Panthers struggle as injuries mount

Veteran Jagr only healthy member of Florida’s top line.

SUNRISE — There’s never a good time for an NHL team to be battling injuries, but with six games in the next nine days, the Florida Panthers don’t have the luxury of waiting around for guys to get back into the lineup.

The Panthers will play back-to-back home games this weekend before playing twice in the New York area in a three-day span next week.

Florida then returns home to play another set of backto-back games before hitting the road again.

“To us, we just go with the flow and come to the rink, see what line you’re on,” said Vincent Trocheck, who has moved up to replace Sasha Barkov as center of Florida’s top line.

“Injuries happen to every team in the NHL. ... When they happen, you have to have guys step up and fill roles and lean more on the top guys to lead the charge. That’s what we have to do now.”

O n We d n e s d ay n i g h t , another Florida player was added to the injured list as winger Seth Griffith — playing on the top line because of other injuries — was lost to a concussion off a hit from Winnipeg’s Nik Ehlers.

Florida general manager a n d i n t e r i m c o a c h To m Rowe said Griffith will miss at least a week. Rowe did have some good news on the injury front Thursday, saying Colton Sceviour would return today after missing the past two games.

“Wh o me v e r i s i n t h e lineup, we expect them to play the right way,” Rowe said. “We had a video session (Thursday), going over what we didn’t do right on Wednesday.

“We have injuries just like Predators at Panthers, 7:30 p.m., FSN

everyone else in the league. We just have to deal with it. There’s an opportunity for other guys; that’s how we have to look at it.”

The Panthers have battled injuries since the preseason, when Nick Bjugstad and Jonathan Huberdeau were lost in exhibition games.

Bjugstad has returned, but Huberdeau is out until next month; Florida’s once potent top line has been ripped apart, with Jaromir Jagr the only player standing as Barkov joined Huberdeau on the injured list last month with an undisclosed lower body injury.

Rowe said Barkov is out for the next few weeks.

“Sometimes it feels like a ‘when it rains, it pours’ kind of situation,” Derek MacKenzie said.

“We certainly have had some guys come in and fill some voids. ... What can you do? All teams go through it, all teams get banged up. The bottom line is, you have to find a way to win.”

Greg McKegg took advantage of his extended playing time bec ause of Griffith’s injury Wednesday as he jumped into a rush after Aaron Ekblad knocked down a puck and got it to Jagr.

Jagr sprung McKegg with a chip pass, and the fourthline forward raced up the ice and beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a wrist shot to cut Winnipeg’s lead to 2-1 heading into the third.

It was one of the few highlights from a Florida team that looked more than a step off in a 4-1 loss.

“It’s definitely tough when you’re as short-manned as we are right now,” said McKegg, who was brought back from the minors last week. “We just have to play through, deal with the cards we have been dealt and try and rally and get some wins.”