobrovsky going for the Panthers.
For The Best Daily Coverage Of The Florida Panthers
Subscribe to Florida Hockey Now Today!
Chicago is playing better lately, squeezing points out of four of the past six games.
Before that, Chicago lost nine of 11.
On Thursday night in Carolina, the Blackhawks put up a commendable effort in the 3-2 loss to a strong but depleted Hurricanes team.
Tuesday, the Blackhawks dropped the Lightning 4-1.
No, Chicago is not a pushover despite their lowly spot in the standings.
“For those [developing] teams, that’s just where they are in their development curve,” Paul Maurice said.
“They’ve drafted very high, and that skill is already there and it’s ready. So, inconsistent is the normal path, but that means sometimes they’re really, really good. If you give them room to play on, that skill is real and it’s already there. …
“It’s going to be a hard gap game for us. That’s our challenge and that is to make sure we just don’t give them any room to play against.”
In their latest move as part of a long-range rebuild, Chicago traded veteran Taylor Hall to Carolina in return for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Blackhawks are also retaining money which helped facilitate last week’s blockbuster between the Hurricanes and Avalanche.
The Blackhawks now have nine selections in the next draft, including two in each of the first two rounds.
Chicago initially brought Hall in as part of the veteran cadre to assist in the development of Connor Bedard. He would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season, so the Hawks were able to get some value for him.
Coach Luke Richardson was fired Dec. 5 when Chicago was 8-16-2.
Anders Sorenson was named interim head coach. He had been coaching the AHL Rockford IceHogs.
The Hawks are 8-14-3 under Sorenson.
Players to watch include Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi, who doesn’t produce like he did in his good years in Detroit but is still a force. His 17 goals lead the team.
Ryan Donato is having a resurgence with Chicago, his fifth NHL team in eight seasons.
Seth Jones is a skilled veteran defenseman who was drafted by Nashville fourth overall in 2013, two slots after the Panthers selected Sasha Barkov.
He was slowed by a foot injury this year and suffers with a weaker team, but still puts up numbers.
Jones is riding a seven-game point streak.
Captain Nick Foligno, 37, provides snarl and veteran leadership.
Veteran Teuvo Teravainen has 11 goals and 34 points, second on the Hawks to Bedard’s 45 points.
We have Saturday afternoon hockey in Sunrise.
What can be better than that?
ON DECK: GAME No. 53
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
- National TV: ABC
- National Streaming: ESPN+/Hulu
- Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- Last Season: Tied 1-1
- This Season (Blackhawks Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Saturday. At Chicago: Blackhawks 3, Panthers 1 (Nov. 21).
- All-time Regular Season Series: Blackhawks lead 30-19-4, 3 ties
- Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday vs. New York Islanders, 6 (Local TV)
