The Florida Panthers (7-6-1) are in the Bay Area to pay their only visit of the season to the improving San Jose Sharks (6-6-3) at SAP Center.
Another stand-out performance from Brad Marchand, who notched his teaming-leading eighth and ninth goals, helped the Panthers pull away for a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. Sams Bennett and Reinhart also lit the lamp and Anton Lundell scored a key shorthanded marker 8:41 into the third to give the Cats a two-goal lead. Sergei Bobrovsky bounced back from a poor performance in Anaheim to make 24 stops and collect his seventh win of the season.
The ascending Sharks will be getting right back at it after an exciting 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on home ice last night. Macklin Celebrini scored a goal and got the primary assist on Will Smith’s game-winning goal with 4:21 remaining in regulation. Alex Nedeljkovic made 33 saves as the Sharks, who are 6-2-1 in their last nine, hit NHL .500 for the first time this season. The 19-year-old Celebrini tops the league in scoring with 23 points.
- WHEN: 10 p.m. ET
- WHERE: SAP Center – San Jose, CA
- ON THE TUBE: Scripps, NBCSCA
- ON THE DIAL: 104.3 WQAM (D/B), 106.3 ESPN West Palm (PB), Thunder 100.3 (Keys)
- SOCIALS: #TimeToHunt, #TheFutureIsTeal, #FLAvsSJS, @LitterBoxCats, LBC FaceBook
- ENEMY INTEL: San Jose Hockey Now
- FLA IN SEASON SERIES: Game 1 of 2
- LAST MEETING: FLA 7, @SJS 2 (Recap) – 1/25/2025
- NEXT MEETING: January 19, 2026
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Florida: Tarasov (0-2-1 .886 / 2.64 0SO) San Jose: Askarov (3-4-1 .879 / 3.88 0SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Florida / San Jose
Saturday in the Atlantic (Standings/Panthers Playoff Chances)
- OTTAWA 3 Philadelphia 2 (OT)
- BOSTON (9-7-0 18P) at TORONTO (8-5-1 17P) 7 p.m.
- Utah (9-5-0 18P) at MONTREAL (9-3-2 20P) 7 p.m.
- Washington (7-6-1 15P) at TAMPA BAY (7-5-2 16P) 7 p.m.
- BUFFALO (5-5-4 14P) at Carolina (9-4-0 18P) 7 p.m.
Idle: DET (18P)