« GOALS NEEDED: Florida Panthers Near Bottom of League in Scoring Again; Scottie Upshall Having Good Year, Leads Team in Scoring | Main | CURTAINS!: Panthers to Seriously Cut Back on Sunrise Capacity in 2014-15? »

FLYERS NOTEBOOK: Boyes, Huberdeau, Shore Back in Lineup ... End of the Line for Gomez? ... Barkov Works Out with Team

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

Busy day for the Panthers at Tuesday's morning skate as three players jump back into the lineup.

Brad Boyes is back after missing the past few games on a revamped 'B-Line' as Nick Bjugstad rejoins Sean Bergenheim after playing down on the third line.

Jonathan Huberdeau is also back in the lineup after being out since last month with a concussion.

Drew Shore, recalled yesterday, is also in the lineup.

That means two players need to be scratched tonight and it's going to be Scott Gomez and Quinton Howden. That last decision led to a lot of head scratching among the gathered media as many wouldn't mind seeing Tomas Fleischmann take a day off. Personally, I'm looking for a big bounce-back year from Fleischmann in 2014-15.

"I'm really excited. It's been a while,'' Huberdeau said. "When you've been out for a while, you want to get back out there and do everything you can to help the team. I'm going to keep it simple out there and try and finish the last three games the right way.''

-- With the influx of forwards, Gomez goes from playing on Florida's top line to being scratched. It's possible Gomez has not only played in his final game with the Panthers but perhaps his final NHL game.

Coach Peter Horachek admitted that scratching Gomez -- he's been a pretty good citizen with the Panthers -- was a difficult decision.

"That's the hardest thing that's happened because he's part of the driving force,'' Horachek said "He's saying the things he needs to say, been a total pro and works hard.

"When things are happening in the game, he's trying to make a difference. He's speaking on the bench, in the locker room. He's doing all the things a good pro does. At this time, sometimes you're looking at next year more than the final three games. You want to see what chemistry the younger players have. I can't say enough good things about Scottie.''

-- Aleksander Barkov was out practicing on Florida's fifth line with Gomez and Howden but it's still very doubtful we'll see the rookie center again this season.

Barkov has been out with a knee injury since the Olympics.

"I'm a hockey player and I want to be on the ice with the team,'' Barkov said.

 

Comments