With the NHL announcing the postponements of the Florida Panthers’ next three games, the Panthers will enjoy some time to recover from injury and the COVID virus.
The Florida Panthers are in one of the most competitive divisions in the NHL, with powerhouses like Tampa Bay and Toronto and an up-and-coming team like the Red Wings, every game the Panthers play shorthanded, is another game where Florida is at a disadvantage.
The @NHL has extended the period of game postponements for the @NHLFlames through Dec. 23.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 17, 2021
Additionally, @Avalanche and @FlaPanthers games also will be postponed at least through the scheduled completion of the League's Holiday Break on Dec. 26. https://t.co/uwKuHkEhJw pic.twitter.com/d8r558IcCa
At the pause, the Panthers currently sit in third place at 40 points. They are chasing the Lightning and Maple Leafs who are both sitting at 42 points. Their games have not been postponed and they will continue to capture points while the Panthers are idle.
The delay in action should come as nothing but good news for the Panthers and their fans. The only thing the Florida faithful should be worried about is an extended league-wide shutdown. Though the NHL seems determined to make sure that does not happen.
Florida’s schedule before Christmas was brutally tough. They were set to take on the Central Division-leading Wild, the second-place Nashville Predators, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Although Nashville was also shorthanded and have had their season come to a screeching halt as well, they were still finding ways to come up with points against some of the league’s best teams.
When going up against any NHL team, especially when in a division as competitive as the Panthers, you want to ensure that you’re putting the best possible lineup on the ice.
On December 15, the Panthers announced five additions to the COVID-19 protocol list, in addition to injuries to captain Aleksander Barkov, Noel Acciari, and Mason Marchment.
Barkov recently returning to practice is incredibly encouraging, although it remains to be seen how long he will be out, the fact that Florida isn’t playing will give him more time to recover without missing important games.
Any way you slice it, the pause for the Panthers allows some key members of their hockey club to rest and recover from injuries and COVID. When they get out of their break, expect the Panthers to get back to the early-season version of Florida.