Ducks at Panthers
The Florida Panthers are sitting just outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference and a five-game road trip later this month could go a long way to determining their fate. The Anaheim Ducks are in a much more secure position in the West, but they kick off a rugged six-game trek with a visit to the Panthers on Friday night.
Anaheim went 10-3-1 in January, but half of those wins came against cellar-dwelling Colorado and Arizona and the road is considerably tougher this month. “Any time you head out for a while, mentally it grinds on you as the trip goes on so we’re going to have to stay sharp,” Ducks All-Star defenseman Cam Fowler said. The Panthers erupted for a season-high goal total to defeat Ottawa 6-5 on Tuesday, erasing a two-goal deficit in the victory. Jonathan Marchessault delivered the game-winning tally for the second time in as many contests to boost his total to 15 -- more than double his previous career high.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FSN Florida
ABOUT THE DUCKS (28-15-9): Forward Jakob Silfverberg was forced so sit out the final three games leading up to the All-Star break after suffering a concussion against Colorado, but he returned to the lineup Tuesday and torched the Avalanche with a pair of goals and an assist. “Along with being a responsible defensive player, he finds a way to make a contribution on the offensive side of it,” Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. Silfverberg has enjoyed success against Florida with three goals in seven career meetings.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (22-19-10): Forward Michael Sgarbossa, acquired from Anaheim in mid-November, was not promoted by Florida until the end of December, but warmed up for a meeting with his former teammates with his first multiple-point game of his career. "You want to make them pay for making it seem like they got rid of you," Sgarbossa said of facing the Ducks. He notched a pair of assists in nine games with Anaheim before he was traded for Logan Shaw, and has a pair of goals and two assists in 15 games with the Panthers.
OVERTIME
1. Ducks G John Gibson is one win shy of matching his career high of 21 established last season.
2. Panthers G James Reimer could be in net. He was slated to start Tuesday but sat out after his wife gave birth to their daughter.
3. The Ducks have killed off 28 of 29 power plays over the past 10 games.