The Florida Panthers arrived in Boston feeling pretty good, and rightly so.
They were riding a six-game winning streak and had allowed a single goal over their past four games.
Then on Tuesday, as Florida’s game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden progressed, things felt like they were following a similar script, with the Panthers holding a 2-0 lead in the third period.
But boy can things change quickly in this league.
A few simple mistakes began piling up, and the next thing the Panthers knew, they were trying to salvage a point by forcing the game to overtime.
Ultimately, it didn’t work out.
On to the takeaways.
SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS
Looking back at each of Boston’s third period goals, all three of the plays could be traced back to the puck being on a Panthers player’s stick.
Failed clearing attempts combined with Florida’s general aggressive defensive strategy left a couple of Bruins players wide open in prime scoring areas, and they did not miss.
Knowing how smart and responsible this Panthers team generally is with the puck on their sticks, this outcome feels like an anomaly.
We shall see.
“We had full control of the puck three times, and then didn’t,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think those are plays we can execute on. So much of it is what you give them, what you get, or what you take from you.”
NEED TO BE USED TO THIS
While yes, Florida was facing a desperate Bruins team trying to salvage their season and claw back into a playoff spot, it’s hardly a rare situation for the Cats to be in.
Most of the Panthers recent opponents are fighting for their playoff lives, and that’s not going to change for a while.
Even on their current six-game road trip, all five teams they have yet to visit are either holding a playoff spot or within a few points of one.
Throughout the season, the Panthers have been a team that has bounced back relatively quickly from troubling times.
Considering the extended road trip they just began, Florida will want to turn things around soon before things start to spiral in the wrong direction.
“I think they played as hard as the last two or three teams that we played,” Maurice said. “Columbus is fighting same way for the playoffs, and that’s what the road trip will be. You got a tough one in Toronto, and then both the teams we play at the end of the trip are fighting for their playoff lies. There’s a whole bunch of teams that are four or five points out, and they’re right there.”
VALUABLE LESSONS LEARNED
Good teams find ways to extract positive things from their losses.
Learning things about their opponents, or themselves, that can prove valuable down the road is a key to being a successful squad.
If the Panthers can turn Tuesday’s collapse into something that locks them back into form and keeps Florida from blowing the next lead, it would be just another sign that this team is worth of its spot as a Stanley Cup favorite.
“We’ll definitely learn from this one,” said Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich. “Up by two going into the third, I think those are things you’re going to have to do in the playoffs. I think we’ve got to be harder defensively, I think we’ve got to bear down on some pucks there, but like I said, I think that it’ll turn out good for our group.”
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