Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Chips in helper Monday
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Luostarinen notched an assist, three hits and two PIM in Monday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
Luostarinen posted a helper in a third straight game, but offense is going to be tough to come by moving forward. Following the returns of Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov from their respective absences, Luostarinen is now in a third-line role with no path to consistent power-play time. He saw a season-low 11:43 of ice time Monday and will likely continue to play on the third line. The Finn has six points, 16 shots on net, 27 hits and a plus-2 rating over 11 appearances, but his fantasy value will be limited to deeper formats with the Panthers near full strength up front.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Scores again Saturday
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Luostarinen scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Golden Knights.
There was plenty of ice time available for Luostarinen in a 10-forward lineup, and he logged a season-high 21:47. The 26-year-old has two goals over his last three games, and he's up to three tallies over seven contests this season. He's yet to record an assist, but the Finn has added 11 shots on net, 14 hits and a plus-2 rating while playing in a middle-six role.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Buries game-winner
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Luostarinen scored a goal and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets.
Luostarinen's third-period tally was the game-winner. The forward has seen increased ice time in the absences of Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness), though Luostarinen is likely to drop back onto the third line when the Panthers are healthy. The 26-year-old has two goals, seven shots on net, 10 hits and a plus-2 rating over five appearances this season.
Luostarinen scored a goal on four shots and added four hits in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Bruins.
Luostarinen gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 7:31 of the first period. The 26-year-old forward took a step back last year, going from 43 points in 2022-23 to 27 points in 2023-24 despite similar ice time. He begins this season in a third-line role with no power-play minutes, but the physical Finn could be an option to enter the top six when injuries arise.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Manages helper in win
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Luostarinen recorded an assist in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Oilers in Game 3.
Luostarinen has continued to make an impact from the third line with four points over his last five games. His offense has been streaky in the playoffs, but his place in the lineup has never been in doubt. The 25-year-old forward is up to eight points, 24 shots on net, 55 hits, 20 PIM and a plus-4 rating through 20 playoff contests.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Deposits empty-netter
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Luostarinen scored an empty-net goal and added two hits in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Oilers in Game 1.
Luostarinen has a goal and two assists over his last three games after finishing Saturday's win with an empty-netter. The 25-year-old forward continues to play on the Panthers' third line, so his scoring chances will likely remain limited. He's picked up a decent seven points with 24 shots on net, 53 hits, 20 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 18 playoff contests in that supporting role.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Provides assist in win
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Luostarinen notched an even-strength assist in Thursday's 3-2 win against the Rangers in Game 5.
Luostarinen had been held off the scoresheet in seven consecutive outings before helping out on Anton Lundell's third-period tally. Luostarinen added two shots, one block, one hit and a plus-1 rating in 16:15 of ice time. The 25-year-old has been struggling when it comes to finding the back of the net -- he has the lowest shooting percentage among Florida's forwards that have at least 20 shots on goal during the postseason. The Finland native has five points (one goal) and a plus-1 rating in 16 postseason appearances.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Provides helper in Game 5
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Luostarinen notched an assist, two shots on goal and two hits in Monday's 6-1 win over the Lightning in Game 5.
Luostarinen's goal drought is now at 17 games, but he has nine assists in that span. Two of those helpers have come over the last two contests, accounting for all of his playoff production through five outings. The winger has added 17 hits, six shots on net, eight PIM and an even plus-minus rating while filling a third-line role in the postseason.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Fiery effort in Game 4
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Luostarinen supplied an assist and five hits in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Lightning for Game 4 of the conference quarterfinals.
We'd be surprised if Luostarinen is ever the first player to come to mind when thinking about the Panthers roster, but the 25-year-old winger has 16 hits in this opening series. Indeed, physicality is always encouraged by teams chasing the Stanley Cup, and it should be known that Luostarinen is by no means devoid of offense. The Finn averaged 35 points between the last two regular seasons in a middle-six role, making him a sneaky option for playoff pools.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Picks up helper
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Luostarinen notched an assist in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.
Luostarinen has just one goal and two assists in his last eight contests while recording 13 shots on net. The winger is currently filling a first-line role due to Aleksander Barkov (undisclosed) being out, but Luostarinen is far from a lock to maintain that assignment heading into the final weeks of the regular season. In addition to his even-strength role, Luostarinen has been spending time with the No. 2 power-play unit, though that hasn't helped to bolster his offense.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Bends twine against Caps
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Luostarinen scored a goal on one shot in a 4-2 win over Washington on Thursday.
Luostarinen needs just one more tally to reach the 10-goal threshold but is unlikely to repeat his 2022-23 total, as he scored 17 times in 82 games. Additionally, the 25-year-old winger is on pace to miss the 25-point mark for the first time since his rookie campaign, when he notched just eight points in 44 games.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: First multi-goal game in NHL
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Luostarinen scored a pair of power-play goals in a 4-1 win over Montreal on Saturday.
It was the forward's first multi-goal game in the NHL in his 248th regular-season appearance. Luostarinen is a third-line fixture in Florida with limited fantasy value. He caught lightning in a bottle last season with 43 points, including 17 goals, in 82 games. However, Luostarinen has fallen back to earth in 2023-24 with 10 points through 36 contests. He is currently on a 23-point pace, which doesn't make him an attractive fantasy option.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Supplies only offense in loss
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Luostarinen scored his fifth goal of the season in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Blues.
He spoiled Joel Hofer's shutout bid midway through the second period with a billiard shot -- Luostarinen's dump-in attempt took a strange carom off the glass right by the Panthers' bench and went straight into the net while Hofer waited for the puck behind the cage. Three of Luostarinen's five goals on the season have come in the last seven games, but those are the checking-line winger's only points in December.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Scores third goal of 2023-24
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Luostarinen provided a goal in a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh on Friday.
Luostarinen's marker came early in the third period and proved to be the game-winner. It was his third tally and sixth point in 26 contests this season, which is way down from his 2022-23 finish of 17 goals and 43 points in 82 appearances. That offensive decline has come despite Luostarinen averaging 16:08 of ice time this year, which is roughly in line with his 15:59 last season. We're likely too deep into the season for the 25-year-old to recover to the point of matching his 2022-23 totals, but he should be able to increase his offensive pace at least somewhat as the campaign progresses.
Luostarinen collected a goal in a 5-0 win over Ottawa on Monday.
Luostarinen has two goals and five points through 21 contests this season. He's getting a solid amount of ice time with Florida -- an average of 16:11 per game going into Monday's action -- but he doesn't have a regular role on the power play. That's unlikely to change unless the Panthers run into injury troubles, which significantly limits Luostarinen's offensive potential for the 2023-24 campaign.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Deposits opening goal
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Luostarinen scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Friday's 2-1 win over the Ducks.
Luostarinen got his first goal of the campaign at 14:50 of the first period. The 25-year-old has made limited contributions on offense this season while skating in a middle-six role. He's up to three points 22 shots on net, 18 hits, 15 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating over 17 appearances. He had 43 points in 82 appearances last year, so it's possible he could unlock more offense as the season goes on.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Nabs helper in victory
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Luostarinen registered an assist in Friday's 5-2 win over the Hurricanes.
Luostarinen has a pair of helpers representing his point total through 13 games, which is far from matching his career-high 43-point pace from 2022-23. The Panthers have largely removed the Finn from the power play after he saw time in that key special teams spot in October, which is a trend worth watching as the Panthers fight for supremacy in the Atlantic Division.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Practices to begin camp
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Luostarinen was in Group A for Thursday's first practice of training camp, Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now reports.
Luostarinen missed five games with a broken tibia at the end of the playoffs, but the 25-year-old appears fine now. The Finnish forward figures to be a middle-six player for much of 2023-24, though he could easily move around the lineup as a versatile forward. He had 43 points, 132 shots on goal and a plus-19 rating in 82 regular-season games last season.
Luostarinen (leg) signed a three-year, $9 million contract with Florida on Tuesday.
Luostarinen sat out the final five games of Florida's playoff run because of a broken tibia. During the regular season, he set career highs in goals (17), assists (26), points (43) and shots on net (132) over 82 contests. Luostarinen has developed nicely as a versatile two-way threat for the Panthers. He will probably line up as a middle-six forward during the 2023-24 campaign.
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Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen: Unavailable Thursday
Rotowire
Luostarinen (lower body) will miss Game 3 on Thursday, Mike Stephens of SI.com reports.
Florida will be without Luostarinen for a third straight contest. He has two goals and five points in 16 playoff contests this year. If Luostarinen is able to return before the end of the Stanley Cup Finals, he will likely play on Florida's second or third line.
