The Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets are set to face off in an 8 p.m. ET matchup broadcast on TSN3 and SCRIPPS. Entering the contest, the Panthers hold a 6-4-2 record, while the Jets stand at 4-4-3.
The Panthers held an optional morning skate ahead of the game and plan to use the exact same lineup that secured a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Florida’s forward lines feature Brady Tkachuk centering Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk on the top unit. The second line pairs Carter Verhaeghe with Sam Reinhart and Sandis Vilmanis, followed by a third line of Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, and Lars Eller. Rounding out the forward group on the fourth line are Bokondji Imama, Cole Schwindt, and Garnet Hathaway.
On defense, the Panthers feature pairings of Gustav Forsling with Aaron Ekblad, Niko Mikkola with Seth Jones, and Dmitry Kulikov alongside Radko Gudas. Akira Schmid is projected to get the start in net, backed up by Cooper Black. The Panthers’ roster report lists Uvis Balinskis and Cole Reinhardt as healthy scratches, while the team continues to manage a significant injury list that includes Jacob Markstrom with an upper-body injury, Aleksander Barkov with a knee injury, Brad Marchand with a knee injury, and Jonah Gadjovich dealing with a neck issue.
Across the ice, the Jets are making a couple of roster tweaks following their recent preparations. Winnipeg plans to insert Brad Lambert into the forward group in place of Nino Niederreiter, while Tyrel Bauer draws into the defensive lineup for Haydn Fleury.
Winnipeg’s projected forward combinations feature Kyle Connor skating alongside Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti on the top line. The second line includes Isak Rosén, Adam Lowry, and Gabriel Vilardi, while the third line features Alex Iafallo, Viggo Bjorck, and Dawson Mercer. The fourth line comprises Cole Koepke, Morgan Barron, and the newly inserted Lambert.
The Jets’ defensive pairings feature Dylan Samberg paired with Neal Pionk, Elias Salomonsson with Dylan DeMelo, and Mario Ferraro alongside Bauer. Stuart Skinner is projected to start in goal for Winnipeg, with Clay Stevenson serving as the backup. In addition to Niederreiter and Fleury being scratched alongside Nico Daws, the Jets are managing several injuries of their own, including Garrett Brown with a lower-body injury, Josh Morrissey with an upper-body injury, Nick Bjugstad with an upper-body injury, and Vladislav Namestnikov dealing with an undisclosed issue.
