Updates on Florida Panthers’ goaltending situation. Plus more injury news
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was quick to admit Saturday morning that the team was “concerned” when they took starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky out of net barely two minutes into their eventual 6-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury.
After further evaluation, Maurice said Bobrovsky’s injury is “way better than we thought it would be” although the goaltender is still expected to miss playing time in the short-term.
Maurice said Bobrovsky will most likely be out at least the next three games — Saturday against the Minnesota Wild and then a road back-to-back against the New York Rangers on Monday and Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Spencer Knight is also not with the team at the moment after being loaned to AHL Charlotte after missing the past six games due to an undisclosed injury, so Florida for the time being is working with its Nos. 3 and 4 goaltenders.
The Panthers’ full goaltending situation at this point, per Maurice, is as follows:
▪ Alex Lyon, who stopped 23 of 25 shots on Thursday after coming in for Bobrovsky, will start on Saturday against the Wild. Mack Guzda, who was recalled from Charlotte on Friday, will serve as Lyon’s backup.
▪ Knight, who last played on Jan. 8 at Dallas, is playing for Charlotte on Saturday — and possibly Sunday — and could join the team in New York on Monday depending on how he feels.
“He’s been out for a long time,” Maurice said, “and we need him to get some playing time.”
▪ The Panthers play two sets of back-to-backs next week — the Monday-Tuesday road games in New York and Pittsburgh followed by home games on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday against the Boston Bruins to wrap up their schedule ahead of the All-Star Break. In a best-case scenario, Knight will be available for one of the two road games to split the trip with Lyon. Otherwise, Lyon and Guzda likely each start a game.
Also, in a best-case scenario, Bobrovsky returns for the home back-to-back and he and Knight are options in net.
Eric Staal in concussion protocol
In other injury news, Maurice said center Eric Staal is in concussion protocol after the hit he took in the first period from Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson.
The Panthers placed Eric Staal on injured reserve Friday, but Maurice said “early returns” on the severity of the injury are “very good.” Staal is eligible to return to the lineup Friday.
“You never know with this stuff,” Maurice added, “but I would say he’s potential for [next] weekend as well.”
Staal, who formally signed a deal with the Panthers on Oct. 21 after spending training camp with the team on a professional tryout, has done a solid job since entering the lineup. He has centered the third and fourth lines and been a mainstay on the penalty kill. Staal has 14 points on the season (seven goals, seven assists), all of which have come since Dec. 1.
“And his play doesn’t drop off,” Maurice said. “But when you get into so many heavy games at his age, too, if he’s gonna miss some games, now’s not a bad time for him to miss some games and recharge the batteries and come back strong.”
Maurice said Chris Tierney will slot into the lineup for Staal.
More injury news
Winger Anthony Duclair, who has been on long-term injured reserve all season while recovering from offseason Achilles surgery, did not travel with the team on its recent three-game road trip. Instead, he stayed back in South Florida and worked with fellow forward Patric Hornqvist.
Duclair is still wearing a yellow non-contact jersey when on the ice with the team and remains at least a couple weeks away from being a full participant in practice.
“Anthony’s been a hard worker,” Maurice said. “He’s not a guy that we worry about not pushing himself. He’s been rehabbing this thing for so long. He’s dying to get out of the gym and away from the strength guys and the conditioning guys and just go play some hockey. He’s moving pretty good. He was moving better today [during morning skate] for me than he was a week ago. I still don’t know if it’s two weeks or three weeks, if it’s right after the [All-Star] break or in the week before, but he’s getting close.”
As for Hornqvist, he remains on long-term injured reserve for a concussion.
.JPG)