Blue Jackets at Panthers
The Florida Panthers attempt to bounce back from a rough outing when they continue their five-game homestand Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Florida went 1-0-1 in the first two contests of the stretch at BB&T Center before suffering an 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday.
Aleksander Barkov continued his solid pace in the setback, registering a four-point performance to give him four goals and seven assists over his last six contests. Linemates Evgenii Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau each recorded a tally and two assists, leaving the trio tied for the scoring lead on the Panthers with 14 points apiece. Columbus is kicking off a three-game road trip after topping Boston 4-3 in a shootout on Monday. Artemi Panarin helped the Blue Jackets avoid an embarrassing loss, scoring the decisive goal in the bonus format after the club squandered a 3-0 lead.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), FSN Florida
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (8-4-0): Tyler Motte made his first game with Columbus a memorable one as he scored to give the club its 3-0 advantage. The 22-year-old center, who was acquired from Chicago in the offseason deal involving Panarin, recorded four tallies and three assists in 33 contests with the Blackhawks last season - his first in the NHL. Motte was in the lineup for Cam Atkinson, who missed the game due to a lower-body injury.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (4-6-1): Antti Niemi made his debut with Florida on Monday and suffered the loss in relief after giving up two goals on 18 shots. The 34-year-old Finn, who was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, has made each of his last three appearances versus the Lightning - losing all three while allowing 14 tallies. Dadonov leads the Panthers in goals with six, three of which have come on the power play.
OVERTIME
1. Blue Jackets LW Sonny Milano, who leads the team with five goals, was a healthy scratch on Monday.
2. Barkov has scored a team-leading two short-handed goals in 11 games this season after recording one in his first 252 NHL contests.
3. Columbus set the franchise record for points in October, eclipsing the mark of 15 that was accomplished in 2007-08 (7-3-1).