Early look The full preview opens on Wednesday 17 February, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Anaheim Ducks at Florida Panthers: game preview

Puck drop20 Feb · 5:00 PM ET
VenueAmerant Bank Arena
All-time meetings50 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Eight points apart last season

Anaheim finished last season 18th in the league on 92 points. Florida finished 25th on 84, and the 2025-26 season series went ANA 2-0-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 51

Across 50 completed games, Florida lead the head-to-head 27-16-6.

All-time record27-16-6Florida's record in the series
Meetings played50This is number 51
2025-26 seriesANA 2-0-0
Last 53-2Anaheim
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
4 OctFLA 2 – ANA 3 OT31–21FLA 0/4 · ANA 3/4ANA
4 Nov 2025FLA 3 – ANA 721–32FLA 1/4 · ANA 2/7ANA
28 Oct 2025ANA 3 – FLA 2 SO17–33ANA 1/5 · FLA 0/4ANA
21 Jan 2025FLA 5 – ANA 229–30FLA 0/3 · ANA 1/2FLA
18 Jan 2025ANA 0 – FLA 334–45ANA 0/1 · FLA 0/2FLA
Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateAnaheimFlorida
28 Oct 20255-3-1 · 11 pts16th5-5-1 · 11 pts19th
4 Nov 20258-3-1 · 17 pts8th6-6-1 · 13 pts27th
4 Oct2-0-0 · 4 pts6th1-0-2 · 4 pts12th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 28 Oct 2025, Anaheim were 16th in the league and Florida 19th. By 4 Oct it was 6th and 12th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Florida out-attempted Anaheim 330 to 284

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Anaheim Ducks

284 att · 134 on goal · 14 G · 10.4%
Crease19 att · 1 G
Slot103 att · 8 G
Wing99 att · 5 G
Point51 att · 0 G
Neutral zone12 att · 0 G

Florida Panthers

330 att · 159 on goal · 15 G · 9.4%
Crease22 att · 2 G
Slot124 att · 8 G
Wing123 att · 3 G
Point55 att · 1 G
Neutral zone6 att · 1 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Anaheim have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

AnaheimFlorida
2.19xG for per game3.01
3.49xG against per game2.34
38.6%xG share56.3%
+2.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.0
+2.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.4

This season: 2 games for Anaheim, 4 for Florida. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Anaheim

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.6% · 23rd
Power play · last 5 meetings7/19 · 36.8%
Penalty kill · 2026-2785.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.4% · 27th
Faceoffs · 2026-2743.9% · 50/114
Drawn · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings19 (3.80/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-277 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings7

Florida

Small sample
Power play · 2026-274.3%
Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 19th
Power play · last 5 meetings1/17 · 5.9%
Penalty kill · 2026-2778.9%
Penalty kill · 2025-2681.0% · 9th
Faceoffs · 2026-2750.2% · 115/229
Drawn · 2026-2723 (5.75/gm)
Drawn · last meetings17 (3.40/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings1

Skaters

Cutter Gauthier has 8 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
91Leo Carlsson21452.50
61Cutter Gauthier22242.00
64Mikael Granlund21121.00
19Matthew Tkachuk42130.75
20Lars Eller40330.75
9Sam Bennett40330.75
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
67Tristan Luneau20110.50
47Noah Warren20110.50
3Seth Jones41010.25
42Gustav Forsling31010.33
Defencemen stats

Cutter Gauthier vs Florida · game by game

See all: Cutter Gauthier vs Florida · game by game →
DateVenueGAPSOGTOI
4 Octhome213420:50
4 Nov 2025home314614:48
28 Oct 2025away101719:46
21 Jan 2025home000315:33
18 Jan 2025away000113:02
Last 5 meetings8 P6 G, 2 A · 21 SOG
Next best7 PLeo Carlsson, ANA
2026-27 season4 P2 GP · 2 G
Blank vs FLA2 of 5
Full game log

Goaltending

Lukas Dostal has started most of these meetings

Lukas Dostal played 4 of the last 5 meetings with Florida, with a .895 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 18 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 18 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

ANA · 2-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 17 Feb

SV% · 2026-27.9182 GP · 2.42 GAA · 2025-26 .888
vs Florida.8954 app · 114 SA · 12 GA
GSAx · 2026-27+2.02 starts · most on the roster
vs FLAVenueSAGASV%
4 Octhome312.935
4 Nov 2025home213.857
28 Oct 2025away332.939
21 Jan 2025home295.828
Full game log

Florida crease

FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 17 Feb

Jacob Markstrom.9273 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.2
Akira Schmid.8751 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −1.0
#vs ANAAppsSAGASV%
25Jacob Markstrom1203.850

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

4 Oct5 · FLA 2–3 ANA
4 Nov 202510 · FLA 3–7 ANA
28 Oct 20255 · ANA 3–2 FLA
21 Jan 20257 · FLA 5–2 ANA
18 Jan 20253 · ANA 0–3 FLA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51
Florida2.002.003.063.37

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.3Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings6.0Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

8 on the injury lists

Anaheim · injuries

Drew HellesonLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ian MooreLower BodyIRReturn16 Oct
Troy TerryHipIRReturn21 Nov

Florida · injuries

Aaron EkbladPersonalOutReturn10 Oct
Aleksander BarkovLower BodyIRReturn27 Nov
Brad MarchandLegDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct
Jonah GadjovichUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct
MacKenzie EntwistleUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct
1 Oct · ANA

Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.

30 Sep · ANA

Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · ANA

Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · FLA

Placed RW/C Cole Schwindt, RD Alexander Petrovic, LD Donovan Sebrango, LW Kai Schwindt, LW Cole Reinhardt, RW Sam Lafferty and C/LW John Beecher on waivers. Agreed to terms with RW Nathan Bastian on a 1-year, two-way contract.

Injury report
#15Nikita KlepovRound 1 · SaginawRW
#28Marcus NordmarkRound 1 · Djurgarden Jr.LW
#45Jayden KurtzRound 2 · RogersD
#50Mathis PrestonRound 2 · VancouverRW
Full draft
#40Simas IgnataviciusRound 2 · GeneveRW
#48Ryder CaliRound 2 · North BayC
#98Jonas KempsRound 4 · ChicagoD
#168Vilho VanhataloRound 6 · Tappara Jr.RW
Full draft

Updated after every final