SUNRISE — Roster battles continue to brew for the Florida Panthers as they reach the midway point of their eight-game preseason.
Florida played the second of the three games it scheduled to have its fringe-NHL players battle it out for positioning.
Some of the biggest storylines continued to play out.
Led by 2021 first-round pick Mackie Samoskevich, Florida ousted Carolina 4-2 to move to 3-1-0 on the preseason.
What was more important was how well those who are jockeying for position played.
Anthony Stolarz made 27 of 29 saves in his preseason debut after being brought in via free-agency to compete with Spencer Knight for the backup goaltending job.
Multiple players stepped up on the defensive end as well.
As the Panthers prepare to cut their roster to 28 players on Monday, the next two games are the final opportunities for a lot of these players to show they belong on the opening night roster.
Here are some observations from the Panthers’ 4-2 preseason win over the Hurricanes:
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