Chirping the Cats: Episode 57 – Matthew Tkachuk and Bill Zito discuss blockbuster trade
Just when you thought the Panthers were done making moves, they go and pull off one of the biggest trades the league has seen in years. Florida acquired Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a first-round pick.
Finally healthy, Panthers come flying out of holiday pause with a couple big wins on home ice
After shuffling nearly a dozen players in and out of COVID-19 protocols over the past several weeks, a replenished Florida roster resumed its post-Christmas schedule with back-to-back home games against two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
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Quenneville's meeting with Bettman may decide Florida fate
The Panthers are rolling this season but coach Joel Quenneville being named in a report detailing how the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled sexual assault allegations that an assistant on his staff sexually assaulted a player during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010 could derail Florida's hopes.
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Driedger gets third shutout as Panthers beat Lightning 4-0
Chris Driedger stopped 30 shots to record his third shutout of the season, Juho Lammikko scored a short-handed goal, and the Florida Panthers secured home-ice advantage for the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the regular season finale for both clubs.
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Barkov’s short-handed goal leads first place Panthers over Blackhawks
Jonathan Huberdeau celebrates his third period goal with Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers against the Chicago Blackhawks at the BB&T Center on January 17, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. SUNRISE, Fla. – Aleksander Barkov scored a tiebreaking short-handed goal in the third period, and the Florida Panthers beat the slumping Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. It was the Panthers’ first short-handed goal this season. Down 3-1, the Panthers scored five unanswered goals to win their fourth straight game. Patrick Kane, Philipp Kurashev and Brandon Hagel scored for the Blackhawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games.
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Huberdeau’s big night leads first place Panthers past Carolina in overtime
Huberdeau scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in overtime, as the Florida Panthers came from behind to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 Wednesday in Raleigh. The win vaulted Florida (10-2-2) into sole possession of first place in the Central Division, one point ahead of idle Tampa Bay and Carolina. “Really good start to our season,” Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville said afterwards. Jonathan Huberdeau is filthy pic.twitter.com/8pZzhdlbxd — Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) February 18, 2021Stop what you're doing and watch this pass from Huberdeau. That puts him on pace for 80 points this season (56 games) or 117 points over a traditional 82-game schedule.
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Panthers beat Lightning 5-2 to open 3-game set
Jonathan Huberdeau congratulates Patric Hornqvist of the Florida Panthers after he scored a third period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at the BB&T Center on January 17, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. SUNRISE, Fla. – Aaron Ekblad and Alex Wennberg each had a goal and an assist and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Thursday night. Braden Point scored twice for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves. The Lighting had won six straight, averaging 4.5 goals per game during the win streak. The teams will meet again Saturday night in Sunrise and Monday night in Tampa.
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Florida Panthers off to 2nd-best start in franchise history
Florida’s 6-1-2 start through nine games is the second-best in franchise history, topped only by the 6-0-3 record to open the 1996-97 season. “We've been consistent in most games," Florida coach Joel Quenneville said. Starting poorly, however, has pretty much snuffed out some Panthers seasons before they even started. The five Florida teams that went to the playoffs — 1995-96, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2011-12 and 2015-16 — averaged 12 standings points through the season’s first nine games. There’s obviously a long way to go, but the Panthers finally have the start they wanted.
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Panthers schedule updated with changes from NHL
Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers celebrates with Aleksander Barkov after assisting a goal which made him the the all-time Florida Panthers leader in points during the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at BB&T Center on January 12, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. SUNRISE, Fla. – The NHL has announced date and time changes for several Florida Panthers games, including the two games against the Stars that were postponed from this week because of coronavirus concerns within Dallas’ team. The home game against Dallas originally set for Jan. 14 will now be Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. The game that was supposed to be Jan. 15 is now scheduled for May 3 at 7 p.m.Because those two season-opening games were postponed, the Panthers begin the season Sunday at home against Chicago at 7 p.m. For the Panthers’ full schedule, click here.
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Panthers 56-game schedule released, begins Jan. 14 against Dallas at BB&T Center
Florida Panthers' Noel Acciari celebrates with MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. SUNRISE, Fla. – The NHL’s condensed schedule for the 2020-21 season was released on Wednesday, and as expected, it looks a little different. For the Florida Panthers, that means getting quickly acquainted with several new division rivals. Bunched together are two-game sets against each divisional opponent, starting on Jan. 14 and 15 with back-to-back home games against the Dallas Stars to open the season. That’s basically how the entire 56-game schedule is laid out for the Panthers, which can be seen below:Florida Panthers 20-21 schedule.
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NHL, players reach tentative deal for 56-game season
The National Hockey League and players reached a tentative deal Friday to hold a 56-game season in 2021 beginning Jan. 13, pending the approval of each side’s executive board and Canadian health officials. The NHL Players’ Association’s board is meeting Friday night to discuss it, while the league’s Board of Governors could vote on the plan as soon as this weekend. Approval from health officials in the five Canadian provinces that have teams is still needed before the NHL can go ahead with the season. It’s unclear whether teams would play in their home arenas or in “hub” cities, though an all-divisional schedule is expected. The NHL, like the NBA, finished its previous season in a quarantined bubble — two of them, one each in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.
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With Evgenii Dadonov gone, who skates on Panthers top line with Sasha Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau?
SUNRISE, Fla. – As the dust settles following several weeks of trades and free agency signings around the NHL, one thing is apparent in Sunrise; the Florida Panthers have a big vacancy to fill. Who is going to take Evgenii Dadonov’s spot on the Panthers top line? For the past three seasons, nobody has been on the ice with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau more often than Dadonov. Getting back to the Panthers, Dadonov turned out to be the right fit for Huberdeau and Barkov, and the line thrived as a result. It’s also worth noting that Vatrano has been given looks with Huberdeau and Barkov before, and he did very little with the opportunity.
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Panthers players discuss emotional deadline day following trade of Vincent Trocheck
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Florida Panthers top line left winger Jonathan Huberdeau described an emotional morning in Las Vegas. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had a hard time finding the words when asked about Trocheck being gone. Almost every player had come and gone following a post-trade deadline practice at the Arizona Coyotes home rink. From Barkov's perspective, Trocheck was as much a part of the Panthers as the logo on the front of his sweater. "I have good relationships with our players, I'm friendly with them, but bottom line is what's best for the Florida Panthers, and that's why we felt it was necessary to do this.
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Huberdeau sets franchise points mark, Panthers beat Leafs
SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist, surpassing Olli Jokinen for the franchise’s career points lead with 420, and the Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 8-4 on Sunday night. Mitch Marner scored twice for the Maple Leafs, and Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists. Marner’s 13th goal got the Maple Leafs within three early in the third. Leading 3-0, the Panthers scored on their first three shots of the second. Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson returned after missing the past 15 games with a leg injury.
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Huberdeau has 4-point game, Panthers beat Canadiens 6-5
SUNRISE – Jonathan Huberdeau scored two goals in just over 30 seconds and added two assists, and Florida’s top line had a nine-point game as the Panthers beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on Sunday night. Aleksander Barkov had two goals and an assist and Mike Matheson added a goal and two assists. The top line of Huberdeau, Barkov and Dadonov notched four goals and five assists. Barkov countered with his second goal of the game at 3:41, tying the score at 3-all. Huberdeau scored twice in a 35-second span for a 5-3 lead.
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Chirping the Cats podcast: Episode 7 - Dec. 7, 2019
SUNRISE, Fla. – On Episode 7 of Chirping the Cats, Florida Panthers top line winger Jonathan Huberdeau joins host David Dwork for a chat about playing Joel Quenneville, Huby growing up as a Panthers player and much more! David also gets into some key elements of Florida’s season, which is nearing the 30-game mark. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CTC PODCAST - iOS | Android1:00 – Odd-man rushes2:50 – Gap control5:20 – Defense a 5-man game6:00 – Florida's aggressive defense7:20 – High-scoring Panthers8:20 – Jonathan Huberdeau interview9:20 – Playing for Joel Quenneville10:05 – Learning Q's system11:30 – Different start to the season, not falling behind12:45 – Playing best hockey of his career13:45 – Balancing passing and shooting15:30 – Growing up with Panthers core guys17:30 – Amazing linemates over the years19:10 – Leaders/coaches that have stood out

Quenneville hits major milestone, has Panthers playing full of confidence
Head coach Joel Quenneville of the Florida Panthers looks on from behind the bench on November 14, 2019. SUNRISE, Fla. - The Florida Panthers are nearing the quarter pole of the season. Michael Reaves/Getty Images Vincent Trocheck of the Florida Panthers celebrates after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets on November 14, 2019. Joel Auerbach/Getty Images Jonathan Huberdeau celebrates his first period goal with Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers. Last season, Huberdeau reached new marks in goals, assists and points (30-62-92) while playing in all 82 games for Florida.

Dadonov scores 2 as Panthers beat Rangers 4-3
Josh Brown #2 of the New York Rangers pursues Brendan Lemieux #48 of the Florida Panthers. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)Evgenii Dadonov scored twice to lead the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday night. Mike Hoffman and Brett Connolly also scored, and Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle each had three assists for the Panthers. Hoffman and Dadonov scored power-play goals at 2:05 and 6:50, respectively, giving the Panthers scores on the man advantage in nine straight games. However, the Rangers tied it both times, first with Strome's sixth goal at 2:39 and Panarin's ninth at 8:47.

Panthers survive brutal October schedule, hitting stride in Quenneville's system
Oh, and let us not forget the poor starts to the season that past Panthers teams have been notorious for setting themselves up with. "I think with the first month (of the season), we're still adjusting," said Florida forward JonathanHuberdeau. "Q is there, and he has a great system; we've just got to follow it every night." Florida allowed just 22 shots on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who registered his first shutout as a member of the Panthers. Puck possession was strong, as well, which will always lead to good things in Quenneville's system.

Bobrovsky, Huberdeau lead Panthers past Red Wings, 4-0
The veteran goalie earned his first shutout with Florida, and Jonathan Huberdeau had two goals and an assist as the Panthers cruised to a 4-0 win over the struggling Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Bobrovsky, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent in the offseason, stopped 22 shots for his 34th career shutout. The Red Wings mounted little offense and were ineffective on defense most of the game. NOTES: Panthers D Anton Stralman got his 200th NHL assist on the first goal by Huberdeau. ... Red Wings D Trevor Daley left in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

Quenneville's Panthers progressing nicely, looking to end road trip on high note
Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville handles bench duties during the first period against the New York Islanders on October 12, 2019. DENVER - The finish line of a long and daunting road trip is in sight. Joel Quenneville and his Florida Panthers are almost done with an October schedule to forget. But first things first, and that's ending an extremely tough road trip on a positive note. "Knowing that we have a chance to have a good road trip, especially on a tough road trip with tough travel, I think for us to come out and start early and start fast is big for us."

10 Observations: After 10 games, Panthers progressing nicely in Quenneville's system
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson skates past as Florida Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau celebrates with teammates after scoring during the third period on Oct. 22, 2019. With the Florida Panthers reaching the 10-game mark of the season Thursday night in Calgary, it seemed like a good time for a new 10 Observations. Michael Reaves/Getty Images Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers prepares for a face-off against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 08, 2019. Michael Reaves/Getty Images Evgenii Dadonov of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 08, 2019. We'll end this 10 Observations with some knowledge from Florida Panthers playoff legend Bill Lindsay.

Dzingel nets 2, Hurricanes top Panthers 6-3 for 4th straight
Dzingel's second goal extended Carolina's lead to 5-0 at 1:31 of the second. Yandle's power-play goal with 10:26 left in the third closed the Panthers to 5-2. Dadonov made it 5-3 on a power-play goal with 4:08 left. Dzingel's power-play goal with 1:46 left in the first made it 4-0. ... Reimer, acquired by the Hurricanes from the Panthers on June 30, made his first start against his former team.