Florida Panthers: Michael Matheson is upping his play

The Florida Panthers have benefited from his play over the past couple games.

As the Florida Panthers get ready to begin their road trip against the Detroit Red Wings, one Panther is looking to continue his hot streak. Michael Matheson has been playing well over the past couple of games. Now, he is looking to continue that hot streak.

Matheson has scored six goals and recorded six assists in 40 games this season. Notching 12 points, he has recorded three points in his last five games. Most recently against the Los Angeles Kings, he recorded a goal and an assist. Prior to that, he had a goal and an assist against Toronto on January 12.

His shot totals have stayed in the upper-20s range, and he is getting pucks to the net. Matheson recorded 23 shots against the Kings, and 25 against the Maple Leafs. He has been extremely active on the ice, and he has seen an increase in ice time. He was on the ice for 20:43 against Los Angeles and 21:00 against Toronto.

Panthers have golden opportunity

The Detroit Red Wings have one of the worst defenses in the league. Allowing 3.83 goals per game, that is last in the National Hockey League. Backup goaltender Calvin Picard is expected between the pipes against Florida on Saturday.  Picard is 0-2 against the Panthers the season.

The last time these two teams met, the Panthers beat the Red Wings by a 5-4 margin. Matheson had a shot in 21 shifts, equaling to 19:54 in ice time.

The stars are aligning for Matheson to have another big game. He has been a great secondary scorer for the team lately. The Boston College product filled a similar role in Chestnut Hill, and he is doing the same for the Panthers. It will be interesting to see what he can do against a Red Wings team that has been struggling as of late. Whatever he is doing right now is working well.