Florida's last 2 games show how wide its range is right now. A 5-3 loss in Buffalo was followed the next night by a 7-3 win in Columbus. They were down 1-0 after the 1st period in Columbus, scored 4 in the 2nd and 3 more in the 3rd, all on the 2nd night of a back-to-back and without Barkov or Marchand. The Panthers also dropped a 4-1 home game to Minnesota, so this hasn't been a smooth start. Both clubs get a day off before puck drop at 7:00 PM ET, which takes the schedule out of it.
The injury list behind the 2 stars is longer than it looks for Florida. Jacob Markstrom and Radko Gudas are both listed out, which costs the Panthers goaltending depth and one of their most physical defensemen. Jonah Gadjovich is out indefinitely. Vancouver's IR list includes Filip Chytil, so the center depth that was supposed to support the top 6 isn't there. That matters more for a team that can't score.
For Vancouver it comes down to one thing. A team averaging under 2 goals a game during a skid has to get a goal it didn't have to work for: a power-play goal, a rebound, a bad bounce off a defenseman. Boeser's power-play goal on Long Island is the template. If the Canucks have to manufacture 5-on-5 offense against a Florida team that just scored 7, they're probably losing a 6th straight.
For Florida, the question is whether Columbus was a turning point or a night where a short-handed defense had nothing left late. Without Barkov's 2-way game and Marchand's edge, the Panthers have been scoring by committee. A Vancouver team that has been leaking high-danger chances is exactly the opponent to keep that going.