George Richards, FHN Publisher
The Florida Panthers are off to one of their best starts in franchise history and have a chance to keep that going when the Detroit Red Wings come to Sunrise for a two-game series which starts Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Panthers hope the Wings serve as a pretty good Super Bowl appetizer.
To keep a bad pun going, well, the Panthers have been feasting on the Wings for a while now.
Last weekend, the Panthers went to Detroit and swept the two-game series.
That ran Florida’s winning streak over the Red Wings to eight games. The Panthers have earned at least a point in their past 10 against Detroit, going 9-0-1.
For the Panthers, keeping their winning ways going against Detroit will only help them in their early push for a spot among the top teams in the Central Division.
Florida has gone 6-0-2 to start this season and would like to get two more wins against a Detroit team which has lost its past eight games.
The Red Wings (2-8-2) have not won since they beat Columbus 3-2 back on Jan. 19.
The Panthers schedule definitely picks up following this two-game series. Following Tuesday’s game against the Wings, nine of Florida’s next 14 come against Tampa Bay, Carolina and Dallas.
Florida, coming off a 2-1 win over Nashville on Friday, may have a few minor lineup changes come Sunday.
While Noah Juulsen made his Florida debut against the Predators, Markus Nutivaara was expected to return Sunday.
He will not, however: Juulsen remains in the lineup with Nutivaara scratched.
Although this would be goalie Sergei Bobrovsky’s turn in the goalie rotation — and, he is the starter — coach Joel Quenneville hinted Friday night that Chris Driedger could go Sunday.
Sunday afternoon, he confirmed Driedger would start.
Driedger most certainly deserves it.
Not only is he 3-0-1 in his four starts this season, but he has not surrendered more than two goals in any of those starts earning a 1.72 goals-against average.
Driedger has made 94 percent of his saves compared to Bobrovsky’s 88 percent.
Simply put, Driedger has looked better than Bobrovsky in comparable starts (they have faced the same teams, after all).
By moving Aleksi Heponiemi off the main roster by sending him to AHL Syracuse, Florida now has an open spot — one it filled Sunday by promoting Mason Marchment from the taxi squad.
Former Sabres forward Scott Wilson will be called up to the taxi from AHL Syracuse.
Marchment is in the lineup Sunday. Brett Connolly has been scratched for the second consecutive game and for the fourth time in the past five games.
Do not be surprised to see Ryan Lomberg get pulled off the taxi squad and get some game action perhaps Tuesday.
Lomberg, who signed a two-year deal with the Panthers, has played in just one game this season — the season-opener against Chicago.
Quenneville also swapped out centers on the second and third lines with Eetu Luostarinen moving up to play with Jonathan huberdeau and Patric Hornqvist; Alex Wennberg was with Frank Vatrano and Owen Tippett.
Don’t be surprised to see that line switch get another look Sunday.
Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers
When: Sunday, 3 p.m.
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise
Tickets: ON SALE HERE
TV/Radio: FSF/560-AM
Records: Florida 6-0-2 (2nd in Central); Detroit 2-8-2 (8th)
All-time series: Florida leads 25-17-5 (six ties)
Season series: Florida leads 2-0
Last season: Florida won all three meetings
Up next: Detroit at Florida, Tuesday, 7
PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS LINES
FLORIDA FORWARDS
23 Carter Verhaeghe — 16 Sasha Barkov — 91 Anthony Duclair
11 Jonathan Huberdeau — 27 Eetu Luostarinen — 70 Patric Hornqvist
77 Frank Vatrano —21 Alex Wennberg — 74 Owen Tippett
19 Mason Marchment — 83 Juho Lammikko — 55 Noel Acciari
FLORIDA DEFENSEMEN
52 MacKenzie Weegar — 5 Aaron Ekblad
7 Radko Gudas — 6 Anton Stralman
3 Keith Yandle — 58 Noah Juulsen
FLORIDA GOALIES
60 Chris Driedger
72 Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratches: D Markus Nutivaara, F Brett Connolly, F Vinnie Hinostroza.
Taxi squad: D Kevin Connauton, F Scott Wilson, F Ryan Lomberg, G Philippe Desrosiers.
IR: D Gustav Forsling (upper body)
Florida power play (9/25 36% — 4th in NHL)
Florida penalty kill (20/26 76.9% — 22nd in NHL)
PP1: Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Patric Hornqvist, Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle
PP2: Alex Wennberg, Frank Vatrano, Anthony Duclair, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Stralman
PROJECTED DETROIT RED WINGS LINES
DETROIT FORWARDS
11 Filip Zadina — 71 Dylan Larkin — 48 Givani Smith
39 Anthony Mantha — 14 Robby Fabbri — 54 Bobby Ryan
81 Frans Nielsen — 92 Vladislav Namestnikov — 89 Sam Gagner
43 Darren Helm — 41 Luke Glendening — 73 Adam Erne
DETROIT DEFENSEMEN
44 Christain Djoos — 17 Filip Hronek
18 Marc Staal — 70 Troy Stecher
22 Patrik Nemeth — 24 Jon Merrill
DETROIT GOALIES
29 Thomas Greiss
31 Calvin Pickard
Detroit power play (4/40 10% — 29th in NHL)
Detroit penalty kill (27/38 71% — 29th in NHL)
PP1: Bobby Ryan, Dylan Larkin, Filip Zadina, Christian Djoos, Anthony Mantha
PP2: Vladislav Namestnikov, Robby Fabbri, Frans Nielsen, Filip Hronek, Jon Merrill