Takeaways: Panthers vs Kraken – Finding Their Rhythm

Embed from Getty Images

The Florida Panthers kept the goals coming as they rolled to a second straight 5-1 victory on the road vs the Seattle Kraken.

Panthers vs Kraken: Dominate Despite a Short Bench

After dropping the first two games of their five-game road trip, the Panthers have responded with back-to-back victories — both in convincing fashion.

The goal factory that was the Florida Panthers of last season, was back in full force last night.

Carter Verhaeghe kicked things off with two goals in 26 seconds to jump out to a 2-0 lead. His team-leading 13 and 14th goals paced the Panthers’ offense throught the first period. Matthew Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling chipped in with goals as did Aleksi Heponiemi, who notched his first of the year.

Spencer Knight was his usual brilliant self. During the second period, he stood on his head and made 12 saves when the Panthers were outshot 13-2.

By the end of 60 minutes, the Florida Panthers, who played an entire line short due to injuries, looked hardly worse for wear as they cruised past the Seattle Kraken.

The first quarter of the season was filled with mixed results but the Panthers’ game is beginning to take shape.

And right in time too for Paul Maurice’s return to Winnipeg this Tuesday.

Let’s have ourselves a look at the biggest takeaways from the Panthers’ latest win.

Short Bench, No Problem

Had the Panthers lost this game against Seattle, no one would be faulting them. After all, the Kraken was coming into this game on a seven-game winning streak and the Panthers, who were already without Aleksander Barkov, received word that Anton Lundell would be a late-game scratch. 

To make matters worse, Radko Gudas and Patric Hornqvist both left the game with upper-body injuries.

The Panthers were now playing an entire line short, during their fourth straight road game, and were playing one of the hottest teams in the NHL. 

But that didn’t phase them in the slightest. In fact, they seemed to thrive off it.

“The bench was so good to be a part of tonight,” Maurice noted after the game, “It was one of those nights where you don’t have much to do. We were down to three lines, so everybody who knew was up. … They were wired into it. It was a lot of fun.”

Maurice further acknowledged his teams’ resilience after their win. “It seems like we just keep finding a way to battle. It’s tough losing all those guys. They’re great players and help us a lot, but we found a way tonight.”

Preparation Equals Success

But this type of outcome in the midst of adversity shouldn’t come as a surprise. Maurice planned ahead for this exact type of scenario months before. 

During training camp, Maurice made it a priority to put his lineups in a blender. And he did this for two reasons. 

The first being, he needed to familiarize himself with what each of his new players was capable of and who could play with who. And secondly, it was an opportunity to build chemistry amongst teammates before playing in games that mattered.

Now, the Panthers are bearing the fruits of their labor. 

This strategy may have been glossed over at the time but it’s one of the many reasons why Bill Zito hired Paul Maurice. It’s his approach and understanding that the season is filled with hurdles and is a marathon, not a sprint, that makes the veteran bench boss such an asset.

Maurice has been in the league long enough to learn that you are going to be hit with adversity. It’s inevitable. And the best way to handle adversity is to not be a one-dimensional team.

You’d be hard-pressed to find another team in this league that could lose players with the talents of Barkov, Lundell, Gudas, and Hornqvist and still comes away with such a convincing win.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL: Preseason Takeaways: New-Look Jets Have Much to Prove

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers

NHL: NHL Training Camp Preview: Can Sharks, Blues Return To Cup Contender Status?

NFL: Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Full Press Bets: Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored

PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau

Knight Solidifying Himself in the Crease

But all this success during adversity wouldn’t be possible without the brilliant play of Spencer Knight.

It was another show-stopping performance from the young netminder, who made 35 saves in the win.

“[Knight is] unbelievable back in the goal, and we’re so confident in him,” Verhaeghe said. “He makes great saves every night, and it’s automatic every night with him. He just continues to make highlight-reel saves.”

Knight has made 67 saves in his last two starts and boasts a 1.00 GAA and .971 SV% in December.

The former Boston College standout was making his 50th start last night, which he played off as not a big deal.

“50 games. Oh, it’s not much. I sit next to a guy who’s over 600,” Knight said, referring to teammate Sergei Bobrovsky. 

But Knight followed that up with some insight into how he’s handled his short career so far and how he’s been able to make it to 50 starts at such a young age.

“In my short 50 games, I’ve kind of realized that one game doesn’t have a correlation to the next game or the previous game. You’ve just got to take each game as its own and try to have fun.”

It’s an incredibly mature mindset for a goalie as green as Knight, and there is certainly a correlation between his mentality and the early success he’s had in the NHL.

Up Next

The Panthers will get a much-needed couple of days’ rest before their next game.

Paul Maurice and the Panthers are headed to Manitoba this Tuesday, December 6th, to take on the Winnipeg Jets.

It will be the first time Maurice makes his return to his former club. Maurice spent parts of nine seasons with the Jets before resigning midway through the 2021-22 season.

The Jets (14-7-1) have fared well in Maurice’s absence. They currently sit second in the Central Division and have won six of their last nine games.

Puck drop is at 8:00 pm EST.