FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:
PANTHERS vs. PENGUINS
ALL-TIME vs. PIT: 45-42-4-14
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. PIT: 16-22-3-11
2023-24 vs. PIT: 2-0-0
CATS STATS
– Since Dec. 23, Florida owns a 15-3-2 record, leading all teams with 32 points over that span. – Since Jan. 1, Matthew Tkachuk leads all NHLers with 29 points (12-17-29) over Florida’s 16 games. – Carter Verhaeghe has accumulated 11 points (6-5-11) over 11 career games vs. the Penguins.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Panthers enter tonight’s contests on a franchise record eight game road winning streak. The Cats’ 17 road wins are tied with Vancouver for the league lead.
Panthers Road Stats
• Florida leads the NHL in goals against per game (2.23), penalty kill % (87.8) and shots on goal per game (33.6) on the road. • Sam Reinhart has scored a power-play goal in each of his last seven road games, the longest road PPG streak in NHL history. • Reinhart’s current nine-game road goal streak is the longest in Panthers history and two shy of the longest in NHL history (Pavel Bure, 1993-94 w/ VAN and Steve Yzerman, 1988-89 w/ DET). He has produced at least one point in each of his last 10 road games, one game shy of the club record for road point streak (11, Mike Hoffman in 2018-19 and Stu Barnes in 1993-94). • Reinhart leads all NHLers in road goals (21), power-play goals (13) and game-winning goals (7). • Aleksander Barkov ranks second among NHLers in road assists (25). • Sergei Bobrovsky’s 11 road wins are behind only Connor Hellebuyck and Igor Shesterkin (12 each) for the league lead. • Bobrovsky has won each of his past six road games, one shy of the club record (Mark Fitzpatrick, 7 in 1995-96 and Bobrovsky, 7 in 2021-22).
ON THE HUNT
Florida ranks among the league leaders in several statistics categories, including shots per game (34.3, 1st), shots against per game (27.3, 2nd), goals against per game (2.50, 2nd), power-play % (24.9, 6th), penalty kill % (82.7, 6th), wins (33, 3rd), regulation wins (28, T2nd) and points (70, T-4th).
PANTHERS AND PENGUINS
The Panthers have won each of their past three games against Pittsburgh and have earned at least a point in five of their last six meetings (4-1-1). In that span (Since March 8, 2022), Carter Verhaeghe leads all Panthers against the Penguins with eight points (4-4- 8), while Aleksander Barkov (1-6-7), Sam Reinhart, (4-2-6), Aaron Ekblad (3-3-6) and Matthew Tkachuk (1-4-5 in 4GP) have posted over a point per game against the Pens. Sergei Bobrovsky has appeared in five of the six matchups, recording a 4-1-0 record, .940 save percentage and 1.97 goals against average.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS NOTES:
LAST 2 GAMES
Feb. 10: Winnipeg 2, Pittsburgh 1 – Canadian Life Centre PIT Goals: Rust Multiple Points: None Goalie: Jarry (29 saves, 31 shots) Key Stats: Bryan Rust scored the lone goal for Pittsburgh, giving him four points over his last five games (2G-2A). PP: 0-3 PK: 1-1
Feb. 9: Minnesota 3, Pittsburgh 2 – Xcel Energy Center PIT Goals: Smith, Crosby (PP) Multiple Points: None Goalie: Nedeljkovic (27 saves, 30 shots) Key Stats: Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to nine games (6G-5A). PP: 1-6 PK: 5-6
INJURIES
Position Player Status Consecutive Games Missed Total Games Missed
F Matt Nieto Lower-Body 26 26
F Noel Acciari Concussion 2 10
2023-24 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 131
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Date Transaction
Feb. 13 F Noel Acciari placed on injured reserve.
Pittsburgh’s All-Time Record vs. Panthers: 56-37-12
In Pittsburgh: 33-14-5
In Florida: 23-23-7
OT Record vs. Panthers: 14-5-7
Shootout Record vs. Panthers: 5-3
2023-24 Results: Pittsburgh is 0-1-1.
TONIGHT’S GAME
– The Penguins return home to take on the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena (TV: TNT, TruTV, MAX; Radio: 105.9 The X).
– Pittsburgh is 4-3-2 in its last nine games versus Florida dating back to Feb. 8, 2020.
– The Penguins have points in 20 of their last 26 meetings versus the Panthers (15-6-5 record) dating back to December 20, 2014.
– Pittsburgh has points in 16 of its last 23 games (12-7-4).
– The Penguins have points in 12 of their last 14 home games (9-2-3).
QUICK HITS
1) In 16 career games versus Florida, Jake Guentzel has seven goals, nine assists and 16 points. He has seven goals (7G-4A) in his last nine games against them.
2) Last season, no player in the NHL had more points against the Florida Panthers than Kris Letang, who tallied seven points (4G-3A) in three games. His four goals versus them trailed only Auston Matthews (5G in 4GP).
3) Jake Guentzel has points in 19 of 24 home games this season, and leads the Penguins with 26 points at home (11G-15A).
4) Pittsburgh has scored three or more goals in four of its last five home games and 11 of its last 14 games at PPG Paints Arena.
5) Since February 1, Marcus Pettersson is tied for the sixth most blocked shots in the NHL with 11 over three games.
TEAM NOTES
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Pittsburgh has been challenging to beat on home ice since Nov. 25. Since this span began, the Penguins boast a 9-2-3 home record and a .750 points percentage that ranks fifth in the NHL. At home, Pittsburgh’s 2.63 goals against per game played through its last 14 games are the sixth-lowest in the league.
