Florida Panthers Ready for Huge Series Against Winnipeg Jets

FORT LAUDERDALE — New Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt says he did not have the games against the Winnipeg Jets circled on his calendar until they got off to the best start in NHL history.

Schmidt, who spent three seasons with the Jets before being bought out before free agency opened, said what Winnipeg has done is hard to ignore.

Winnipeg was the first team in NHL history to win 15 of its first 16 games.

“It is fun to play teams who are playing well,” Schmidt said after Saturday’s morning skate. “It gives you a look into what you need to be at this time of the year. I wouldn’t say it’s a measuring-stick game, but you want to know you’re like against the top team. Right now, they’re it.”

Surprised with their start?

“Great team,’’ Schmidt said. “I have been there and I believed it, I still believed it in the summer, and I believe it know. Great team. Lot of good players and a world-class goalie who can win you a lot of games. A really good recipe for how to win in this league, and they have it.’’

Schmidt is not the only Panther facing his old team, of course.

There is Dmitry Kulikov.

Oh, and Paul Maurice.

Maurice, who famously said he hopes the Jets “win the next Stanley Cup,’’ has never beaten Winnipeg as coach of the Panthers.

“We have been awful, have not played well,” said Maurice, who is 0-3-1 against Winnipeg the past two seasons.

Does it gnaw at him?

“I don’t feel that way about Winnipeg,’’ he said. “Other teams I do, but I don’t feel like that. I would like us to play well for our team because we take pride in that. They’re a very good team over there, well built. We’ll have to play well.

“There is no animosity there. If they’re not playing the Florida Panthers, I cheer for the Winnipeg Jets.”

Tonight marks the first of two straight games between the Panthers and Jets; Game 2 of this home-and-home series is Tuesday night in Winnipeg.

— The starting goalies: 2024 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck goes against finalist Sergei Bobrovsky.

— Jonah Gadjovich will come out of the lineup tonight in favor of Mackie Samoskevich.

Gadjovich may have “a bruised paw’’ after his two slobberknockers against the Devils but is otherwise fine, Maurice said.

— Both teams are coming off losses: Florida was outscored 10-3 in losing twice to the Devils earlier this week; the Jets lost 4-1 in Tampa on Thursday.

ON DECK: GAME 18

WINNIPEG JETS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Betting Odds — Panthers Favored: Money Line (-130); Puck line (-1.5, +170); Over/Under 6 (-110/-110)
• Last season: Winnipeg won 2-0
• This season — At Florida: Saturday. At Winnipeg: Tuesday.
• All-time regular season series: Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets lead 54-31-8, 5 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Tuesday at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m. ET

PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (11-5-1) LINES

23 Carter Verhaeghe // 16 Sasha Barkov // 13 Sam Reinhart

70 Jesper Boqvist// 9 Sam Bennett // 19 Matthew Tkachuk

13 Eetu Luostarinen // 15 Anton Lundell // 17 Evan Rodrigues

10 AJ Greer // 92 Tomas Nosek // 25 Mackie Samoskevich

42 Gus Forsling // 5 Aaron Ekblad

77 Niko Mikkola // 7 Dmitry Kulikov

88 Nate Schmidt // 26 Uvis Balinskis

72 Sergei Bobrovsky

30 Spencer Knight

Scratched: Adam Boqvist, Jonah Gadjovich

PROJECTED WINNIPEG JETS (15-2-0) LINES

81 Kyle Connor // 55 Mark Scheifele // 13 Gabriel Vilardi

27 Nikolaj Ehlers // 7 Vladislav Namestnikov // 91 Cole Perfetti

62 Nino Niederreiter // 17 Adam Lowry // 22 Mason Appleton

36 Morgan Barron // 15 Rasmus Kupari // 9 Alex Iafallo

44 Josh Morrissey // 2 Dylan DeMelo

54 Dylan Samberg // 4 Neal Pionk

24 Haydn Fleury // 6 Colin Miller

37 Connor Hellebuyck

1 Eric Comrie

Scratched: Dylan Coghlan, David Gustafsson, Ville Heinola

Injured: Logan Stanley (mid-body)