Injuries are never a good thing for a hockey team. For the Panthers though, all it took was a few injuries to some forwards and a host of rookies marching through the locker room to generate some serious momentum. Key players like Jay Bouwmeester and Stephen Weiss are playing near the top of their game, both goalies are standing on their head to make saves, and the rookies are contributing at every level. This all spells good news for the Cats as their climb up the division ladder continues. Now, fresh off a Canadian road trip and a quick visit to division rival Carolina, the Panthers return home for a visit from the surprisingly mediocre but ever-dangerous Colorado Avalanche. Center Joe Sakic is out for a while, but Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk pack quite the scoring punch for the Avs. The biggest question will be who’s starting in goal for the Panthers. Tomas Vokoun is a true all star goalie, but Craig Anderson’s save percentage has been at or near the top of the league for weeks.

Catch all the action this Sunday at 5 p.m. at the BankAtlantic Center (One Panther Pwky., Sunrise). Tickets start at $17. Visit ticketmaster.com, or call 954-835-7825.
Sun., Dec. 21, 2008