FLORIDA PANTHERS NEWS

NHL East playoffs feature Ovechkin's 2nd Cup chase, a Sunshine State showdown and battle of Ontario

The Eastern Conference playoff picture, though incomplete, features various intriguing plotlines

2 HOURS AGO • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Territory Talk: Reflecting on the 2024-25 Regular Season (Ep. 342) | Florida Panthers Check out the latest podcast!

3 HOURS AGO • NHL.COM

Panthers F Jesse Puljujarvi to have hearing after headshot Florida Panthers forward Jesse Puljujarvi is set for a disciplinary hearing with the NHL on Thursday after being assessed a match penalty fo...

4 HOURS AGO • KANSASCITY.COM

Puljujarvi to have Player Safety hearing for actions in Panthers game | NHL.com Forward facing discipline for illegal check to head against Lightning forward Chaffee

5 HOURS AGO • NHL.COM

Jesse Puljujarvi - Potential suspension incoming Puljujarvi has a hearing scheduled for Thursday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check.

Impact Puljujarvi was ejected from Florida's 5-1 loss to the Lightning on Tuesday for a high hit on Mitchell Chaffee. Now, supplemental discipline could be on the way. The Panthers are in the postseason, so the 26-year-old could potentially be forced to miss the beginning of Florida's playoff run.

5 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Tkachuk hopes to be ready at start of Stanley Cup Playoffs for Panthers | NHL.com Forward has been out since February with lower-body injury sustained during 4 Nations Face-Off

6 HOURS AGO • NHL.COM

Matt Kiersted - Returns to minors Kiersted was reassigned to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.

Impact Kiersted registered an assist, two PIM and a hit in 10:00 of ice time during Florida's 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He has a goal, 27 points and 38 PIM in 63 appearances with Charlotte this season. Florida had him in the lineup Tuesday because the Panthers were resting players during their regular-season finale, so it makes sense that Kiersted would be returned to the minors after that matchup.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Rasmus Asplund - Sent down by Florida Asplund was returned to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Impact Asplund spent the past week and a half with the Panthers and recorded no points, two hits, two blocked shots and two PIM over four appearances during his late-season stint in the NHL. However, he'll head back to the minors now that Florida's regular season has ended.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Jesse Puljujarvi - Sent back to AHL Puljujarvi was returned to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

Impact Puljujarvi spent the past few days with the Panthers while they rested several players late in the year, and he recorded a goal, 35 hits, two blocked shots and five PIM over five appearances during his stint with the NHL club. However, he'll head back to the minors now that the Panthers' regular season has concluded.

8 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Matthew Tkachuk Spells Out Biggest Difference in 2025 Panthers Compared to Last Year Matthew Tkachuk discussed the key differences between the current Florida Panthers squad and the Stanley Cup winning team from 2024.

9 HOURS AGO • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

HockeyBuzz.com - Jan Levine - Rangers defeat Panthers 5-3, Kenny Albert, De Haan comments NHL Hockey Trade Rumors

10 HOURS AGO • HOCKEYBUZZ.COM

HockeyBuzz.com - Jan Levine - Rangers defeat Panthers 5-1, Kenny Albert, De Haan comments NHL Hockey Trade Rumors

11 HOURS AGO • HOCKEYBUZZ.COM

Matt Kiersted - Adds assist Kiersted notched an assist and two PIM in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Lightning.

Impact This was Kiersted's first NHL point since the 2022-23 campaign. The 27-year-old has filled in as a reserve while the Panthers take an aggressive approach late in the year to resting their top players. Kiersted has drawn into two contests, adding three hits, two PIM and a plus-1 rating. If he stays on the NHL roster heading into the postseason, he's unlikely to see any playing time.

15 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Vitek Vanecek - Loses last game of season Vitacek made 26 saves in a 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Impact Tampa Bay secured the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage with the win. This was Florida's last game of the season, and it will be Vanecek's last action of this year unless he's forced into relief. It's Sergei Bobrovsky all the way from this point forward. Vanecek's results in Florida (2-4-1; 3.00 GAA and .890 save percentage) were no better than what he showed in San Jose (3-10-3; 3.88 GAA and .882 save percentage). He becomes a free agent this summer; he will get a contract as a back-up from some team. Nothing more.

19 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Brad Marchand - Gets goal after taking rest day Marchand (rest) scored his team's only goal in a 5-1 loss to cross-state rival Florida on Tuesday.

Impact Marchand finished a 2-on-1 rush with a wrist shot that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy low on the glove side early in the second period; it pushed the kitties up 4-1. He missed Monday's loss to the Rangers for maintenance, along with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. Marchand will ready and rested for the postseason which starts this coming weekend.

19 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Lightning cruise past Panthers, finish 2nd in Atlantic race | NHL.com Point has 3 points for Tampa Bay, which will face Florida in 1st round of playoffs

19 HOURS AGO • NHL.COM

Brayden Point's goal, 2 assists help Lightning beat Panthers 5-1

Brayden Point had a goal and two assists to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory against the Florida Panthers

20 HOURS AGO • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Panthers to play Lightning in 1st round of Stanley Cup Playoffs | NHL.com Florida teams to begin postseason against each other for 2nd straight season

21 HOURS AGO • NHL.COM

FLA at TBL: Marchand gets Panthers on the board | Florida Panthers Brad Marchand scores in transition to cut into Florida's deficit in the second period.

22 HOURS AGO • NHL.COM

A.J. Greer - Out of action Tuesday Greer (rest) won't play versus the Lightning on Tuesday, Rob Darragh of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Greer finished the regular season with career highs in points (17), hits (222), PIM (130), shots on goal (86) and games played (81). He's been a fourth-line fixture all season, so he should be back in the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs.

23 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Niko Mikkola - Set to play Tuesday Mikkola (rest) will play against the Lightning on Tuesday, Rob Darragh of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Mikkola will return to action after sitting out Monday's 5-3 loss to the Rangers for rest. He has accumulated six goals, 22 points, 113 shots on net, 88 blocked shots and 132 hits across 75 appearances this season. Mikkola will skate on the top pairing alongside Seth Jones versus Tampa Bay.

23 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Tomas Nosek - Back out of lineup Nosek (rest) won't play Tuesday versus the Lightning, Rob Darragh of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Nosek returned from an illness Monday versus the Rangers. The Panthers have nothing to play for Tuesday, so they'll allow him to rest up again ahead of the playoffs. The 32-year-old will compete for bottom-six minutes during the postseason, though he's not a lock for the lineup.

23 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Anton Lundell - Sitting again Tuesday Lundell (rest) won't be in the lineup against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Rob Darragh of the Panthers' official site reports.

Impact Lundell will miss his second straight game for rest before the beginning of the playoffs. He will conclude the 2024-25 regular season with 17 goals, 45 points, 158 shots on net and 110 hits across 79 appearances this season. Lundell should be ready for Game 1 of the postseason.

23 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE