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Florida Panthers Make Lineup Changes

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With warm-ups about to start for an all-important Game 4 between the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers, the Panthers will have a different look in their bottom six. According to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, Florida is expected to hold Nick Cousins and Ryan Lomberg out of the lineup, while Kyle Okposo and Steven Lorentz will replace them.

As one of the biggest agitators in the Panthers’ lineup, Cousins has continued to do what he’s known for during the postseason even after seeing his ice time cut precipitously. Relied upon by Florida as a physically involved player, Cousins has only administered three hits during the Eastern Conference Finals after totaling 14 in the team’s series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins.

Similarly to Cousins, Lomberg has been a very physical player for the Panthers all season long on the team’s fourth line but has not been able to feature in many postseason appearances up to this point. Even though Florida has already played in 14 games this postseason, Lomberg has suited up in only five, registering zero points while posting a -2 rating. However, Lomberg’s absence was not due to poor play as he suffered an upper-body injury in the team’s Round One series against the Lightning.

Okposo will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the last four games with his most recent contest coming in Game 6 of Round Two against the Bruins. Acquired as a veteran forward to insert into the team’s bottom line, Okposo has already registered two assists in this year’s playoffs, providing more offensive punch than the other options.

On the other hand, Lorentz had primarily been relied upon as a depth piece for the Panthers this season in case of injury. Nevertheless, Lorentz has already equaled his production over 38 games in the regular season, scoring one goal and three points in only nine postseason games.

Although these lineup changes are centered around Florida’s fourth line, it appears that head coach Paul Maurice has his eye set on generating more offense from his forward core. After a casual victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Panthers were only two shots away from having a commanding three-game lead. Keeping this in mind, Maurice may hope one of these players could become a difference-maker in Game 4.

Bruins/Panthers Notes: Marchand, Heinen, Bennett, Cousins

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One of the big moments from Friday’s third game of the Panthers-Bruins series was the hit from Sam Bennett on Brad Marchand that caused the latter to leave the game in the second period and not return.  Marchand missed practice today with TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie noting (Twitter links) that the captain is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and that winger Danton Heinen could take his place in the lineup as it appears he could be ready to return.

Heinen has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury sustained during the first round against Toronto.  He had 17 goals and 19 assists in 74 games during the regular season – great value for a league minimum contract – and provided the type of depth scoring that Boston has been lacking in recent games.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski adds that Bennett will not face any supplementary discipline for the hit.  Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters that he didn’t see things the way the league did:

There’s a history there with Bennett. There’s clearly evidence of what went on. People can say it wasn’t intentional. We have our view of it.

Bennett had made his series debut after returning from an upper-body injury in the second game of their opening-round series against Tampa Bay and picked up an assist in a little under 13 minutes of action.  Montgomery clarified that the history he referenced with Bennett in his comment wasn’t solely with Marchand but rather with those types of hits in general.

Meanwhile, Bennett’s return resulted in Nick Cousins being dropped from the lineup.  Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that the decision to scratch Cousins wasn’t performance-related but rather wanting some extra coverage at center if Bennett wasn’t able to make it through the game which helped keep Steven Lorentz – who can play down the middle when called upon – in the lineup on the fourth line, a group that has had some success in the series so far.

Florida Panthers To Activate Nick Cousins Off Injured Reserve

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According to Colby Guy of The Associated Press, the Florida Panthers are set to activate forward Nick Cousins off of injured reserve. Without a corresponding roster move, this will put Florida at the 23-man roster limit for their game on Thursday against the Washington Capitals.

It has been over a month since Cousins last suited up in a game, suffering a concussion after being hit from behind by Arizona Coyotes’ forward Jason Zucker. Outside of that injury, Cousins has sustained a healthy season, scoring two goals and five points in 37 games for the Panthers.

Not much of an offensive threat as compared to previous seasons, Cousins has still maintained his high possession and defensive metrics for Florida this year. Cousins is producing a Corsi For % in All Situations by a magnitude of 5% better than his career average, helping the Panthers rank second in the NHL in that particular metric.

To most viewers of the game outside of Florida’s immediate fanbase, Cousins has developed the mantra of a persistent agitator by many; but his style of play is helping the Panthers become a much more difficult team to play against. Although William Lockwood is still sitting out of the lineup with his injury, the activation of Cousins will give Florida a completely healthy lineup just in time for the final stretch run of the regular season.

Snapshots: Kochetkov, Monahan, Cousins, Hughes

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Pyotr Kochetkov has been confirmed as the starter for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Tuesday night game against the Vancouver Canucks, per head coach Rod Brind’Amour. This will be Kochetkov’s first game since suffering a concussion on January 11th. He was red-hot before the injury, going 7-1-2 and setting a .924 save percentage in his last 11 games. That includes a four-game winning streak leading up to the injury that saw Kochetkov post a .936 save percentage on 110 shots against.

Carolina has felt the impact of Kochetkov’s absences, seeing their average goals-against jump from 2.45 in Kochetkov’s last 11 appearances to 2.71 in the seven games that he’s missed. That hasn’t been enough of a difference to stifle the red-hot Hurricanes, though the team’s goal-differential has gone from +17 to just +1 in the same periods. The Hurricanes have relied on five different goalies through the 2023-24 season, facing multiple injuries and absences in net. They will hope to find their starting goalie for the second half of the season soon, with both Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen progressing in their return from injury. Andersen has been out since November 2nd with a blood clotting disorder.

Other notes from around the league:

Atlantic Notes: Samuelsson, Girgensons, Lockwood, Cousins, Jarnkrok

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Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons is day-to-day, while the extent of defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s injury is still being assessed, per team reporter Mike Harrington. Both players are out with upper-body injuries. Girgensons spent a month on injured reserve earlier in the season, while Samuelsson has dealt with a menagerie of small injuries, leading the pair to appear in just 31 and 41 of Buffalo’s 48 games respectively.

Samuelsson has managed seven points and 26 penalty minutes in his outings while playing over 20 minutes a night on average. He’s Buffalo’s third-most frequent defenseman this season, behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. The season has continued Samuelsson’s substantial role with Buffalo, with the defenseman averaging 20 or more minutes every year since his rookie season in 2021-22. His only exception to this pattern came in the 12 games he received during the 2020-21 season when he averaged 18 minutes. The Sabres are big fans of the 23-year-old defender, signing him to a seven-year, $30MM contract extension at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. They’ll hope he can return to his frequent role in the lineup soon, alongside depth forward Girgensons, who has four goals and 12 penalty minutes this season.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • William Lockwood entered concussion protocol after his fight with Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime and is set to miss time beyond the three-game suspension he received for his hit on Marc-Andre Fleury, which preceded the fight. That suspension is set to end on Saturday, though when Lockwood may be ready to return is not yet clear, with head coach Paul Maurice sharing that he will undergo testing on Saturday. Lockwood has just one point and 14 penalty minutes through 23 appearances with the Panthers this season. He’s also recorded seven points and eight penalty minutes through 14 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
  • Florida is also getting back forward Nick Cousins, who joined the team for their upcoming two-game road trip and has returned to a full-contact jersey at practice. When he will officially return is not yet clear, but his progress at practice suggests fans won’t have to wait long. Cousins has five points and 20 penalty minutes through 37 games this season.
  • Calle Jarnkrok left the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday practice early after blocking a shot in a drill. The extent of his injury is currently unknown, per head coach Sheldon Keefe. Jarnkrok has appeared in 46 games this season, scoring 10 goals and 19 points. He ranks fifth on the high-scoring Leafs lineup in scoring that’s led by Auston Matthews’ 39 goals in 45 games.

Afternoon Notes: Panthers, Myers, Johnson

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Top Florida Panthers centerman Aleksander Barkov will be a game-time decision for the team’s Wednesday night game against the Arizona Coyotes, per head coach Paul Maurice. Barkov has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury. Maurice also shared that defenseman Gustav Forsling is expected to make his return from a personal absence that held him out of Monday night’s game.

The Panthers performed admirably despite Barkov and Forsling’s absence, beating the Nashville Predators 4-1, bringing an end to a four-game losing streak. Interestingly, the losing streak came immediately after a nine-game winning streak that dated back to the holiday season. Florida will look to get back to their festive feelings with the return of both their second-highest-scoring forward and defenseman on a point-per-game basis.

Centerman Nick Cousins also made his return to Florida’s practices on Monday, wearing a no-contact jersey. Cousins has been out since January 2nd with a concussion. He’s appeared in 37 games this year, netting five points, 20 penalty minutes, and a -10.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent defenseman Philippe Myers to the AHL. Myers has been with the top club since January 1st, appearing in five games and failing to score a point. He’s spent the majority of his season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s managed a team-leading +20, in addition to nine points and 43 penalty minutes, through 28 games.
  • Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson will miss the team’s Wednesday night game with a nagging lower-body injury, per head coach Jared Bednar. He’s been designated as day-to-day. Johnson has played in 47 games this year, netting nine points, 34 penalty minutes, and a +6 – though he’s averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time, a step down from the 17 minutes he averaged last season.

Coyotes’ Jason Zucker Suspended Three Games For Boarding

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Coyotes winger Jason Zucker has been suspended for three games for boarding Panthers forward Nick Cousins during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced late last night. Zucker faced a phone hearing for the play earlier in the day.

Officials assessed a major penalty and game misconduct to Zucker for boarding on the play, which occurred with less than a minute remaining in the second period. He will be eligible to return on January 11 against the Flames.

Zucker is a first-time offender in the truest sense, never once having been fined or suspended by the league over his 13-year career. However, as the Department of Player Safety outlined in their explanation video for the incident, Cousins sustained an injury due to Zucker’s hit, which limited him to one shift in the third period, leading them to lay down a multi-game suspension. He is now in concussion protocol and is uncertain for tonight’s game against the Golden Knights.

Other factors in the length of suspension included Cousins’ lack of movement before the hit, meaning that when Zucker began to approach Cousins, the latter was in a position that made the impact illegal and satisfied the league’s boarding rule. In the NHL rulebook for the 2023-24 season, the NHL defines a boarding penalty (rule 41.1) as a “player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously.”

Noted in this rule is the immense discretion of officials in assessing boarding penalties, but Cousins’ positioning against the boards at the time Zucker began the check classifies him as a defenseless opponent in no uncertain terms. Cousins also did not have possession of the puck at the time of the play.

The check occurred a few moments after Cousins made contact with Coyotes defenseman Juuso Välimäki along the half wall. However, the Department of Player Safety said Zucker claimed the check was not made in retaliation for his teammate. The Department did not factor retaliation into their decision on a three-game suspension length.

His suspension leaves the Coyotes with only 11 forwards available on the active roster. Unless they opt to dress Josh Brown and utilize seven defensemen in tonight’s tilt against the Islanders, expect the Coyotes to recall a forward from AHL Tucson later today.

It also leaves them without a significant third-line contributor as they try to maintain their place in the Western Conference Wild Card race. Their loss to the Panthers on Tuesday dropped their points percentage to .556, and while they remain in the second Wild Card spot based on current standings points, they sit third in the race based on points percentage behind the Oilers’ .557. They’ll likely need to capture two wins over their next three games without Zucker to keep pace in the playoff race. The 31-year-old missed seven games with a lower-body injury earlier this season, and the Coyotes went 3-3-1 in his absence.

In his first season with Arizona after inking a one-year, $5.3MM pact in free agency, Zucker has six goals and six assists for 12 points through 29 games. He isn’t producing up to the expectations set by his salary, nor his 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games with the Penguins last season, but he has been a solid cog in a Coyotes top-nine that’s produced much better depth scoring than expected.

East Notes: Senators, Cousins, Murray, Palat, Sergachev

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The Senators are believed to be looking to add a veteran bottom-six forward, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  It has been a disappointing season so far for Ottawa who is well out of the playoff picture and have already made a coaching and GM change.  With one of the younger rosters in the league, Garrioch notes GM Steve Staios would like to bring in someone to help in the room while adding some grit up front.  The Sens have limited cap space and is currently in LTIR so it will take some roster juggling to make any sort of addition to their group.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Panthers winger Nick Cousins is in concussion protocol, the team announced (Twitter link). He was injured late in the second period of last night’s game against Arizona on a hit that has Jason Zucker facing potential supplemental discipline.  The 30-year-old has drawn the ire of a couple of opponents in recent weeks with Columbus blueliner Erik Gudbranson also taking exception to a hit.  Cousins is having his worst offensive season so far, notching just two goals and three assists in 37 games.
  • When Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke with the media yesterday, he told reporters including Postmedia’s Terry Koshan that goaltender Matt Murray is on track in his recovery from bilateral hip surgery. Treliving cautioned that he still has a long way to go but as of now, there haven’t been any setbacks.  The pending unrestricted free agent is currently on LTIR and isn’t expected to play during the regular season.
  • Devils winger Ondrej Palat was a late scratch for tonight’s game against Washington with the team announcing (Twitter link) that the veteran has an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old had played in all 35 games leading into this one but has struggled somewhat offensively, collecting just 13 points in those appearances.  Curtis Lazar took Palat’s place in the lineup.
  • The Lightning have placed defenseman Mikhail Sergachev on IR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The 25-year-old has missed the last two weeks with a lower-body injury so this move is purely procedural; if they back-dated it to the date of his injury, he can be activated at any time.  Sergachev has 19 points in 33 games so far this season.

Florida Panthers Sign Nick Cousins

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According to TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, the Florida Panthers are closing in on a contract with depth forward Nick Cousins. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports it’s a two-year deal worth $1.1MM per season.

Cousins, 28, has been a bottom-six center for most of his NHL and has provided a similar set of skills to the variety of NHL teams he’s served. Cousins is a bottom-six forward who provides shift-to-shift energy and depth scoring. In 68 games with the Predators Cousins scored nine goals and 22 points, getting those numbers on only 12 minutes of ice time per night. Cousins sometimes was used on the Predators’ power play, but was not a featured option there.

Cousins doesn’t have the skill or separation ability to be an offensive difference-maker at the NHL level. But he has shown the ability to score once in a while taking on a limited role. That’s likely what he’ll be asked to do in Florida, though there’s always the possibility that he gets swept away in the tide that is the Florida Panthers’ offensive machine and has a career year.

Predators Place Three In COVID Protocol, Activate Eight

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There was plenty of COVID-related activity for the Predators on Monday.  The team announced that defenseman Roman Josi, center Tommy Novak, and winger Colton Sissons have all been placed in COVID protocol.  However, they also got several players back from protocol in wingers Nick Cousins and Philip Tomasino, center Mikael Granlund and Ryan Johansen, and defensemen Mark Borowiecki and Ben Harpur.  Josi, Novak, and Sissons will be out for at least the next ten days as a result; today’s announcement from the CDC that cuts the quarantine period from ten days to five doesn’t automatically apply to the NHL.

Josi is easily the biggest loss of the three for the Predators as he’s their leading scorer with 29 points in 30 games while averaging just shy of 25 minutes per game.  Sissons isn’t a minor loss either as he’s logging nearly 16 minutes a night on the wing while chipping in with 13 points in 29 contests.

The returns of Granlund and Johansen should certainly help Nashville’s offense.  Granlund is averaging just shy of a point per game with 27 in 28 games, sitting second behind Josi in team scoring.  As for Johansen, he is having a nice bounce-back campaign with 24 points in 27 contests.

On top of these moves, the Predators assigned wingers Matt Luff and Michael McCarron to the taxi squad.  Both players had been up in recent weeks to cover for injuries and absences before hitting COVID protocol themselves but with more players returning than leaving today, there wasn’t room on the NHL roster for them to be placed back there.

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