Deadspin: Panthers Adding Hat Tricks While on a Roll, With Red Wings Next

Florida builds momentum

The Panthers have won three straight overall and hold a 3-1-0 home record. Their latest victory was a 5-2 result over the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Anton Lundell scored three goals in that game, giving Florida its fifth hat trick of the season. The team is one hat trick short of its franchise record.

Florida averaged 3.14 goals per game entering Sunday, tied for 15th in the NHL. Its power play ranked ninth at 24.2%. Brady Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe share the team lead with eight goals apiece, while Sam Reinhart has six power-play goals.

Goalie steps into role

Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones lead the Panthers with 16 assists overall and 10 power-play assists. In goal, Akira Schmid has taken over for Jacob Markstrom, who is out with an upper-body injury.

Schmid has a 5-2-1 record, a 2.86 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage. He is 1-1-0 in two career games against Detroit, with a 2.50 average and a .907 save percentage.

Detroit seeks a response

The Red Wings lost 5-4 to visiting St. Louis on Saturday. Detroit led 4-2 in the third period, then gave up three goals in a five-minute span. John Gibson stopped 10 of 15 shots, but coach Todd McLellan said the loss was not the goaltender’s fault. “You can't put this on John,” McLellan said, describing the first two goals as chances Gibson could not stop and the next two as shots from the hash marks.

Gibson, 33, joined Detroit ahead of the 2025-26 season after spending his first 12 seasons with Anaheim. He is 4-5-1 with a 3.37 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage. After going 23-12-2 through February 2026 last season, he has since gone 11-15-3.

Detroit faces deeper challenges

Daniil Tarasov is Detroit’s backup goalie. The 27-year-old missed time earlier this season with an undisclosed injury and has a 1-0-2 record, a 1.40 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage.

Tarasov signed a one-year contract in July and was Florida’s backup last season, when he went 13-15-3 with a 3.05 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage. Detroit is last in the Atlantic Division and has the NHL’s longest active playoff drought, at 10 seasons.

Dylan Larkin was suspended without pay on Thursday after requesting a trade before the season and telling the team late last month that he would no longer play for Detroit. The 30-year-old center scored a career-high 34 goals last season, his fifth straight season with at least 30. Without him, Viktor Arvidsson leads Detroit with eight goals and Alex DeBrincat leads the team with 15 points.