The Florida Panthers (12-12-1, 25 points, 8th in Atlantic Division) host the Nashville Predators (9-13-4, 22 points, 8th in Central Division) at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night, in a matchup of struggling squads desperate for momentum. Florida, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, are mired in a three-game skid and dead last in the Eastern Conference standings amid a brutal injury wave that’s sidelined key forwards like Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk for the season. Nashville snapped a mini-slump with a convincing 5-1 win over Calgary but remains tied for the fewest points in the West, leaning heavily on Juuse Saros’ goaltending to mask defensive woes. The Panthers enter as heavy favorites thanks to home-ice and a potent (if depleted) attack, but the Predators’ recent road resilience could keep this low-scoring grind close. Expect a battle of attrition where special teams and timely saves decide a critical early-December pivot for both playoff hopefuls.
Venue and Game Details
Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida (Capacity: 19,250; Home of the Panthers since 2023, featuring a lively South Florida crowd and a fast sheet that rewards skilled puck movement).
Puckdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT for West Coast fans).
Broadcast: ESPN+ (streaming); Local coverage via Bally Sports Sun (Panthers) and Bally Sports South (Predators).
Team Records and Standings Snapshot
| Team | Record | Points | GF/GA | Home/Away | Power Play/PK | Recent Notes |
| Nashville Predators | 9-13-4 | 22 | 68/93 (-25) | 6-6-2 Home / 3-7-2 Away | 16.0% / 80.8% | Anemic offense (2.62 GPG, 28th); porous defense (3.58 GAA, 27th) but Saros anchors (2.85 GAA). |
| Florida Panthers | 12-12-1 | 25 | 75/80 (-5) | 8-6-1 Home / 4-6-0 Away | 19.1% / 79.3% | Balanced but inconsistent (3.00 GPG, 14th; 3.20 GAA, 20th); injuries have tanked PK (24th). |
Nashville lurks five points out of the Central wild card, desperate to climb past Utah (11-14-3). Florida holds a tenuous grip on the Atlantic playoff race but trails leaders like Tampa Bay (16-8-2) by nine points, with their slide threatening a deeper hole.
Recent Team Forms
The Predators have shown flickers of life with three wins in their last four, fueled by depth scoring, while the Panthers’ injury-riddled roster has led to a defensive collapse in a 1-4 stretch. Last five games (late November/early December 2025):
Nashville Predators (3-2-0 in last 5; 4.4 GPG / 3.8 GAA):
Dec. 2: W 5-1 vs. Calgary Flames (Home; Stamkos’ 1,200th point highlights rout; Saros 27 saves).
Nov. 29: L 5-2 vs. Winnipeg Jets (Home; Secondary scoring absent in blowout).
Nov. 28: W 4-3 @ Chicago Blackhawks (Away; Evangelista’s late goal clinches).
Nov. 26: W 6-3 @ Detroit Red Wings (Away; O’Reilly’s 2G snaps skid).
Nov. 24: L 8-3 vs. Florida Panthers (Home; Defensive meltdown allows 5 GA in 2nd).
Trend: Predators 3-2 SU in last five, outscoring foes 22-19. They’re 3-1-1 in last five overall but just 1-4 SU in last five home games. Road form improving (2-0 in last two away); PP at 20% in wins.
Florida Panthers (1-4-0 in last 5; 2.8 GPG / 4.2 GAA):
Dec. 2: L 4-1 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Home; Bobrovsky pulled after 3 GA).
Nov. 28: L 5-3 vs. Calgary Flames (Home; Bennett’s 2G not enough in rally).
Nov. 26: L 4-2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (Away; Late collapse after 2-1 lead).
Nov. 24: W 8-3 @ Nashville Predators (Away; Reinhart’s hat trick powers blowout).
Nov. 22: L 6-3 vs. Colorado Avalanche (Home; Injuries expose blue line).
Trend: Panthers 1-4 SU in last five, outscored 22-14. Three straight losses (0-3 SU) with 10 GA allowed; home woes (0-2 in last two at Amerant). Offense dips without Barkov/Tkachuk (1.8 GPG in losses).
Injury Report
Injuries are ravaging Florida’s forward corps, forcing heavy minutes from depth players, while Nashville’s blue line is nicked up but manageable. Updates as of Dec. 3:
Nashville Predators:
| Player | Position | Injury | Status | Est. Return |
| Michael McCarron | RW | Lower Body | Day-to-Day | Dec. 4 |
| Justin Barron | D | Lower Body | Day-to-Day | Dec. 4 |
| Nick Perbix | D | Upper Body | Day-to-Day | Dec. 4 |
| Zachary L’Heureux | LW | Lower Body | IR | Dec. 9 |
| Cole Smith | LW | Upper Body | IR | Indefinite |
Impact: Forward depth hit but Stamkos/Forsberg carry load (combined 25P); Barron/Perbix absences shuffle pairs, increasing TOI for Ekholm (25+ min).
Florida Panthers:
| Player | Position | Injury | Status | Est. Return |
| Carter Verhaeghe | C | Personal | Day-to-Day | Dec. 4 |
| Cole Schwindt | RW | Arm | IR | Jan. 12 |
| Eetu Luostarinen | C | Lower Body (Burns) | Out | Dec. 10 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | LW | Groin | IR-NR | Dec. 15 |
| Aleksander Barkov | C | Knee | IR | Season (Out) |
| Tomas Nosek | LW | Knee | IR | Jan. 4 |
| Jonah Gadjovich | LW | Upper Body | Out | Indefinite |
| Dmitry Kulikov | D | Upper Body | Out | Indefinite |
Impact: Catastrophic forward losses (Barkov/Tkachuk out for season; 120+ games missed total); Reinhart/Bennett log 22+ min, exposing PK. Recall of Studnicka adds minor pop.
Key Player Matchups
With Florida’s stars sidelined, Nashville’s veterans could exploit mismatches—watch these pivotal clashes:
Filip Forsberg (Predators LW, 9G-12A) vs. Aaron Ekblad (Panthers D, +2, 1.7 Bks/G): Forsberg’s shot volume (4 SOG/G) tests Ekblad, who’s shouldering 24+ min amid injuries. Edge: Forsberg—52% chance of 1+ pt per models; 3G in last road game.
Steven Stamkos (Predators C, 8G-10A) vs. Sam Bennett (Panthers C, 7G-9A): Stamkos’ milestone night (1,200th pt) meets Bennett’s physicality (2.1 Hits/G). Edge: Even—Stamkos’ PP prowess (0.36 G/G) vs. Bennett’s 3.3 SOG/G.
Juuse Saros (Predators G, .905 SV%, 2.85 GAA) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers G, .910 SV%, 3.00 GAA): Saros’ road rebounding (.915 SV% away) vs. Bobrovsky’s home struggles (pulled in TOR loss). Edge: Saros—28 saves projected; 91.9% edge in sims.
Sam Reinhart (Panthers RW, 12G-11A) vs. Dante Fabbro (Predators D, +1, 1.5 Bks/G): Reinhart’s sniper touch (0.57 G/G) exploits Fabbro’s inexperience. Edge: Reinhart—48% pt chance; hat trick in last NSH meeting.
Series History
Florida holds a narrow all-time edge in this inter-conference series, dominating recent tilts with high-event scoring:
All-Time Regular Season: Panthers 32-20-11 (58.5% win rate); Outscored Nashville 185-? in 63 meetings (exact goals vary by source).
All-Time Overall (incl. Playoffs): Panthers 32-21-11; No playoff history.
Last 10 Meetings: Panthers 6-4-0 (most recent: FLA 8-3 win on Nov. 24, 2025, at NSH). Florida 3-0 SU in last 3 vs. Preds.
Trends: Panthers 5-0 SU in last 5 home vs. Central; Games average 6.4 goals (Over in 7/10). Nashville 2-8 SU in last 10 as road dogs.
Betting
Preds 2-10 SU as dogs in last 12; FLA 1-5 ATS in last 6 overall.
Game Odds
Nashville Predators 6
Florida Panthers – 190
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, December 3, 2025
