Florida Panthers seek scoring boost in long-awaited homestand

Panthers endure arduous opening month while Barkov, Marchand, Markstrom remain on track in recovery from injuries

Panthers goalie Akira Schmid shows off his colorful Hometown Remix gear that the team will debut Monday against the Red Wings. (Courtesy Florida Panthers) | (Courtesy Florida Panthers)

It would be understandable for the Florida Panthers to feel like strangers in their own town when they face the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

The Panthers have been here, there and just about everywhere but home during the first month of the season.

Friday’s game will be only the fourth at home in 14 overall as the NHL threw a challenging gauntlet in the Panthers’ path. With the hockey gods adding a few more obstacles with injuries to several key players, it’s been a rocky opening act for Florida.

All things considered, the Panthers have met the challenges reasonably well. With 16 points in 13 games (7-4-2), they are among the leaders in the tightly packed Eastern Conference and finally have a chance to settle in at home, where they have been dominant in recent years.

Three games in the next six days (versus Winnipeg, Detroit and Chicago) will match their home schedule in the first month; they are 2-1 in Sunrise.

In addition, coach Paul Maurice said this week that injured forwards Sasha Barkov and Brad Marchand have resumed skating and are on track to return in late November. No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom (upper body) was on the ice for morning skate Friday, and Maurice said he could be ready to play on the homestand.

Panthers focus on 5-on-5 offense

The immediate task is to avoid a misstep against the struggling Jets (4-6-3), who lost their seventh in a row Thursday at Tampa Bay. The Panthers finished their latest trip with a 5-1 win at Winnipeg.

“You come back off the road, you have a day’s rest, and you [sometimes] come out flat,” Maurice cautioned. “So we’ve got to work hard here, get the heart rates up before the puck drops tonight.”

Maurice stressed the importance of getting off to a strong start on the first real homestand because “you want to get on a rhythm at home as much as on the road, and we haven’t been here enough to do that yet. So, all the things that keep you concerned, you know, two of our home games, two of our three home games we were very, very pleased with and one we weren't. So we just want to make sure that tonight isn’t that same feeling.”

The comfortable margin at Winnipeg was a rarity so far for the Panthers, who have struggled to score in five-on-five play.

The return of Barkov and Marchand will obviously help, but that is still weeks away. Meanwhile, the objective is to generate more offense at even strength without increasing vulnerability in the defensive zone.

Oct 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) skates up ice with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defense remains Panthers' strength

“If you look at our power play when it struggled out of the gate, the changes in that are the changes that we’re trying to make into our five-on-five game, mostly speeding up in certain areas and becoming a little bit more direct,” Maurice said.

Predictably, the Panthers’ top five scorers comprise their top power play: Matthew (20 points) and Brady (15) Tkachuk, Seth Jones (15), Carter Verhaeghe (11) and Sam Reinhart (10).

“I think it’s kind of been hot and cold a little bit,” Reinhart said of the Panthers’ opening month. “There's a couple ones we would like to have back. That's bound to happen. So, I think just keep focused on that consistency.”

Maurice said, “Our defensive five-on-five game has been very good. We haven't given the goalies at times a run support, I think, that would have made their numbers better.”

Akira Schmid will make his third consecutive start in goal, coming off back-to-back wins at Chicago and Winnipeg.

Hometown Remix coming Monday

The Panthers offered a glimpse of their Hometown Remix colors during morning skate on Friday, featuring a South Florida-appropriate shade of coral.

Each NHL team will unveil its Hometown Remix jersey on Monday. The Panthers will wear the colorful uniform in the first of 10 games Monday against the Red Wings.