While shootouts aren’t something the Panthers will have to worry about come playoff time, their expertise in the skills competition is helping ensure they leave no points on the table.
After all, they won the Atlantic Division by just one point during last season's run to the Stanley Cup.
In terms of shooters, the Panthers couldn’t ask for much more.
Converting on eight of their 13 attempts this season, Florida’s 61.5% success rate ranks second to only the Dallas Stars (80%) among team’s that have participated in at least two shootouts.
Typically the first player over the boards in the shootout, captain Aleksander Barkov has been the perfect table setter for the Panthers, converting on three of his four attempts.
Usually in the second spot, Sam Reinhart has lit the lamp on two of his four opportunities.
Then, there’s Lundell.
With ice in his veins, the 23-year-old has cashed in on three of his four opportunities, often being the one tasked with closing out shootouts like he successfully did against the Devils.
Between the pipes, both Knight and Sergei Bobrovsky have been rock solid.
Bobrovsky has gone 6-for-7 in the shootout, while Knight is sitting at 4-for-5.
Overall, this success in the shootout is nothing new.
Since the start of the 2022-23 season – the franchise-altering campaign in which they made their first of back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final – the Panthers boast a 9-3 record in shootouts. In that stretch, their .750 winning percentage is the third-best mark in the NHL.
Sitting at 26-16-3 and just one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers will try to keep picking up points when they host the Detroit Red Wings at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
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