Carter Verhaeghe has been the Florida Panthers’ best player in their first-round series against the Washington Capitals. The 26-year-old center has given the Capitals fits and leads the Panthers in goals (5) and points (10).
Verhaeghe had a career-best postseason performance on Wednesday, scoring or assisting on every goal the Panthers had (2g, 3a). Florida won Game Five 5-3 and will look to close out Washington in Game Six at Capital One Arena, Friday.
That’s why the following news is significant.
Carter Verhaeghe #FlaPanthers playoff history
*Tied record-points in a playoff series, 10. (Huberdeau 2021)
*Set record-goals in a series, 5
*Set record-points in a game, 5
*Tied record-assists in a game, 3
*Tied record-points in a period, 3
From @ECHL ➡️ @TheAHL➡️ playoff hero— Steve Goldstein (@goldieonice) May 12, 2022
Verhaeghe missed Florida’s morning skate on Friday per the Panthers’ Jameson Olive. Head coach Andrew Brunette said Verhaeghe would be a game-time decision.
“It just kind of happened yesterday,” Brunette said per Olive. “Hopefully, he’s ready to go. … It’s a little lingering.”
The Panthers will already be without noted pest Mason Marchment. The forward missed Game Five due to a lower-body injury and did not travel with the team for Game Six.
The Panthers’ lines looked like this during the morning skate.
Duclair – Barkov – Giroux
Huberdeau – Bennett – Reinhart
Mamin – Lundell – Acciari
Lomberg – Luostarinen – Hornqvist
Chiarot – Ekblad
Forsling – Weegar
Montour – Gudas
Sergei Bobrovsky will start his sixth consecutive game in the series.
Puck drop will be at 7:30 pm.
