The latest on Panthers’ Bobrovsky and Sam Bennett, ailing in the middle of a playoff push

Sergei Bobrovsky and Sam Bennett were once again absent from practice Monday at FLA Live Arena, leaving the Florida Panthers without two major contributors as they get ready to host the Buffalo Sabres in one of their biggest games of the season Tuesday.

Bobrovsky has missed three games in a row with an illness, and Bennett has missed seven in a row with an unspecified injury, and neither will be ready to face the Sabres at 7 p.m. in Sunrise.

“Same lineup going in,” coach Paul Maurice said.

Goaltender Alex Lyon will start his fourth game in a row, and forward Anton Lundell will slot in again as the second-line center, just as he has in the past three games.

With five games left in the regular season, the Panthers are back in control of their own destiny thanks to a three-game winning streak, so Florida (39-31-7) and Buffalo (37-31-7) both face virtual must-win situations this week, trying to scrape their way into the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Panthers sit one point behind the Penguins for the second wild card and two behind the Islanders for the top wild card, but have played one game fewer than New York, which means they will make the Stanley Cup playoffs if they go undefeated the rest of the way. The Sabres are four points behind Florida, but have played two fewer game than the Panthers.

Two ill-timed absences, however, make the task a bit more daunting for Florida, even though it fared well last week without Bobrovsky and Bennett.

Bobrovsky could dress vs. Sabres

The situation around Bobrovsky is the most fluid. Although he won’t start against the Sabres, he could serve as Lyon’s backup if he feels healthy enough.

“We wouldn’t put him in the lineup unless we were sure he could get into a game and get through,” Maurice said. “We’ll check on him tonight.”

Lyon, 30, is inspiring quite a bit of confidence right now, though.

The goalie has spent most of his career bouncing between the NHL and American Hockey League, but is now set to match a career high for NHL games played when he makes his 11th appearance Tuesday.

Lyon’s .896 save percentage and 3.24 goals against average for the season aren’t particularly impressive, but he was excellent last week when pressed into action, putting up a .951 save percentage and 1.33 goals against average. Dating to the final game of January, Lyon, who was undrafted out of Yale, has a .917 save percentage and four wins in five starts, including victories against the Stanley Cup-contending Bruins and Maple Leafs.

“That’s good numbers and his game, since he’s come back in the second time, has been very controlled, so he’s played well,” Maurice said. “He stops pucks. We’ve got lots of confidence in him.”

Panthers’ Sam Bennett progressing slowly

When Bennett went out of the lineup again last month, Florida was hopeful he would be back quickly, with Maurice initially expecting it to be a day-to-day situation.

It has turned into weeks and now Bennett is set to miss an eighth consecutive game with a nagging soft-tissue issue, Maurice said.

The center will participate in the Panthers’ morning skate Tuesday, but still needs to take part in a practice before he returns. It means the earliest the 26-year-old Canadian could return is Thursday against the Senators and, more realistically, he will be out until at least Saturday, when Florida faces the Capitals in Washington.

“He’s got to get back on the ice,” Maurice said. “We’ve got to get a few practices in. We’ll get him on the ice tomorrow. We’ll see how he recovers from that ice session the next day. If he feels good, he’ll get into a heavier. There’s a chance toward the end of the week.”

While the Panthers haven’t given many specifics about Bennett’s injury, the forward has now missed at least six consecutive games twice in the past two months, all since he awkwardly crashed into the net in a blowout loss to the Blues in Valentine’s Day.

“It’s a tough injury that heals at its own rate,” Maurice said. “It just has to get better. You can’t play as an NHL hockey player with it. ... We think we’ve got forward motion and he’s just got to get through those hoops.”

Panthers sign elite college scorer

Ryan McAllister was one of the most productive offensive players in the country this year at Western Michigan and now the 21-year-old forward is headed to Florida.

The Panthers signed the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Canadian to a three-year, entry-level contract Monday after piling up 49 points in 39 games in his lone season with the Broncos. He ranked sixth in the nation in points and his 39 assists were fourth most in the country.

The deal will begin at the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.

“Ryan is a talented playmaking forward who showcased his dynamic ability in his first season in college hockey,” general manager Bill Zito said in a statement. “We are looking forward to his continued development within our club.”