When Sasha Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau returned from injuries earlier this month, everyone knew what that meant for Florida’s top line.
The Panthers hoped solidifying the top line of Barkov, Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr would trickle down through the lineup.
Boy, has it ever.
Florida got plenty of scoring during its five-game road winning streak before coming home and losing its next two.
The second line of center Vincent Trocheck and wingers Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith was a huge reason for Florida’s road success and offers hope down the road, too.
If the Panthers are going to make a run for the playoffs — and a big home game against Atlantic Division rival Ottawa awaits on Sunday night — they will likely need their second-line players to continue scoring.