A creative way to play Barkov and Huberdeau together, more notes from Panthers’ road wins
The Florida Panthers returned from a two-week All-Star break Wednesday and immediately put together two of their most impressive wins of the season.
On Wednesday, they scored in the final minute of regulation to force overtime in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then beat the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime to sweep the season with the only team they lost the season series to last year. On Friday, their offense exploded in St. Paul, Minnesota, to blow out the Minnesota Wild, 6-2.
The Hurricanes, with the second best points percentage in the Eastern Conference, are a clear-cut Stanley Cup contender; the Wild, with the second best points percentage in the Western Conference, is another of the best teams in the league; and the Panthers, with the best points percentage in the East and the second best points percentage in the NHL, handled them both on the road.
In the middle of it all, interim coach Andrew Brunette found a new way to pair up star forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, forward Noel Acciari made his long-awaited regular-season debut and Florida flipped its road fortunes.
“It’s nice to be back,” goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said Friday.
He spoke for everyone because the Panthers (34-10-5) aren’t just rolling. They’re also unveiling new little wrinkles along the way, including these three key developments emerging:
A new Huberdeau-Barkov look
The situation broke perfectly for Brunette in the second period Friday at the Xcel Energy Center: The Panthers had an offensive-zone faceoff after a television timeout, meaning their top line, which had been on the ice right before the stoppage, could stay out there for an extra shift.
Brunette wasn’t content to just roll out Barkov with wingers Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair, though. Instead, he stuck Huberdeau in for Verhaeghe at left wing in an aggressive move to chase a goal and it paid off. Huberdeau assisted Duclair and Florida built a two-goal lead.
Brunette went to the alternate top-line combination once more in the second period and the trio outshot Minnesota, 2-0, in 1:13 of time on ice.
“I like to do it time to time, just a lot of times off of stoppages or icings and get them out together,” Brunette said Friday. “They play so well together.”
It’s a creative way to split the difference between two identities and get the Panthers’ two best forwards on the ice together more frequently than just on the power play. In the last two years, Florida has outscored opponents 12-7 when Barkov and Huberdeau are on the ice together for 5-on-5 action, but, “it’s just better for our team to be four lines deep,” with Barkov and Huberdeau split up, Brunette said.
“But, yeah, they’re two special players,” Brunette said. “When they get out there together, they’re pretty dangerous.”
Acciari makes regular-season debut
After a freak injury in the preseason forced him to miss the first 47 games of the regular season, Acciari finally made his regular-season debut Friday and got stronger as the game went on in his first appearance of the year.
Acciari lined up as the fourth-line right wing Friday and played 11:46, including 40 shorthanded as the second forward next to Barkov on the top penalty-killing unit. Although he got burnt for a goal on Minnesota’s second power play in the first period, Acciari was otherwise solid and had his best stretch in the third period when he attempted three shots and blocked one. He also had two hits and went 2 of 3 on faceoffs.
“He got better every shift he played,” Brunette said, “so it was a good sign for us.”
While the Panthers’ forward depth means he might not be in the lineup every night, Acciari still looks like he’ll be a useful two-way piece for Florida.
The Florida Panthers’ road turnaround
At one point this year, the Panthers were 4-4-5 away from Sunrise. Now 11-7-5, they’ll have a chance to bring their road record up to .500 when they wrap up this road trip Sunday at 3 p.m. against Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
Florida has won 7 of 10 away from FLA Live Arena, including two overtime wins in North Carolina, the rout in Minnesota, and a blowout win against superstar center Connor McDavid the playoff-contending Edmonton Oilers last month.
Injury update on Anthony Duclair
Duclair participated in practice Saturday in Illinois, skating in his usual spot on the top line. He’ll be good to go when Florida faces the Blackhawks (18-25-8) in Chicago.
The forward briefly went back to the locker room in the third period Friday after he took a massive hit from star forward Ryan Hartman, but he was able to return for a late shift, which Brunette said was a positive sign for his status moving forward. The coach said Florida would “reevaluate him” Saturday and he was cleared to play.
This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 12:06 PM.
