Florida Panthers: Lines, Updates, Preview for Dec. 22 Game at Tampa Bay Lightning
The Battle of Florida has received a face-lift since the Panthers eliminated the Lightning in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
For the first time in over a decade, the Battle of Florida will be looking a little bit different.
After falling to the Florida Panthers in five games in last year’s playoffs, Tampa Bay Lightning let Steven Stamkos walk in free agency — opting to sign Jake Guentzel to take his place on the team’s star-studded first line — and it seems to have paid off.
While the decision to move on from their captain turned some heads at the time, the Lightning have bucked up to an 18-10-2 start and seemed to have chosen the right player of the two.
Guentzel is off to an 18-goal, 33-point start in his first 33 games in Tampa Bay.
Meanwhile, Stamkos has nine goals and 19 points in 34 games with a plus/minus of minus-12 with the floundering Nashville Predators, who were crowned the champions of the offseason after signing Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei on top of the former Lightning captain.
Whatever morale issue many around the hockey world (including myself) thought would hit the Lightning after making that move seems to be non-existent.
Victor Hedman took over as captain and steered the Lightning to the right direction seamlessly, scoring four goals and 25 points in 28 games in the process. Brayden Point’s 21 goals have him in the race for the league’s lead while Nikita Kucherov’s 49 points have him in the Hart Trophy conversation once again.
While the Panthers no longer have to watch that left face-off dot like a hawk for Stamkos’ booming one-timer, the Lightning are equally as dangerous heading into the first rendition of the Battle of Florida.
And they have a younger group that will make sure this rivalry continues on for years to come.
THE NEWS
Spencer Knight will start in goal for the Panthers against the Lightning tonight.
Jonah Gadjovich (upper-body injury) will not play. Rasmus Asplund has been called up from AHL Charlotte to take his place.
Today’s game will air at 5:00 p.m. EST and will be broadcasted on Scripps Sports. It is available for streaming on Panthers+ for those in Florida’s broadcast territory.
For more information on how to catch Panthers games this season, visit nhl.com/panthers/info/how-to-watch.
PANTHERS PROJECTED LINEUP
Carter Verhaeghe — Aleksander Barkov — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues — Sam Bennett — Mackie Samoskevich
A.J. Greer — Tomas Nosek — Rasmus Asplund
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Dmitry Kulikov
Nate Schmidt — Uvis Balinskis
Spencer Knight
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: Adam Boqvist
Injured: Jesper Boqvist (DTD), Jonah Gadjovich
*The Panthers did not hold a morning skate in Tampa Bay. Line-up changes may be announced at coach Paul Maurice’s media availability at 2:30 p.m. This story will be updated at approx. 2:45 p.m. if changes are made.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING PROJECTED LINEUP
Jake Guentzel — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Conor Geekie
Gage Concalves — Nick Paul — Mitchell Chaffee
Zemgus Girgensons — Luke Glendening — Michael Eyssimont
Victor Hedman — Darren Raddysh
Ryan McDonagh — Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg — Nick Perbix
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
(Lines via DailyFaceoff.com)
*Opposing team lines subject to change.