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It was only a few weeks ago when things felt like they were turning a corner for the Florida Panthers.

They were returning from another long road trip and showing some signs of real positivity, playing three straight solid games away from home, an area they’d struggled mightily to that point of the young season.

After dropping five of their first six road games, including an embarrassing 7-3 affair in Anaheim to kick off that most recent trip, the Cats played quite well in Los Angeles, San Jose and Vegas, only dropping the middle matchup thanks to an incredible effort in goal by the Sharks’ top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov.

Returning to home ice, where the Panthers were set to play 10 of their next 11 and where they’d gotten off to a 5-1-1 start on the year, was only supposed to increase Florida’s growing momentum after their strong end on the road.

Unfortunately for the Cats, things haven’t followed on that projected path.

After starting the home stretch with three wins in four games, defeating Washington, Vancouver and New Jersey but losing to Tampa Bay, Florida has since dropped each of their past three games at Amerant Bank Arena.

“I think everyone wants to beat us, that’s always the case” said Panthers defenseman Gus Forsling, referencing the team’s consecutive Stanley Cup wins. “They get one goal, and they get some energy, and things like that happen in the games.”

“We want to get back to defending,” he added.

Indeed, Forsling and the Panthers are surely frustrated with the defeats.

In each of the previous two – a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia and a 5-3 loss to Calgary – Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead both nights.

All three saw the Panthers surrender late goals, but in different, exasperating ways.

Edmonton scored a pair of empty-net goals that came almost immediately after Daniil Tarasov vacated his crease, never allowing the Cats a chance to try and push for a tying score with an extra attacker.

The Flyers game…well, it was tied entering the final minute, they won the game by two and didn’t score an empty-net goal.

Two nights later against Calgary, Florida’s early two-goal lead was gone by the first intermission, and they entered the final frame down by a pair. Still, it took a Flames’ ENG to seal the win, but it was an exclamation point on an extremely unsatisfying week on home ice that was supposed to be the exact opposite.

“It’s a game of inches,” said Panthers forward A.J. Greer. “When we put ourselves in some bad positions, whether that’s defensively or just in general with certain mistakes that we know we shouldn’t make, the other teams have been capitalizing on them.”

This homestead was when the injury-filled Panthers were going to piss off the rest of the league and reel off a bunch of wins, leapfrogging teams in the tightly-packed Eastern Conference playoff race and setting themselves up for another strong spring, when most of Florida’s injured players should be returning to the lineup, if not already back.

Alas, Florida’s ‘one step forward, two steps back’ routine has come at a bad time.

The standings aren’t so constricted anymore.

Tampa Bay is now four points clear of second-place Boston for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, with Florida nine points back and only ahead of Toronto and Buffalo in the conference.

The Panthers are only four points back of the second Wild Card spot, but there are five teams between Florida and Pittsburgh, the current final playoff position holder.

The good news?

Well first off, it hasn’t been all gloom and doom for the Panthers lately.

In addition to the continued scoring surplus from the likes of Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand, several of Florida’s long-slumbering offensive weapons are starting to show serious signs of life.

The recently-created line of Sam Bennett centering Greer and Carter Verhaeghe has ignited all three players, but if Bennett and Verhaeghe can get back to producing at the levels they’ve come to expect of themselves in recent years, it will go a long way toward the Cats getting back on a successful track.

Additionally, Florida still has decent amount of meat on the bone in terms of their homestand, and two of their upcoming four games in Sunrise are against teams in that five-team mix between the Panthers and the playoffs.

Starting Tuesday, the Cats will host Toronto, Nashville, Columbus and the Islanders this week. Four games in six nights.

Toronto and Nashville are two of the few teams below Florida in the standings, and the Blue Jackets and Islanders are teams that, like the Panthers, are chasing that final playoff spot.

It’s a great opportunity for the Cats to put a rough week behind them and turn things back in a very positive direction before getting back on the road.

Will they take advantage?

Stay tuned.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Three takeaways: Strong start may have doomed Panthers, who left way too much meat on the bone

Panthers can't build on quick start, lose 5-3 to suddenly surging Flames

Panthers continue season-long homestand against lowly Flames

Aaron Ekblad Avoids Injury; Will Suit Up On Friday For Panthers

Three takeaways: Panthers can't build on strong start against Flyers, Carter Verhaeghe starting to turn a corner

Photo caption: Oct 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice looks on during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

Recent reports claimed that the Vancouver Canucks are open to offers for some of their veteran players, especially those eligible to become UFAs next summer.

That has raised rumors about which players could be available and the cost of acquiring them.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that teams such as the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers could be interested in some of the Canucks' pending UFA players. However, the Canucks intend to take their time and evaluate the trade market.

Most of the early focus is on Kiefer Sherwood. The feisty 30-year-old left winger is UFA-eligible next July. He leads the Canucks with 12 goals, carries an affordable $1.5-million cap hit, and lacks no-trade protection. His physical style is well-suited for the grind of post-season hockey.

RG.Org's James Murphy cited an NHL source claiming the Bruins had contacted the Canucks about Sherwood and right winger Conor Garland. He said the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings also had an interest in Sherwood. Garland, however, might not be available as he has a six-year contract extension that begins next July.

TSN's Chris Johnston observed that Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, has a reputation for making moves well ahead of the annual trade deadline. However, he suggested it might be best if the Canucks wait on moving Sherwood until closer to the March 6 deadline, when he might fetch a first-round pick.

Sherwood could land a first-rounder if he maintains his current level of production. However, Rutherford might prefer a young NHL-ready player who would have a more immediate impact.

Three Potential Trade Fits For Canucks' Kiefer SherwoodKiefer Sherwood is among the Canucks' top trade candidates, and these three teams should consider trying to acquire the hard-hitting forward.

Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News mused over whether Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek might be available. The 28-year-old blueliner has six seasons left on his contract with an average annual value of $7.25 million and a full no-movement clause.

Rosner felt Hronek would be a good fit on the Islanders' blueline alongside rookie star Matthew Schaefer. Given Hronek's contract, the Canucks aren't likely to move him unless he asks to be traded. So far, there's no indication that he wants out of Vancouver.

Meanwhile, some observers wonder what effect the Canucks' plans to become a seller will have on captain Quinn Hughes' future in Vancouver.

The 26-year-old superstar defenseman is signed through 2026-27, and questions have been raised in the rumor mill about whether he'll sign an extension next summer. Speculation has linked him to the New Jersey Devils and a reunion with his brothers, Jack and Luke Hughes.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggested the Flyers as a destination for Hughes, where he'd be reunited with former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet. Flyers beat writer Kevin Kurz of The Athletic claimed he hasn't heard any indication that the club would pursue the Canucks' star but doesn't rule out management trying to acquire a player that would accelerate their rebuilding process.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

After winning six of seven games on their road trip, the New York Islanders have lost four of their first five games to start their seven-game homestand.

While the game outcomes tell one story, head coach Patrick Roy remains confident in his squad, which is still 13-10-3 and tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card spot.

“Sometimes after games there's nothing to be said,” said Roy.

“And I think today is an example. We did everything right. We had a lot of shots and we had a lot of chances. We just came up short. We could find excuses. I get it. I mean, the standard of our team is to win hockey games and do the right thing, but sometimes we just need to continue to play the way we are and believe that things will go our way.”

Stefen Rosner asked Roy if he's noticed anything different from the way they've played on their recent road trip to how they are playing right now.

"I feel like we played pretty much the same way," Roy said. "Actually, we might give more shots on the road than at home, but other than this, I feel like we've been playing the same kind of hockey. I really do. Did the puck bounce our way, maybe a little more on the road, maybe, yes -- obviously, we score more goals. But I mean, I felt like we played really well defensively. I thought on the trip where we won, what six out of the seven, I mean, the game that we lost was the game we played our best. And we've been playing some good hockey, and unfortunately, we don't win."

There is no doubt the Islanders' finishing has struggled in their recent stretch, shooting at just a 3.49% rate, but is the rest of their game there?

During the first five games of their home stand, the Islanders have had 69.1 shot attempts per 60 minutes, 12.39 of which from higher-danger areas. Both of these metrics are significantly higher than their road trip, where they had 50.23 and 9.57, respectively, according to Natural Stat Trick. 

At 5v5, the numbers are closer: 63.02 to 48.39 in shot attempts and 10.98 to 9.27 in high danger shot attempts.

Natural Stat Trick's expected goals model also has the Islanders generating 3.8 expected goals per 60 minutes at all strengths during the home stand, as opposed to 2.9 on the road trip. 

However, the Islanders have scored just 1.16 goals per 60 minutes amid this stretch, while they scored 3.38 on the road trip.

Roy said himself, following the Islanders' 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in their third game of the homestand on Nov 26, that the shot quality had to improve, and this is something expected goals models struggle to pick up as they track location on the ice but not the location on the net.

#Isles HC Patrick Roy:

"We were the better team on the ice, but the quality of our shots is onna have to improve, find ways to bear down on our chances [...] we're going to win more games than we're going to lose if we play that way."

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 27, 2025

Fortunately for the Islanders, the chances are there, and at the very least, the defense has been much improved.

During the homestand, the Islanders have conceded just 18.19 shots per 60 minutes compared to 29.13 on the road trip -- an over 10 shot improvement. 

They have also conceded 5.81 fewer high danger shot attempts per 60 minutes, down to 9.1 from 14.91.

On the season, the Islanders are shooting 9.75% -- the sixth lowest in the NHL -- yet this is still over 6% higher than their stretch on the homestand.

Roy has said himself that there are no moral victories and the goal remains to win hockey games, but fans and the team should hold optimism that, at the very least, the data is promising.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road at Prudential Center to take on the New Jersey Devils at 7 pm. 

The New Jersey Devils come into this game with the CBJ 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and have won 3 of their last 4. They have a 16-8-1 record and sit atop the Metro with 33 points. 

The Blue Jackets must find a way to get points in every game. They had a not-so-great November by going 5-5-5. Somehow, though, they're only six points back of Jersey, and could make up ground tonight. In fact, had they not blown so many leads, they could actually be sitting up top with New Jersey in the Metro.

Of the 15 games they played in November, they lost third-period leads in seven of them, yes, seven. They went 2-1-4 in those seven games, with the two wins coming by way of a shootout. Columbus only managed two regulation wins in November, and yet they're somehow not completely out of the race. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 15.5% - 27th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 75.4% - 27th in the NHL
• Goals For - 70 - 26th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 81 - 22nd in the NHL

Devils Stats

• Power Play - 23.8% - 7th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 83.3% - 8th in the NHL
• Goals For - 78 - 11th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 74 - 14th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheDevils

• Columbus is 29-22-1-3 all-time, and 12-10-1-3 at home vs. New Jersey.
• The Jackets are 2-8-1 in the last 11 against the Devils overall.
• The CBJ are 0-1 against the Devils this season.

Who To Watch For The Devils

• Dawson Mercer leads the Devils with 10 goals.
• Jesper Bratt leads New Jersey with 19 assists and 24 points.
• Goalie Jake Allen is 8-4-0 with a SV% of .919.
• Jacob Markstrom is 7-4-1 with a SV% of .874.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Devils

• Zach Werenski has a stat line of 4-5-9 in 25 games vs. the Devils.
• Charlie Coyle has 9 points in 35 career games.
• Sean Monahan has 25 points in 21 games against New Jersey.

Injuries 

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 17 games - IR - No timeline for a return
• Boone Jenner - Upper Body - Missed 9 Games - IR - Could return this week
• Kirill Marchenko - Lower Body - Missed 3 Game - Day to day.
• Mathieu Olivier - Upper Body - Missed 2 Game - No timeline for a return

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 43

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

According to a report, former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart will make his return to the NHL and start for the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, marking his first dose of NHL action since January 2024.

NHL insider and longtime goalie Kevin Weekes reported Sunday night that Hart is "likely to make his debut start and return to NHL action" with the Golden Knights, who host the Chicago Blackhawks at 10 p.m. EST.

Hart, 27, made three AHL starts while on a conditioning loan with the Henderson Silver Knights, posting a 1-2-0 record, a 3.07 GAA, and a .839 save percentage.

Hart's most recent AHL action saw him surrender four goals on 16 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Ontario Reign on Friday; former Flyers forward Tanner Laczynski scored two goals in the defeat.

Ex-Flyers Goalie Carter Hart Acquitted in Hockey Canada TrialFormer <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> goalie Carter Hart has been found not guilty of sexual assault after being acquitted by Justice Maria Carroccia on Thursday afternoon.

Hart was recalled by the Golden Knights from the AHL on Saturday, and his suspension stemming from the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault trial will officially expire on Monday, making him eligible to play NHL games for Vegas.

If and when the former Flyers goalie returns to the ice, he will make his first NHL start since Jan. 20, 2024, when Hart ceded five goals on 15 shots in a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.