Florida has the stronger record and power-index position, but Detroit already owns a 5-3 win in the season series.
Florida enters Thursday's rematch with 22 points and a 10-7-2 record, five points clear of Detroit's 17 and 7-9-3 mark; its 14th-place power-index standing also tops the Red Wings at 23rd. Yet Detroit owns the season's first meeting, a 5-3 win, and Florida has gone 2-3 over its last five while the Red Wings arrive on a four-game losing streak. Florida's Matthew Tkachuk has driven its attack with 24 points in 15 games, while Detroit's Lucas Raymond leads his side with 15 points in 16. Detroit's 16.1 blocks per game against Florida's 10.5 could help blunt the Panthers' attack, but reversing the slide against a higher-ranked opponent is the defining test.