Sharks at Panthers
The Florida Panthers hope the third time is the charm as they attempt to extend their winning streak to a season-high three games on Friday against the visiting San Jose Sharks. Florida exited the Metropolitan area with a pair of one-goal victories, highlighted by Roberto Luongo becoming the second goalie in NHL history to win 200 games with two different teams following a 3-2 triumph versus New Jersey on Monday.
Luongo, who is expected to get the start on Friday, turned aside all 35 shots he faced in a 2-0 victory over the Sharks on Nov. 16 to give coach Bob Boughner a win in his return to San Jose. Boughner served as an assistant coach for the Sharks in the previous two seasons before becoming the bench boss with Florida. The Panthers are just 5-4-2 at home and face a San Jose club that has secured at least a point in seven of nine (6-2-1) away from the SAP Center. "Our style is good for the road, but I think our style is good for wherever we are playing," defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said after the Sharks opened their four-game road trip with a 3-1 win at free-falling Philadelphia.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN California (San Jose), FSN Florida
ABOUT THE SHARKS (13-8-2): Veteran Joe Thornton extended his point streak to four games with a power-play goal against the Flyers, giving him two goals and three assists in that stretch. Logan Couture set up Thornton for that goal and also assisted on a second-period tally from Vlasic, giving him back-to-back multi-point performances. Aaron Dell, who is in line to start back-to-back games for the first time in his NHL career, turned aside 22 shots in place of the injured Martin Jones (undisclosed) on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (10-12-2): Colton Scevior and Nick Bjugstad each scored a goal in the first encounter versus San Jose and both centers notched an assist in Florida's 5-4 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Jonathan Huberdeau (team-leading 17 assists, 25 points) collected a goal and two assists in that contest after mustering just one point (an assist) in his previous six games. Fellow forward Vincent Trocheck leads the club with 10 goals, but has just two in his last nine outings.
OVERTIME
1. San Jose F Joonas Donskoi (upper body) is considered "day-to-day and making good progress," general manager Doug Wilson wrote via text message to The Athletic.
2. The Panthers' 28th-ranked penalty kill has thwarted all nine short-handed situations over the last four games and both of the Sharks' power plays in the first encounter.
3. San Jose has scored with the man advantage in three straight contests and four of its last five after going 0-for-17 in its previous six.