High-Scoring Panthers Open Three-Game California Road Trip In San Jose
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SAN JOSE (CBSMiami) – After winning two of their past three games, the Florida Panthers are hoping that things are beginning to turn around.
An invigorating shootout win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday will hopefully provide a spark as Florida (6-9-2) embarks on a California road trip in which they play three games in four nights.
It all begins Thursday when the Panthers face off against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.
The big problem for the Panthers this season hasn't been scoring goals, but stopping them. The Sharks (10-6-0) have had the opposite problem.
Florida is next-to-last in the NHL in goals against, giving up 3.76 per game, but they are in the top 10 in scoring (3.29 goals per game).
Meanwhile, San Jose ranks 26th in the league in scoring at 2.69 goals per game but they are tops in the NHL in goals against, surrendering a league-low 36.
A big part of the Panthers offense comes from their top line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov, and the unit has been humming of late.
Over Florida's last three games the trio has combined for five goals and seven assists.
A victory on Thursday would give the Panthers consecutive wins for just the second time this season. They previously did it during games two and three on the schedule.
GOING 5-HOLE
- Florida has had six games in which they scored at least three goals and still lost (6-4-2).
- Sharks defensemen Brent Burns is still waiting to score his first goal of the season. Burns has three goals and four assists in five games played against Florida at SAP Center.
- Florida winger Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in scoring with 21 points (7g 14a) and has six points over his last five road games.
- The next goal for Sharks center Joe Pavelski will be his 300th in the NHL.
- Panthers coach Bob Boughner returns to San Jose for the first time since being hired away from the Sharks over the summer.
