The Florida Panthers are barely holding their NHL roster together, as key injuries have taken a heavy toll on the lineup. With several stars sidelined and a five-game losing streak weighing on them, concerns have started to swirl around the Cats. Nevertheless, veteran Brad Marchand cooled off the noise with a firm statement on the eve of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Marchand hasn’t gotten off to the best start in South Florida. The 37-year-old veteran has recorded just one point in his first six games with the Panthers after returning from the upper-body injury he sustained while still captaining the Boston Bruins.
However, Marchand knows that in the NHL, it’s not about how you start — it’s about how you finish. The same goes for the team’s current form, as the Panthers have dropped five straight games, all against divisional rivals.
With their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs already punched, the Cats aren’t overly concerned about seeding. What truly matters is having a fully healthy lineup when the puck drops in the postseason.
With just five games remaining until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marchand voiced a bold, yet collected statement, reflecting on the team’s recent performances.
“The biggest thing is making sure we’re playing the right way going into playoffs,” Marchand said, per NHL.com. “We’ve lost some games lately, but if you look at the way we’re losing, we’re playing strong hockey. We’re doing a couple opportunities a game and running into some hot goalies, but that’s going to happen.”
The Captain returns
Ahead of a pivotal matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs, captain Aleksander Barkov returns to the ice after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.
Injury bug
While Barkov’s return is an encouraging sign for Marchand and the Panthers, several lingering injuries continue to impact the team. Sam Bennett has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season, though he’s expected to be back for Game 1 of the playoffs.
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Meanwhile, Matthew Tkachuk remains on the mend, but head coach Paul Maurice has maintained that the star forward should also be ready for the postseason.