The Florida Panthers, led by red-hot center Sam Reinhart, are set to return home for Thursday night’s game in Sunrise against the Vancouver Canucks.
Florida was 2-2-0 on its four-game road trip, and the Panthers will enter Thursday looking for a third straight win.
Reinhart, who finished second in the NHL last season with 57 goals, has eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games during this current campaign.
“I don’t think Sam has reached his peak, and he will continue to learn,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “He processes the game so well.
“Sam is one of the smartest players I’ve ever coached. He’s really intelligent with his linemates.”
Reinhart, who also had eight points (six goals, two assists) after Florida’s first five games last season, is having to do more now because the Panthers have some injury/illness issues.
Center Aleksander Barkov is expected to miss at least two weeks due to a lower-body injury. Winger Matthew Tkachuk has missed three straight games due to an illness, and those two players combined last season to produce 49 goals and 119 assists.
Reinhart, meanwhile, is more than just a scorer. He is also killing penalties. In fact, two of his four goals this season have come short-handed. Last season, he led the league with 27 power-play goals.
And, with Reinhart on the ice while 5-on-5 this season, the Panthers have a 31-19 advantage in scoring chances and a 6-1 edge in goals.
Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky certainly appreciates Reinhart, who signed an eight-year contract extension in July.
“We’re happy and lucky to have him,” Bobrovsky said. “He’s smart defensively. He scores goals. He can win a faceoff when you need it, and he’s a great guy in the locker room. He can do it all.”
Bobrovsky, who is 2-1-0 with a 3.02 goals-against average and .894 save percentage, is likely to start on Thursday. His backup, Spencer Knight (1-1, 3.56 GAA, .891), got the win on Tuesday as Florida beat Columbus 4-3.
Meanwhile, the Canucks are streaking in the opposite direction as they have lost three straight games to open the season.
The Canucks are coming off a 4-1 loss on Tuesday at the Tampa Bay Lightning to open a four-game road trip.
Tampa Bay led 3-0 before Vancouver scored its only goal on Conor Garland’s power-play tally early in the third period.
“We weren’t ready to play the first period,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “It was only 1-0, but I don’t think we wanted to battle.
“In the second and third periods, we had some chances that we didn’t bury.”
Garland, who scored by skating behind Tampa Bay’s goalie and stuffing in a puck that may have crossed the line on its own, agreed with his coach.
“Our start — we just didn’t come out on time,” Garland said. “We put ourselves behind the eight ball. We should have had a goal late in the second period, and it would’ve been a different game.”
The Canucks, though, need to shake that off if they are to have any shot to beat the Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Florida is 1-0-0 at home on the young season, beating Boston on opening night.
Forwards Garland and Brock Boeser lead Vancouver in goals (two) and points (three).
The Canucks have used two goalies: Arturs Silovs (0-1-1, 4.50 GAA, .830) and Kevin Lankinen (0-0-1, 1.85 GAA, .935). Silovs took the loss on Tuesday, giving up three goals on 26 shots.
