A win over the Hurricanes in North Carolina tonight would allow the Florida Panthers to tie an NHL record.
Florida has won their last 11 road games, one short of the record set by the Detroit Red Wings (March 1–April 15, 2006) and later tied by the Minnesota Wild (Feb. 18–April 9, 2015).
The Panthers have not lost a road game since losing 3-1 in Calgary on December 18.
Since then, Florida has outscored its opponents 52-18 in wins.
However, with the road streak broken by the Christmas break (Florida did not play a road game after Calgary until beating Tampa Bay 3-2 on Dec. 27) and the All-Star break, coach Paul Maurice noted the current run of wins does not feel particularly noteworthy.
Of course, the Panthers would prefer to be on an 11-game road winning streak than the alternative.
“It feels a little bit less, honestly,” Maurice remarked when asked about the possibility of tying the record. “We’ve had some really fantastic runs, and they’ve all been around breaks. I was asked where we lost our last road game, and we had just discussed how our season had turned. We lost in Calgary, returned home, and lost to St. Louis. That would be a low point. But then we took off.
“The streak simply doesn’t feel related. If we had played nine, ten, or eleven consecutive away games and you went on that run, you would have felt it. It does not feel like it. But it is good. “Better than the other.”
As the aggregate score illustrates, the Panthers have had few close calls throughout their stretch.
Before the All-Star break, Florida played a back-to-back in Pittsburgh and Long Island.
The Penguins tied late in the third period, but Florida won in a shootout; the next night, Florida defeated the Islanders in overtime.
Aside from that, Florida’s games have typically been lopsided.
The Panthers, for example, outscored Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay 18-4 on their previous three-game road trip.
Tonight should be a little harder.
Carolina, which Florida swept in the Eastern Conference finals last spring, has won the last three games and eight of its last ten.
The Hurricanes are currently six points behind the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.
Here’s how the Panthers came within a win of the NHL record:
December 27: Panthers 3–Tampa Bay 2.
Florida led 2-0 before Tampa Bay scored 28 seconds into the third. It was 3-2 with over 17 minutes left, but Sergei Bobrovsky shut the door. Sam Reinhart scored twice, and Aaron Ekblad got things rolling.
January 2: Panthers 4, Arizona 1.
Carter Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, and Gus Forsling all scored in a game that included several fights and a hard hit by Jason Zucker on Nick Cousins.
January 5: Panthers 4, Vegas 1.
Down 1-0, the Panthers score four straight goals to defeat the Knights for the second time in as many weeks. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, and Reinhart all scored.
January 6: Panthers 8, Colorado 4.
Reinhart scores a hat trick as the Panthers take a 3-0 lead and do not look back. Colorado has won 11 of its last 12 home games, with this being the only defeat during the stretch.
January 9: Panthers 5, St. Louis 1.
Tkachuk returns home to Missouri and scores a hat trick as the Panthers trail early but turn it into a rout for Florida’s ninth straight victory. The Panthers reach nine before the streak breaks.
January 22: Panthers 4, Nashville 1.
Facing Andrew Brunette for the first time as head coach, the Panthers put on a show for their fathers, with Reinhart, Verhaeghe, Brandon Montour, and Tkachuk all scoring.
Jan. 26: Panthers 3, Pittsburgh 2 (SO).
Evan Rodrigues and Reinhart both score, but Evgeni Malkin ties it with 41 seconds remaining. Bobrovsky had a strong game, but Sasha Barkov and Reinhart took the shootout victory.
January 27: Panthers 3, Islanders 2 (OT)
Reinhart and Tkachuk helped the Panthers take a 2-1 lead into the third period before Kyle Palmieri scored with 1:29 remaining to force overtime. Ekman-Larsson wins in overtime after a two-on-one with Rodrigues.
February 14: Panthers 5, Pittsburgh 2.
The Panthers celebrate Valentine’s Day by jumping out to a 4-0 lead and cruising to another victory. Tkachuk, Gadjovich, Ekblad, Lundell, and Luostarinen all scored.
February 15: Panthers 4, Buffalo 0.
Anthony Stolarz makes 45 saves for his first shutout with the Panthers, while Verhaeghe scores twice, as do Tkachuk and Ryan Lomberg.
February 17: Panthers 9, Tampa Bay 2.
Down 1-0 24 seconds into the game, Florida sets a franchise record by scoring nine straight goals to defeat its cross-state opponent. Bennett and Tkachuk each earned four points, as 13 players scored.
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