The Florida Panthers opened their preseason with a pair of tough matchups against the Nashville Predators on Sunday, dropping both ends of the doubleheader by scores of 5–0 and 5–3.
With none of the regular veterans from last year’s Stanley Cup run in the lineup, the day was all about learning and growth for Florida’s young players.
A Tough Test for a Young Panthers Lineup
Head coach Paul Maurice iced a roster stacked with prospects and newcomers, skating just one player with meaningful NHL experience.
That left the Panthers to face Predators groups that featured established stars like Steven Stamkos, Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, and Roman Josi.
“These are really difficult games for young players to play in,” Maurice said afterward. “There are NHLers on the other side, and for our kids, it’s brand new. Good that we stayed in the battle and found a way to fight back in the second game.”
Goaltender Brandon Bussi kept the opener closer than the final score indicated with several strong stops, while Daniil Tarasov showed flashes in his first appearance for Florida before giving way to Cooper Black in Game 2.
Compete Level on Display
Despite the lopsided first result, the second game showed resilience. After Nashville built a lead, defenseman Mike Benning scored twice in the third period to pull the Panthers within one before an empty-netter sealed the outcome.
Forward Brett Chorske also found the back of the net earlier, showing that Florida’s young group wasn’t intimidated by NHL competition.
Veteran defenseman Benning summed it up: “Down a couple of goals, just trying to play aggressive. Right place, right time, and I was able to put them home.”
Forward Chorske echoed the team’s mindset: “Never out of it. We compete until the buzzer, and I think we showed that tonight.”
Maurice appreciated that fight, even in defeat: “We’re still in transition camp right now. We had a short summer, so we’ve given our veterans more time.
This week we’ll turn it up, add more intensity, and you’ll see more of our regular lineup.”
What’s Next
The Panthers continue their preseason schedule on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, when they travel to Lenovo Center to face the Carolina Hurricanes.
