Florida Panthers vs. Chicago Blackhawks Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
The reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, will attempt to break free from their first minor slump of the season as they face off against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
In their last four games, Florida has only managed to secure one win, including a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. After two consecutive losses, the Panthers seemed to have regained their momentum with a dominant 5-0 shutout against the Jets on Saturday.
However, Winnipeg bounced back and took control of the rematch by scoring the first three goals. Although the Panthers managed to narrow the gap twice, they were unable to complete the comeback.
See also:
"Maple Leafs Defeat Blackhawks with Auston Matthews' Goal: NHL Recap"
See also:
Veteran F Tyler Seguin placed on IR by Stars
According to Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk, every time they felt like they were getting closer to catching up, the Jets would score and regain the momentum. He also added that it was a closely contested game and it was tough to lose after fighting back to get close.
The Panthers now face the struggling Blackhawks, who currently have the lowest points in the NHL with only 13. Chicago has lost three consecutive games and has a record of 1-5-0 in their last six.
In their most recent game against the Anaheim Ducks, the Blackhawks were leading 2-1 until the third period when their late-game struggles emerged once again. The Ducks managed to score two goals within a span of 4:28, taking the lead and securing the win.
Chicago has been struggling in the third period all season, having been outscored 26-15. Forward Jason Dickinson, who scored twice against Anaheim, expressed his frustration and mentioned that they have been in many close games and could have easily come out with wins. He also emphasized the need to perform when it matters.
Apart from their late concessions, Dickinson also pointed out that the Blackhawks have been struggling to score in general. They currently have the lowest number of goals (44) and average goals per game (2.32) in the league.
The team's leading scorer, Connor Bedard, has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists), but has not scored a goal in his last 10 games. The Blackhawks also suffered a blow with the announcement that their top defenseman, Seth Jones, will be out for four weeks due to a right foot injury.
According to coach Luke Richardson, Jones may have sustained the injury while blocking a shot in their game against the Seattle Kraken on November 14. Jones, who has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 17 games this season, leads all Chicago skaters in ice time per game with an average of 25:43.
See also:
"Alex Ovechkin, Capitals' Star Player, Returns to the Rink After 2-Week Leg Injury"
See also:
"Recap of NHL Action: Jake DeBrusk and Canucks Triumph over Red Wings in Overtime"
On the other hand, the Panthers have been performing well offensively, with Sam Reinhart leading the team with 29 points and 14 goals. He is also tied for the team lead with 15 assists and is currently fourth in the league in points.
Reinhart has been on fire lately, with 17 of his points (nine goals, eight assists) coming in his current 11-game point streak. If he manages to secure a point in Thursday's game, he will tie for the fifth-longest points streak in Panthers franchise history.
Aleksander Barkov has also been in impressive form, accumulating 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in his last nine games. In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky has been a solid performer for the Panthers, with a 27-save shutout against the Jets in their last game. However, he allowed four goals on 25 shots in their loss to Winnipeg and has a save percentage of .895 and a goals against average of 3.00 in his last six starts. Backup goalie Spencer Knight may get the start against Chicago to give Bobrovsky a break.
The Blackhawks were without their starting goalie, Petr Mrazek, in their last game due to personal reasons. Backup Arvid Soderblom got the start in his place and will likely start again on Thursday if Mrazek is still unavailable. Rookie backup Drew Commesso is unlikely to make his NHL debut against the high-scoring Panthers.
The Panthers have a strong record against the Blackhawks, with a record of 12-4-1 in their last 17 games dating back to the 2018-19 season.
Florida Panthers vs. Chicago Blackhawks Recap NOV 21TH 2024
Petr Mrazek made 32 saves and Nick Foligno had a goal and an assist as the Chicago Blackhawks recorded a 3-1 win over the visiting Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Teuvo Teravainen and Craig Smith also scored for the Blackhawks, who ended a three-game losing streak with the upset win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Mrazek stopped 32 of 33 shots for his sixth win in 14 games this season. The veteran goalie was particularly sharp in the third period, twice stopping Sam Reinhart on prime scoring chances.
Since completing a seven-game winning streak, the Panthers are 1-4-0 in their last five games.
Reinhart's 15th goal of the season was Florida's only tally of the game, despite a 33-20 shots advantage. It was the third time in Chicago's last four games that the Blackhawks had recorded 20 or fewer shots on net.
Florida goaltender Spencer Knight stopped 17 of 19 shots.
The Blackhawks had been 0-for-6 on power plays in their previous four games, but Teravainen ended the slump 2:46 into the first period. An interference penalty on Niko Mikkola gave Chicago an early chance with the extra attacker, and Teravainen buried a rebound for his fifth goal of the season.
Smith also tallied his fifth goal to extend Chicago's lead at 10:07 of the second period. Patrick Maroon's canny pass found Smith alone heading toward the Florida net, and Smith deposited a backhanded shot.
Just 34 seconds after Smith's goal, Reinhart answered with a shot from the circle that beat a screened Mrazek. Reinhart has 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) over a 12-game points streak, tied for the fifth-longest streak in Panthers franchise history.
Besides the efforts of Mrazek and the Blackhawks' defense, the Panthers' offense had some self-inflicted issues in the form of turnovers and missed passes. The problems peaked with a minute left in regulation, as Carter Verhaeghe made an ill-advised drop pass attempt in his own end that Foligno intercepted for a gift of an empty-net goal.