Jets @ Panthers: Lines, Betting Odds, Goalies & How 2 Watch

SUNRISE — Whether known as the Atlanta Thrashers or the Winnipeg Jets, the Panthers have not had a lot of success against this franchise through the years.

Paul Maurice knows this all too well — from both sides of things.

The Jets hold a 53-31-8 record against the Panthers, with Maurice coaching the other side for almost a decade.

“We gotta break history,” Maurice said.

“I don’t think the Florida Panther-Winnipeg Jet record is too flattering to us. It just doesn’t seem like that from my time there, it hasn’t been very good, so we have to get on the right side of that.”

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Maurice has not gotten the best of the Jets from the other side, either, going 0-2-1 in his first three games coaching against his former team.

”Why’d you have to remind me of that?” Maurice said. “I didn’t think that needed to be brought up.”

To be fair to Maurice, the Panthers were in the middle of bouts with injuries and illnesses in each of his first two games against the Jets.

Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad were also both injured for the first game in Winnipeg on Oct. 14.

And Florida is getting another key reinforcement back into the lineup as captain Sasha Barkov returns from a knee injury tonight.

The Jets will be motivated by a key return of their own, too.

Mike Reilly Waived; Florida Making Room for Patrick Kane?

Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness will return to the bench after taking a leave of absence to look after his wife, Judy, who had a seizure last month.

They went 9-2-2 under interim coach Scott Arniel.

“Good for him,” Maurice said of Bowness.

“The collective hockey community all understands how important it is when something serious happens to your family. I’m happy he’s back and Arniel did a wonderful, wonderful job. He’s a real good coach, so they were in good hands.”

Said Bowness: “It was emotional. I was in Winnipeg a couple of weeks ago and I met with the players, just to give them an update. I hold myself to the same standards that I hold them. You have to be all-in. You can’t have one foot out the door. At that point, a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t give them all of me. Judy needed me. That’s why I stayed away a little long than I thought. That’s life.”

As far as the Panthers go, Bowness knows how good they have played as he has been paying attention to them more than usual as he and his wife have been staying at their place in Boca Raton.

“They’re playing really well. They are,’’ he said. “They lost to Boston. Boston came in here and played a great game. Boston has only lost one game in regulation so it tells you how well they’re playing.

“Florida is playing a very hard-nosed game and with those guys in the lineup now, they are a far better hockey club. I have a ton of respect for the way that they play and a ton of respect for how the way they’re coached and the depth of their team. This will be a great challenge for us.But again, Boston had to put their A-game on the ice to come in here and win that game. We are going to have to do the same thing.”

— The Panthers will have Uvis Balinskis back in the lineup tonight as he replaces Dmitry Kulikov.

With Josh Mahura about a week away from returning, the Panthers have to make a decision on their blueline.

“We took Uvis out and he absolutely did not deserve to come out of the lineup but neither did anyone else,” Maurice said on the decision to scratch Balinskis upon the return of Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour.

“Dmitry doesn’t deserve to come out but I am going to have eight NHL defensemen here very soon. I won’t say I am going to platoon them, because I am not. But I am going to work real hard to make sure one guy does not sit out too long.”

— Florida placed Mike Reilly on waivers Friday.

Is it to make room for Patrick Kane?

— Tonight’s starting goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Connor Hellebuyck.

PANTHERS ON DECK

WINNIPEG JETS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Friday, 8 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida; ESPN+
• Radio: WAXY 790-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Local Odds — Panthers Favored: Money Line (-145); Puck line (-1.5, +160); Over/Under 6.5 (-130/+105)
• This season — Winnipeg Leads 1-0: @Winnipeg 6, Florida 4 (Oct. 14); Friday @ Florida
• Last season: Winnipeg won 2-0
• All-time regular season series: Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets lead 53-31-8, 5 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Monday at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (12-6-1) LINES

17 Evan Rodrigues // 16 Sasha Barkov // 13 Sam Reinhart

23 Carter Verhaeghe // 9 Sam Bennett // 19 Matthew Tkachuk

27 Eetu Luostarinen // 15 Anton Lundell // 21 Nick Cousins

94 Ryan Lomberg // 82 Kevin Stenlund // 12 Jonah Gadjovich

42 Gus Forsling // 5 Aaron Ekblad

77 Niko Mikkola // 62 Brandon Montour

91 Oliver Ekman-Larsson // 26 Uvis Balinskis

72 Sergei Bobrovsky

41 Anthony Stolarz

Scratched: Dmitry Kulikov, Steven Lorentz, Mike Reilly (ON WAIVERS)

Injured: Josh Mahura (knee-IR)

PROJECTED WINNIPEG JETS (11-5-2) LINES

81 Kyle Connor // 55 Mark Scheifele // 9 Alex Iafallo

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

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

36 Morgan Barron // 19 David Gustafsson // 71 Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

44 Josh Morrissey // 2 Dylan DeMelo

5 Brenden Dillon // 4 Neal Pionk

54 Dylan Samberg // 64 Logan Stanley

37 Connor Hellebuyck

39 Laurent Brossoit