Panthers at Kings
The Florida Panthers may face quite the uphill climb in their bid for their second playoff berth in four seasons, but they appear intent on seeing it through to the end. With points in 12 of their last 15 contests (8-3-4), the Panthers vie for their fourth straight victory on Saturday afternoon when they continue their four-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings.
"We're not out of it yet," Florida coach Bob Boughner said following Thursday's 4-2 win over San Jose. "We know it's a long way to get (to the playoffs). We're concentrating on winning every game, really. That's the goal. ... We're not giving up until the end. We're going to fight." Captain Aleksander Barkov set up Mike Hoffman's team-leading 32nd goal on Thursday and carries a four-game point streak (two goals, eight assists) into the tilt versus Los Angeles, against which he scored and set up a goal in a 6-1 romp on Feb. 23. Jonathan Quick permitted all six goals in that contest and lost his 10th decision in a dozen outings (2-7-3) despite turning aside 31 shots in a 3-1 setback to Nashville on Thursday. The Kings' loss was their 14th in 16 games (2-10-4) and 37th overall in regulation, matching their most in a season since 2008-09.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, FS Florida, FS West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (31-27-12): Hoffman also added an assist versus the Sharks to boost his career-high point total to 63, with six (two goals, four assists) coming in the last five games. Jonathan Huberdeau has four tallies and five assists in his last four contests overall and scored and set up a goal in the first encounter with Los Angeles. Jamie McGinn, who has tallied in back-to-back contests, netted his first goal of the season against the Kings last month.
ABOUT THE KINGS (25-37-8): Rookie Austin Wagner returned from a four-game absence that saw him on crutches to score his 10th goal of the season on Thursday. "Going into this year, my goal was to make the team, let alone just play some games," the 21-year-old Wagner told the Los Angeles Times. "But when I didn't make the team, my goal was to try and stick. Obviously points are nice, but I have more jobs than just that. I've just got to focus on that stuff and try and keep with some confidence out there." Matt Roy picked up his first NHL point with a secondary assist while playing in his 13th straight game.
OVERTIME
1. Florida C Frank Vatrano has scored in consecutive contests to boost his career-high totals in goals (22) and points (36).
2. Los Angeles C Jeff Carter, who is one point shy of 700 for his career, is mired in an 18-game goal drought.
3. Panthers C Vincent Trocheck, who scored versus the Kings in the first meeting, resides two goals shy of 100 for his career.