Florida Panthers News

Markstrom will return to the Flames crease on Tuesday after being unavailable to dress in the team's previous two games due to an upper-body injury. In his most recent outing, a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, Markstrom saved 16 of 18 shots (.889 SV%), the first time he has recorded a victory when allowing two or fewer goals in a game (1-2-1). The Flames have lost their last two games but are -165 road favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that ranks in the bottom half of the league defensively (3.40 GF / GP).

Markstrom did not dress in the last two games for the Flames as he was out of the lineup with an upper-body injury but appears to be nearing a return. During his absence, Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf each started a game, both losses. Markstrom is 2-6-1 on the season with a 2.91 GAA and .896 SV%.

Bennett's impending return is welcome news for him and the Panthers after he was injured after playing just 7:54 in his season debut. Bennett had 16 goals, 24 assists, 193 SOG, 54 PIMs and, a +5 plus/minus in 63 games played in 2022-23.

The Flames have recalled high-pedigree prospect Dustin Wolf as Markstrom tends to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup. Dan Vladar will start for the Flames on Friday against the Maple Leafs, and it is unclear if Markstrom will be ready for their Saturday matchup against the Ottawa Senators or if the team will turn to Wolf. Markstrom has a 2.91 GAA and .896 SV% through nine games this season (2-6-1).

Bennett's availability for Sunday's game is still to be determined but his impending return is welcome news for him and the Panthers after he was injured, playing just 7:54 in his season debut. Bennett had 16 goals, 24 assists, 193 SOG, 54 PIMs and, a +5 plus/minus in 63 games played in 2022-23.

Balinskis has played 10 games for the Panthers but has been scratched in their two most recent contests in favour of Mike Reilly. Balinskis, who has zero points while averaging 14:07 time-on-ice, will return to the third defensive pair with Josh Mahura.

The 27-year-old rookie has registered zero points, seven blocked shots, and 13 hits across ten games with the Panthers this season. Mike Reilly will draw into the lineup in his place.

Markstrom will start Tuesday against the Nashville Predators as the struggling Flames will be desperate to win consecutive games for the first time this season. The Flames' poor start to the season (3-7-1) has been highly scrutinized as the team ranks bottom-five in the league offensively (2.55 GF / GP) and defensively (3.64 GA / GP). Markstrom has a 3.03 GAA and .897 SV% and has lost seven consecutive games (0-6-1). That said, the Flames are listed as rare favourites (-131) at home against the Predators.

Gadjovich signed with the Panthers in the offseason but, after serving as a healthy scratch for the team's first 11 games, is being loaned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for a conditioning assignment. Last season, Gadjovich had seven points (3G / 4A), 57 penalty minutes, and 92 hits in 35 games with the San Jose Sharks.

Panthers' head coach Paul Maurice said that there's a chance Ekblad returns after the Panthers' upcoming road trip to California, which runs from Nov. 14 to Nov.17. This puts Ekblad on track to play somewhere around Nov.20 when they host the Edmonton Oilers.

Balinskis has played all 10 games for the Panthers this season, this first of his career, registering zero points, eight shots, and a -2 plus/minus while averaging 14:07 time-on-ice. The Latvian defender will be a healthy scratch on Monday to make room for Mike Reilly to make his season debut.

Schmid will make an appearance in the Devils crease on Friday as New Jersey travels to St. Louis for the tail-end of a back-to-back. It's the first start for Schmid since October 25th against the Capitals when he was pulled after surrendering three goals on just eight shots. Starter Vitek Vanecek has started and won all three games since, although he's registered just an .884 SV% over that stretch, so the door for an increased workload may still be open for Schmid if he can regain the form he flashed last season. Schmid has struggled to the tune of an .863 SV% and a 4.07 GAA across his first three starts of the season.

Markstrom has been one of the few bright spots on a horrid start to the season for the Flames as he will suit up between the pipes for his eighth start. Despite a respectable 2.88 GAA and .901 SV% for Markstrom in seven games (1-5-1), the Flames rank fifth worst defensively, averaging 3.67 goals allowed per game. The Flames' complete inability to score (2.11 GF / GP) has culminated in a very frustrating start for a team that had high hopes of returning to the playoffs before the season started. The Flames will be welcoming a Dallas Stars team that is very stingy defensively (2.43 GA / GP) and is off to an impressive 5-1-1 start.

Bennett saw his first action of the season on Monday after returning from an injury (lower-body) but played only 7:54 before being forced to leave the game with another lower-body injury. This injury isn't believed to be related to the previous one that kept him out of action but is still cause for concern as he has a week-to-week timeline for his next potential return. Bennett had 16 goals, 24 assists, 193 SOG, 54 PIMs and, a +5 plus/minus in 63 games played in 2022-23.

Markstrom has been one of the few bright spots on a horrid start to the season for the Flames as he will suit up between the pipes for his eighth start. Despite a respectable 2.88 GAA and .901 SV% for Markstrom in seven games (1-5-1), the Flames rank fifth worst defensively, averaging 3.67 goals allowed per game. The Flames' complete inability to score (2.11 GF / GP) has culminated in a very frustrating start for a team that had high hopes of returning to the playoffs before the season started. The Flames will be welcoming a Dallas Stars team that is very stingy defensively (2.43 GA / GP) and is off to an impressive 5-1-1 start.

Bennett has missed the Panthers' first seven games due to a lower-body injury sustained in the pre-season and was a game-time decision to make his season debut Monday vs. Boston. The 27-year-old will be a much-welcomed return to the lineup after posting 16 goals, 24 assists, 193 SOG, 54 PIMs and, a +5 plus/minus in 63 games played in 2022-23.

Bennett has missed the Panthers' first seven games due to a lower-body injury sustained in the pre-season and is now a game-time decision to make his season debut Monday vs. Boston. The 27-year-old will make a much-welcome return after posting 16 goals, 24 assists, 193 SOG, 54 PIMs and, a +5 plus/minus in 63 games played in 2022-23.

The Flamers uncontested number-one goaltender unsurprisingly gets the nod for the Heritage Classic on Sunday night. Markstrom leads the league in losses with four thanks in large part to a lack of goal support. The 33-year-old Swede allowed just two goals on 34 shots in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Blues. He owns a respectable .906 SV% and a 2.67 GAA on the season. The job won't get any easier for Markstrom on Sunday as he'll take on a rejuvenated Oilers team in the outdoor classic with Connor McDavid likely to return.