Panthers GameDay v Vegas Knights: How to Watch, Lines, Odds

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights will both be making some changes tonight when they meet up in Sunrise.

Florida coach Paul Maurice moved Evan Rodrigues up from the third line to play with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart during Thursday’s loss to the Penguins.

Sam Bennett slides down to center Mackie Samoskevich and Jesper Boqvist.

They’ll start that way tonight.

“They played together one game on the road trip,” Maurice said of Rodrigues, Verhaeghe, and Reinhart. “They were one line that was generating offense in that game. We were always looking for more. It’s interesting [sometimes] you make changes to look for more and get less, so we kind of ran the course of that. But we came back to that line. The Lundell line is just dynamic … so they have to stay together. They’re good. Just have to find the right combinations.”

The Panthers will also play Cole Schwindt for the first time this season and he will replace Luke Kunin in centering the fourth line.

Schwindt has not been in the Florida lineup since April 29, 2022 — a 10-2 loss in Montreal which capped the Presidents’ Trophy regular season.

That July, Schwindt was part of the Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster trade with Calgary.

Schwindt ended up playing for the Golden Knights last season and returned to the Panthers when Vegas tried slipping him through waivers to get to the AHL Henderson Silver Knights.

“I’m obviously pumped to come back and play in the arena where I played my first game,” said Schwindt, who made his NHL debut in Sunrise on Dec. 16, 2021 against the Kings when the Panthers were decimated by positive Covid tests.

“It feels like a full circle moment, and I am excited about it.”

Vegas has some injury issues with goalie Adin Hill out for the time being.

Brett Howden had been out with injury and is expected to play tonight.

NOTES: GOLDEN KNIGHTS @ PANTHERS

• The Panthers will welcome back Fort Lauderdale’s Jaycob Megna tonight although the defenseman is expected to be a healthy scratch after being recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate in Henderson, Nev. Megna played for the Panthers at the end of last season and was with the team through its run to the Stanley Cup championship.
• Tonight is the team’s fourth Pink in the Rink Night as part of Panthers on the Prowl month. The Panthers are teaming up with Baptist Health Cancer Care and Promise Fund and will those who have battled breast and cervical cancer as well as the medical professionals who work hard to treat and find a cure for the disease.
• All fans in attendance will receive a pink rally towel.
• Fans can visit Bill Zito’s Panthers on the Prowl exhibit which benefits the American Cancer Society inside Chairman’s Club on the Suite Level.
• Starting Goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky is back in net for the Panthers; Akira S goes for the Penguins.
• How to Watch: The Panthers and Penguins are back on local TV; the game can be streamed on Panthers+ and ESPN+.
• NHL Betting Odds: The Panthers and Golden Knights are even (-110) on the money line (-200) at the local book. To win with the Panthers, a $110 bet pays $100.

ON DECK: GAME No. 10

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Saturday, 6 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: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Local Betting Odds — Push: MoneyLine (-110/-110); Panthers Puck Line -1.5 (-+200); O/U 6.5 (+115/-145)
• This Season — At Florida: Saturday. At Vegas: Nov. 10.
• Last Season: Tied 1-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Tied 7-7
• Postseason History — 2023 Stanley Cup Final: Vegas d. Florida 4-1
• Up Next for the Florida Panthers: Tuesday vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m.

PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (5-4-0) LINES

23 Carter Verhaeghe // 17 Evan Rodrigues // 63 Brad Marchand

27 Eetu Luostarinen // 15 Anton Lundell // 13 Sam Reinhart

11 Mackie Samoskevich // 9 Sam Bennett // 70 Jesper Boqvist

10 A.J. Greer // 79 Cole Schwindt // 12 Jonah Gadjovich

42 Gus Forsling // 5 Aaron Ekblad

77 Niko Mikkola // 3 Seth Jones

26 Uvis Balinskis // 2 Jeff Petry

72 Sergei Bobrovsky

40 Daniil Tarasov

Scratched: Luke Kunin, Toby Bjornfot

Injured: Sasha Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee), Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder)

Non Roster/Visa: Noah Gregor, Donovan Sebrango

PROJECTED VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (5-0-2) LINES

49 Ivan Barbashev // 9 Jack Eichel // 20 Brandon Saad

16 Pavel Dorofeyev // 48 Tomas Hertl // 93 Mitch Marner

19 Reilly Smith // 71 William Karlsson // 26 Alexander Holtz

21 Brett Howden // 10 Colton Sissons // 55 Keegan Kolesar

3 Brayden McNabb // 27 Shea Theodore

17 Ben Hutton // 2 Zach Whitecloud

5 Jeremy Lauzon // 6 Kaedan Korczak

40 Akira Schmid

30 Carl Lindbom

Scratched: Cole Reinhardt, Jaycob Megna

Injured: Noah Hanifin (undisclosed), Mark Stone (upper body), Adin Hill (lower body)