The Florida Panthers are back from the Olympic break and have an uphill battle to return to the playoffs. The two-time defending champions entered Sunday's action eight points out of the final Wild Card spot. Panthers coach Paul Maurice hinted at a possible return for Sunday's game against the New York Islanders, as Dmitry Kulikov may return from an upper-body injury.
“Dmitry Kulikov is a game-day decision at the New York Islanders on Sunday, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. The defenseman hasn't played since Oct. 9 because of an upper-body injury sustained in the second game of the season, a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers,” NHL.com reported.
Kulikov started his career with the Panthers, spending seven seasons in Florida before bouncing around other organizations. He returned to Sunrise before the 2023-24 season, in which the Cats won their first of two consecutive Stanley Cups. His injury, suffered in the second game of the regular season, has been a significant blue-line loss.
The Panthers have dealt with other, more high-profile injuries. Aleksander Barkov has not played this year thanks to a knee injury suffered in training camp, and Matthew Tkachuk missed the first 47 games of the season after offseason surgery. But Kulikov's injury, paired with Seth Jones' recent absence, took a Panthers strength and made it a weakness.
The Panthers have won consecutive championships with great defense and goaltending. They found diamonds in the rough in Gustav Forsling, Kulikov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and plenty more. Pair that with great play from Aaron Ekblad and Jones, and the Cats won the Cup. But this year, they have needed Jeff Petry and Donovan Sebrango to step up. That has not worked out as well. And without their top two forwards for most of the year, it's been a disaster in South Florida.
But the Panthers are far from out of the playoff race. Ending the Islanders' four-game winning streak on Sunday would be a great first step for them to take.
