Red Wings Vs Panthers: Florida Faces Late Injury Questions Ahead of 7 p.m. ET Puck Drop
red wings vs panthers is back on the schedule Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena in suburban Sunrise, with puck drop set for 7 p. m. ET. Florida enters the rematch after a 3-1 win at Little Caesars Arena on Friday that snapped a four-game losing streak. Now, the Panthers are preparing to close the home-and-home while juggling lineup availability tied to lingering injuries.
Red Wings Vs Panthers: What we know heading into Tuesday night (7 p. m. ET)
Florida (31-29-3) and Detroit (36-21-7) meet again after Friday’s result swung momentum toward the Panthers. In that win, Matthew Tkachuk scored all three goals for Florida, recording the sixth hat trick of his career and his fourth since joining the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves, and Carter Verhaeghe, Brad Marchand, and Sam Reinhart each logged an assist.
Detroit responded quickly after that loss, opening a four-game road trip with a 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Moritz Seider had a goal and two assists, while James van Riemsdyk and Dominik Shine also scored. Shine’s goal was the first NHL goal of his career. In net, John Gibson and Cam Talbot combined for a 31-save shutout.
Injuries and roster movement: Marchand out, Reinhart managed, new faces arrive
Florida head coach Paul Maurice said Monday that forward Brad Marchand will miss Tuesday’s game and will visit doctors this week as the team plans next steps for what Maurice described as a lingering injury.
“We’re going to come up with a plan for him, as he’s been dealing with something for a couple of months, ” Maurice said. “We’ve been able to maintain it, but it’s just a function of nine (games) in 15 (days), go to Italy, come back, six (games) in nine days… We’re maintaining guys as best we possibly can, but Brad would be one that we’ll get a decision this week on what’s the best thing for him going forward. ”
Marchand has 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 52 games this season, with his 27 goals and 54 points both ranking second on the team.
Maurice also addressed Sam Reinhart’s status ahead of Tuesday, saying the forward will be out due to a lingering soft-tissue issue as the team attempts to get ahead of it.
“We’re trying to get ahead of this with Sam Reinhart, ” Maurice said. “We just had this unusual three-day block … and figured if we could add two more onto that, we may be able to manage this out. ”
Reinhart played in Friday’s 3-1 win over Detroit, finishing with an assist while skating 19: 32. He has appeared in all 63 games this season, with 28 goals and 31 assists for 59 points, leading the Panthers in goals, assists, and points.
Florida’s Monday practice at Baptist Health IcePlex also featured new faces. Forwards Vinnie Hinostroza and Cole Reinhardt joined the group after arriving around the NHL’s trade deadline on Friday. Hinostroza said the organization and facilities look different from his previous stint with the club.
“Coming back here, there’s probably three or four guys that were here, ” Hinostroza said. “A lot of new faces, new practice facility that’s amazing. ”
Maurice said Hinostroza is expected to play Tuesday against Detroit. Hinostroza has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 48 games this season. Cole Reinhardt, claimed off waivers, described his fit with Florida’s approach.
“We play a hard game and it’s simple here, ” Reinhardt said. “Just hop on board and play that way. ”
Immediate stakes: Florida chasing points, Detroit trying to keep pace
Florida enters Tuesday sitting 11 points out of the second wild card spot in the Atlantic Division with 19 games remaining, and players say the focus is on standards as much as results.
“Finalizing this year, being able to make sure that the details, the culture, the way that we play, and the way we carry ourselves throughout this stretch here, finishing off is going to be the right way, ” said A. J. Greer following Monday’s practice at Baptist Health IcePlex. “Going into the summer and making sure that we’ve given everything we’ve had and emptying the tank. We’ll push for playoffs and we’ll see what happens. ”
What’s next after red wings vs panthers
Tuesday’s meeting closes the home-and-home, and Florida then finishes the two-game homestand Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. With Marchand ruled out for Tuesday and Sam Reinhart sidelined as the club manages a soft-tissue issue, the immediate next development to watch after red wings vs panthers is Maurice’s updated availability outlook later this week in Eastern Time (ET) as Florida sets its lineup for Thursday.
