How To Watch Panthers at Lightning in Preseason Dress Rehersal

The Florida Panthers will look much the way they will on Opening Night when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at 7.

On Thursday morning, the Panthers made a batch of roster moves leaving mostly their NHL roster in place.

Coach Paul Maurice plans to line the Panthers up tonight as if it was Tuesday already; aside from Daniil Tarasov getting the start, Florida will have a pretty good representation of its Opening Night lineup.

“This is the lineup, if we were opening today, it would be,” Maurice said. “We will make some adjustments to Saturday’s game.’’

The Panthers currently have a handful of players still fighting for the few open roster spots.

Florida has eight defensemen on the roster with Toby Bjornfot holding onto that No. 8 spot likely until the final roster has to be put in.

Jack Studnicka, who has had a fantastic camp, remains fighting for one of the two forward spots. Tyler Motte and Noah Gregor, who are both in camp on a PTO, are still battling as well.

None of those three are going to play tonight per Florida’s pregame roster. They could play Saturday night against the Lightning.

— Could there be a little payback tonight?

This will be the first game Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Hagel will be on the ice for since Hagel was knocked out of Game 4 of the first round after taking a hit to the head from the Florida defenseman.

Hagel had some pointed words for Ekblad afterward.

Ekblad, who said he understood why Hagel was upset, was suspended two games for the hit.

• How to Watch: Tonight’s game is going to be broadcast in southern Florida on the Scripps Sports network; it can also be streamed on Panthers+.
• Starting goalies: Tarasov will go for the Panthers with likely Charlotte starter Brandon Bussi backing up. Tampa Bay counters with Jonas Johansson.
• Expect Sergei Bobrovsky to face Andrei Vasilevskiy in the preseason finale on Saturday in Sunrise.

2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2025

FLORIDA PANTHERS

ON DECK

• Preseason (2-3) — Game 1: @Nashville 5, Panthers 0; Game 2: @Nashville 5, Panthers 3; Game 3: Panthers 4, @Carolina 2;Game 4: Panthers 4, Carolina 3 (OT); Game 5: Tampa Bay 3, Panthers 2; Game 6: Tonight at Lightning, 7 (Panthers+, Scripps); Game 7: Saturday vs. Lightning, 7 (Panthers+, Scripps)
• Championship Ring Celebration: Monday, FTL War Memorial
• Opening Night: Tuesday vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5
• Complete Florida Panthers 2025-26 Schedule