The Florida Panthers are gearing up to start their Stanley Cup title defense, hopefully with a full squad heading into the opening round. On that note, Paul Maurice confirmed the long-awaited return from two pivotal players, who will join Brad Marchand and the squad going into the final stretch of the NHL regular season and the even bigger challenges ahead.
The Panthers are starting to look more like their true selves in the final games of the 2024-25 NHL campaign. After a rough slump—during which key injuries were sorely felt—the Cats are returning to full strength, signaling a scary sight for the rest of the league.
Florida has become a playoff powerhouse in recent years. Their modus operandi is becoming familiar—and the league should know better than to count them out. Still, many have made that mistake. With Marchand now in the lineup, the Panthers are a team no one wants to face. Yet, any contender with hopes of hoisting the Stanley Cup will likely have to go through them.
If there was a sign of hope for the rest of the league, it was the injury bug that took its toll in Florida’s locker room. Yet, the Panthers have weathered the storm, and spirits are sky-high in Sunrise as two stars who helped conquer Lord Stanley last season return to the lineup.
Sam Bennett #9 of the Florida Panthers seen in action during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on October 15, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.
Sam Bennett and Dmitry Kulikov are back in the lineup for the Panthers’ home game against the New York Rangers on April 14 at 8p.m. EST, head coach Paul Maurice announced this morning.
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Guess who’s back
Though Bennett was expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after sustaining an upper-body injury which sidelined him during the Panthers’ last four outings. However, the 28-year-old forward has put in the work and it greatly paid off.
“He’s at 100%. He got himself to that point,” Maurice stated on Bennett’s return, via Jameson Olive on X. “He’s ready, he’s skating and he wants to play.”
Opponent: to be confirmed
The Panthers cannot win the Atlantic Division, yet they are still in contention for second place, which would grant them home-ice advantage during the first round playoff series. Florida will take on either Toronto or Tampa Bay in the first round.
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As it stands, there will be a new edition of the Battle of Florida in the first round. It would mark the third playoff meeting between the Panthers and Lightning in the last four years, with Tampa Bay holding a 2-1 edge in the series.
