The Florida Panthers came into the last night’s game atop the Atlantic Division, and it was clear the San Jose Sharks were going up against a formidable opponent. The Panthers lead the NHL in what feels like everything. At 5-on-5, off the rush, an odd-man rush, goal-scoring — their attack is lethal, and the team had won eight home games in a row, with an overall 23-3-0 home record.
There are a surprising number of connections between these two teams. Head coach Bob Boughner held his first NHL head coaching job with the Panthers from July 2017 to April 2019, then returning to the Sharks organization, where he’d previously been an assistant coach.