Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Lines changed up again
Panthers trying to find a spark
Panthers interim coach and general manager Tom Rowe switched up Florida’s lines again on Wednesday afternoon, just two days after shuffling them to try to spark the struggling team.
The changes included splitting the top line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. The trio has rarely been separated when healthy.
Reilly Smith joined Barkov and Jagr on the top line. Huberdeau worked with Vincent Trocheck and Colton Sceviour. Nick Bjugstad centered Jonathan Marchessault and Thomas Vanek.
The Panthers have gone 1-5-1 in their past seven games after losing 5-2 to the Rangers on Tuesday night. Florida has averaged 1.86 goals per game over that span and hosts Western Conference-leading Minnesota on Friday night.
“We got to change,” Huberdeau said. “We’re not scoring goals. We just got to find some new chemistry. I think 5-on-5, we have to get better, and we’re just trying to find new matchups. Not that I didn’t like playing with these two, but it’s coach trying to find new ways.”
In 14 games since returning from an Achilles injury, Huberdeau has five goals and seven assists. Smith has scored one goal in his past 21 games, though Rowe said his addition to the top line will bring more speed to the unit.
Teaming Huberdeau with Trocheck and Sceviour should form a complementary trio, Rowe said.
“[Huberdeau] with [Trocheck], which obviously gives us a very dynamic line from a play-making ability and some finish,” Rowe said. “[Sceviour] on the right side there that can go in there and bang and bring some pucks out of the corner. I think all three of them complement each other very well.”
Jussi Jokinen was one of five players who worked on the fourth line — joining Derek MacKenzie, Denis Malgin, Michael Sgarbossa and Shawn Thornton. Rowe said Jokinen moving from the second line to the fourth was to balance the four lines better and to have Malgin play alongside veterans Jokinen and MacKenzie.
“I met with Jussi this morning about it,” Rowe said. “I said, ‘Listen, I don’t want you taking this as a negative. We’re looking for four balanced lines.’ Minnesota’s going to roll four hard and we need to have four lines that we can put out there at any time. That’s why Jussi’s there. I explained that to him. It’s not based on your play. It’s just based on us having good balance.”
Added Jokinen: “We’re not getting the results we want. It’s just trying to find a way to get our team going.”
The Panthers entered Wednesday four points behind the Islanders (73 points) for the eighth playoff spot. But Florida must also jump Toronto (72 points), Philadelphia (70 points) and Tampa Bay (69 points). All five teams have played 65 games.
Florida has allowed 21 goals in its past seven games, despite its top-ranked penalty kill unit.
“Defensively, we had a really good discussion this morning,” Rowe said. “Guys are trying, probably trying too hard. Trying to overcompensate now, and that’s why we had some of the breakdowns last night. We just have to get back to playing our game, pressure the puck and have some fun. We just got to loosen up.”
Luongo on ice
Rowe said injured goalie Roberto Luongo would be out another week, possibly two. Luongo — who hasn’t played since a loss in Philadelphia on March 2 — worked with assistant coach Robb Tallas before Wednesday’s practice, but did not participate with the rest of the team.
“He wasn’t feeling great today, so he’s probably another week, possibly two weeks out,” Rowe said. “I am not real sure exactly where it is, but he was OK.
“He probably came off a little early that he thought he was going to come off. Again, that’s why we have the three goaltenders that we have. We don’t have to rush Lu back.”
James Reimer has been the primary goalie for Florida since Luongo’s injury, and Reto Berra saw his first action as a Panther on Tuesday against the Rangers. Berra stopped all eight shots he faced in 25 minutes.