FORT LAUDERDALE — You cannot fake intensity but you can bet there will be plenty tonight when the Florida Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers to Sunrise on Saturday night.
After the battles these two have been through against each other over the past two years, no one expects anything less.
The Panthers and Oilers have played for the Stanley Cup in each of the past two years — with Florida winning the prized trophy both times.
You do not have to remind anyone of that.
“We obviously have a big test tonight against Florida who we have seen and are very familiar with,” said Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch. “They haven’t changed their style of play. Obviously they are missing some players, but we’re focused on getting our game back no matter who we’re playing.”
Added Paul Maurice: “There’s a history there. … Both teams, because they have played so much hockey and had so much success in the playoffs just to get to the Final, you get to this time of year, and you’re just looking for some juice. It’s a different challenge for our teams. But we’ll bring it out of each other, and both coaches will like the intensity and energy in this game.”
Edmonton will be flying home after tonight’s game, this one the end of a seven-game road trip in which the Oilers are 2-3-1.
The Panthers, meanwhile, have been terrific in Sunrise starting off 8-2-1.
Florida has won its past two and four of the past five.
“It’s going to be fun, especially in our building,” A.J. Greer said. “A Stanley Cup rematch will have a lot of emotion.”
NOTEBOOK: OILERS AT PANTHERS
Mackie Samoskevich plays his 100th NHL game tonight.
With defenseman Jake Walman out with a foot injury, the Oilers brought up Connor Clattenburg from Bakersfield and he will slot in on the fourth line and make his NHL debut.
Starting Goalies: Sergei Bobrovsky is back in net for the Panthers after tossing a shutout Thursday against the Devils; Stuart Skinner starts for the Oilers.
How to Watch/Stream: The Panthers are on local television tonight but if you are out of market, it will also be on NHL Network. The game can only be streamed locally on Panthers+. North of the border? SN’s Hockey Night in Canada will have the game.
NHL Betting Odds: The Panthers are slight favorites (-130) on the money line at the local book. To win with the Panthers, a $130 bet pays $100.
ON DECK: GAME No. 21
EDMONTON OILERS at FLORIDA PANTHERS
PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (11-8-1) LINES
11 Mackie Samoskevich // 15 Anton Lundell // 63 Brad Marchand
10 A.J. Greer // 17 Evan Rodrigues // 13 Sam Reinhart
23 Carter Verhaeghe // 9 Sam Bennett // 70 Jesper Boqvist
18 Noah Gregor// 71 Luke Kunin // 38 Jack Devine
42 Gus Forsling // 5 Aaron Ekblad
77 Niko Mikkola // 3 Seth Jones
26 Uvis Balinskis // 2 Jeff Petry
72 Sergei Bobrovsky
40 Daniil Tarasov
Scratched: Donovan Sebrango
Injured: Eetu Luostarinen (lower body), Sasha Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee), Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), Cole Schwindt (broken arm)
PROJECTED EDMONTON OILERS (9-9-5) LINES
22 Matt Savoie // 97 Connor McDavid // 28 Jack Roslovic
92 Vasily Podkolzin // 29 Leon Draisaitl // 88 Andrew Mangiapane
10 Trent Frederic // 19 Adam Henrique // 18 Zach Hyman
64 Connor Clattenburg // 86 David Tomasek // 13 Mattias Janmark
14 Mattias Ekholm // 2 Evan Bouchard
25 Darnell Nurse // 75 Alec Regula
27 Brett Kulak // 49 Ty Emberson
74 Stuart Skinner
30 Calvin Pickard
Scratched: None
Injured: Jake Walman (lower body), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (undisclosed), Kasperi Kapanen (knee), Noah Philp (upper body), Curtis Lazar (upper body)
