SUNRISE — The end of the Florida Panthers season as we know it may just start tonight on Long Island.
The Panthers play yet another ‘resurgent’ team in the New York Islanders tonight at 6:30, a team that appears headed to the playoffs after missing the dance last year.
Florida remains eight points out of the playoffs after a 1-1 start coming out of the Olympic break.
With 23 games left and the NHL Trade Deadline coming Friday at 3, tonight’s game against the Islanders marks the start of the most important road trip, for this team, of the season.
Florida plays three games on this trip before the trade deadline with four games being played overall.
The Panthers play the Islanders at Belmont Park tonight before visiting New Jersey (Tuesday), Columbus (Thursday) and Detroit (Friday).
“I always say, if you’re on a three-game or longer road trip, the first game is so important,’’ Matthew Tkachuk said after Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
“If you don’t get it, the trip gets really long, and really slow. You don’t want to [play] catch up on the road. Unfortunately we need better than .500, better than five out of eight points. We need close to all of them. So, we better get that first one.”
The Panthers could be getting some of their injured players back as early as today.
Coach Paul Maurice said Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Nosek are close to a return, with Jonah Gadjovich on the trip with the hopes he could come back as well. Seth Jones is not far off, either.
Kulikov, per Maurice, could play tonight.
That is obviously good news for the Panthers who will have to make some moves in the coming days regardless.
The Panthers, per PuckPedia.com, are about $2.5 million under the salary cap but need to find another $2.5 just to activate Jones and Kulikov off LTIR.
Putting Cole Schwindt on LTIR would free up $825,000 of that.
He probably goes on today to free up the roster spot needed by Kulikov.
ON DECK: GAME No. 60
FLORIDA PANTHERS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS
When: Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: UBS Arena, Long Island
National TV: ESPN
National Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
Last Season: Panthers Won 2-1
This Season (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Islanders: Sunday; March 28. At Florida: Panthers 4, Islanders 1 (Dec. 2)
All-time Regular Season Series: Panthers lead 60-35-11, 8 ties
Next Up for the Panthers: Tuesday at New Jersey Devils, 7 (TNT/HBO Max)
