Panthers (17-16-8 42P) vs Devils (16-17-8 40P)
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- WHEN: 7:00 p.m. ET – LBC GameThread right here at 6:30ish
- WHERE: Prudential Center – Newark, NJ
- ON THE TUBE: FOX Sports Florida, MSG+
- ON THE DIAL: 560 WQAM, 640 WMEN
- GOODIES: PanthersPalooza III & Nole Night on January 14 vs Columbus!
- SOCIALS: #FlaPanthers, #NJDevils, #FLAvsNJD, @LitterBoxCats, LBC FaceBook
- ENEMY INTEL: All About the Jersey
- SB NATION: Game Feature Hub
- BACK-TO-BACK? (FLA/NJ): No/No
- FLA IN SEASON SERIES: Game 3 of 3 (2-0-0)
- ALL-TIME vs NJ (RS): 32W-45L-7T 5OTL 2SOL 202GF 258GA
- ALL-TIME at NJ (RS): 12W-27L-3T 3OTL 0SOL 91GF 141GA
- LAST FIVE vs NJ (RS): 4-1-0 16GF 11GA
- LAST MEETING: FLA 4 – NJ 3 (OT) from Sunrise (Todd’s Recap) – 11/03/2016
- NEXT MEETING (RS): 2017-18 season
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Luongo (11-10-5 .919/2.48 0SO) vs Schneider (12-14-6 .907/2.78 2SO)
- TALE OF THE TAPE via Left Wing Lock
- JAGR WATCH: All-time vs NJ (RS): 105GP 36G-61A 97P +4 8GWG
- PLAYER STATS: Florida / New Jersey/
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Scouting Report:
The Panthers have struggled to find consistency and firing head coach Gerard Gallant has not had the desired effect — the team was 11-10-1 with Gallant behind the bench and just 6-6-7 since Tom Rowe took over in late-November. The Boston Bruins manhandled the Panthers 4-0 on Saturday night, leaving players wondering when they will get over the hump.
“It started on Oct. 13 (the season opener), our consistency is terrible,” forward Jonathan Marchessault told the Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t even think we have a three-game winning streak. It’s hard to be a good team when we can’t even get on a streak.”
Marchessault is right — the Panthers have yet to string three consecutive wins together this season.
One piece of good news for the Panthers — goaltender Roberto Luongo is expected to return from an illness and be ready to face the Devils. He will be a welcome sight for a team that is without Nick Bjugstad, Alexsander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and lost Greg McKegg to injury during the loss to the Bruins. “It seems like every night there’s an injury,” Rowe said to the Miami Herald. “We just have to keep plowing through, play simple and not get fancy.” (More via Yahoo! Sports/AP)
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Last game by the Cats: 4-0 snoozer vs Boston in Sunrise on Saturday. Last five: 2-2-1 (streak: 1L)
Last game by the Devs: 2-1 (OT) home loss to Edmonton Saturday. Last five: 2-2-1 (streak: 2L)
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Monday in the Atlantic Division (Standings/Panthers Playoff Chances):
- Washington (25-9-5 55P) at MONTREAL (25-9-6 56P), 7:30 NHLN
- Idle: BOS (47P), OTT (46P), TOR (44P), TB (42P), BUF (39P), DET (39P)/
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