Takeaways: Panthers Set Franchise Record, Blowout Canucks

It was the performance the Panthers desperately needed.

In the midst of their worst stretch of games since 2020, the Florida Panthers (11-9-4) halted their three-game skid with a blowout win against the Vancouver Canucks.

Panthers Three-Goal Outburst Paces Way to Victory

In the final minutes of the first period, Matthew Tkachuk, Gustav Forsling, and Ryan Lomberg each tallied a goal in a span of 59 seconds.

It was the fastest three goals in franchise history, beating out the previous mark of 62 seconds set in 2009.

The Panthers were on cruise control from then on and finished with a 5-1 victory, snagging the first win of their five-game road trip.

This is the kind of outcome the Panthers and its fanbase have been expecting to see this season.

Same Script, Different Ending

As we’ve grown accustomed to seeing this season, the Panthers were the dominant team out of the gate but were being stymied by a hot goalie.

Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko was dialed in, making 13 stops in the first period before Tkachuks’ goal opened the floodgates. 

The Panthers have made a habit this season of outplaying their opponents but having nothing to show for it. And it was looking like this game was going to unfold that way again.

But that string of bad puck luck had to come to an end eventually, right? If the Panthers just kept to the script and continued to generate that high-volume offense, the results would have to come.

Well, that relentlessness was finally rewarded.

“We seemed to have the right mindset from the start to the finish,’’ Paul Maurice said. “I thought we were in control of what we wanted to do for the whole night.’’

When things are continually not going right, it’s easy to break away from your system. Frustrations build, players try and do too much, and the collective effort of players “freelancing” completely buries your team.

But this result displayed the maturity of this team and the trust they have in one another and their coach.

The Panthers know what they are capable of accomplishing on the ice and flexed it last night. 

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Lundell Leaves with Injury

Unfortunately not everything went the Panthers’ way.

Panthers center, Anton Lundell, left midway through the first period with an undisclosed injury. Lundell did return for a couple of shifts in the second but that was the last we saw of him.

“He came back and it did not loosen up,’’ Maurice said of Lundell. “He may be fine (Friday) or not. But it’s not something long-term nor a concern. He just tightened up.”

But with their young center leaving the game early, the rest of the team had to rally together and elevate their games. 

“Guys really stepped up,” Tkachuk said when asked about the adversity of losing Lundell, “We really wanted this one. Guys laid it all out there.”

There’s no timetable yet for the return of Lundell but hopefully, he returns to the lineup soon.

The Cats are already short down the middle with Aleksander Barkov being out with an illness. Losing a guy like Lundell for any length of time will put a great deal of strain on this roster.

We will be keeping a close eye on the second-year center. Should he be unavailable for the next game, the Panthers will have to play with a short bench due to their cap restrictions.

Strong Play in Front of Knight

One of the biggest areas of concern for the Panthers has been the play of their goaltenders. 

Both Spencer Knight and (especially) Sergei Bobrovsky have struggled to put together complete games this season.

But as we’ve talked about before, it is a collective effort when it comes to keeping the puck out of the net.

Paul Maurice was quick to address this fact after the game stating “What we haven’t done recently is give our goaltenders the opportunity to have a great night.”

Tkachuk echoed that sentiment, saying “We haven’t played near to where we want to play the last week or two. We’ve been in a similar position in the last few weeks with that lead. We did a good job of not just holding on but building off of it.”

The Panthers were actually out-shot in this game 33-32, something that has only happened six times this season. 

But the difference was in the quality of shots they were allowing. As Maurice said post-game, “There was volume there but the danger was not there as it was in the past.” 

And that has to be the biggest takeaway here. The Panthers are a team that plays good hockey — the analytics back that up. But they succumb to lapses during the game where they gift their opposition those high-danger scoring chances.

“I’m not a huge analytics guy but all of them say we are in the upper third, fifth in the league,” Maurice noted  “We’re in pretty good shape. I’ve got lots of faith in these guys and where they’re going.”

This team is still learning but they’re on the right track. If they can continue to tidy up their game, the sky is the limit with this club. 

Up Next

The Panthers go again on Saturday night when they take on the Seattle Kraken.

It’s just the third meeting between these two clubs, with the Kraken leading the overall series 2-0.

The Florida Panthers will be looking to get their first win against the Kraken. The NHL’s newest team is off to a hot start in its second season, sporting a 15-5-3 record. 

Kraken rookie, Matty Beniers, is having a Calder-worthy season with 21 points in 23 games. He will be a player to watch out for especially if both Lundell and Barkov remain out.

Puck drop is at 10:00 pm EST.