Welcome to Full Press Hockey’s Takeaway series on the Florida Panthers.
After each Panthers game of the 2022-23 season, our Florida Panthers beat writer, Alex Slemp, will recap the game and break down his biggest takeaways from the game. Today we will have a look at the Florida Panthers’ back-to-back losses over the weekend. You can follow more of his work on the Florida Panthers here, and also tune into his podcast, the Full Press Panthers Podcast, where he talks the latest on all things Florida Panthers.
One step forward, two steps back.
That has been the tune this Florida Panthers team has been marching to all season.
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Ep 69: NHL Preseason, Rumors, Mike Babcock Saga
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 4:07 am
Jim and Chris are back to discuss the beginning of the NHL preseason, the […]
After winning in convincing fashion in three of their last four games before this weekend, the Panthers looked to be turning the corner on their season.
Panthers Lose Ground in the Standings with Back-to-Back Losses
But their momentum was zapped away by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and they were then put out to sea by the Seattle Kraken.
The Panthers have struggled to put any sort of run together this season. They are currently one of only three teams (Columbus, Anaheim, Florida) in the NHL to not have a winning streak of three games or more. And that number could go down to two if the Panthers lose against the Columbus Blue Jackets this Tuesday.
But coming into this weekend there was plenty of optimism amongst the players and its fanbase.
The Panthers had picked up some key victories during their lengthy road trip. And they were doing it whilst playing with a depleted lineup.
But once again, after gaining any sort of momentum, the Panthers let it all go to waste.
A string of demoralizing losses is what always follows these sporadic bursts of success,
You can point your finger at a multitude of things, whether it be injuries, scheduling, depth, or coaching. But at the end of the day, it is a collective effort by the team. And it has been a complete lack of execution that has stymied the reigning Presidents Trophy winners.
The once wild and ferocious Cats are looking more like tamed house kittens at the moment.
Here are the takeaways from this weekend’s losing skid.
Familiar Issues Continue to Plague Panthers against Lightning
It’s now seven straight losses, dating back to last season, for the Panthers against their in-state rivals.
And if the playoff sweep from last season is still haunting you, this game did nothing to rectify that.
It was the same issue once again for the Panthers — the offense failed to get to Andrei Vasilevskiy.
“We didn’t get enough pucks to the net and on the net,” said Paul Maurice after the game.
“We had 19 shots blocked and missed the net about 15 times. When you have a guy [Vasilevskiy] like that in net, you can’t waste two-thirds of your shot attempts.”
But even when the Panthers had the puck, they weren’t making smart plays.
“We didn’t manage the puck very well. We didn’t move the puck or move our feet very well,” noted Maurice.
It made for a frustrating performance, to say the least, especially after they played so well leading up to this matchup.
Now, the Lightning is no slouch of an opponent. It’s not like the Panthers had this type of struggle against, say, the Anaheim Ducks. But at some point, you need to adjust your approach and find a way to grind out a win against an opponent like this.
After all, if the Panthers make the playoffs, there is a good chance they will have to go through the three-time Stanley Cup finalists to get to the Final.
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Completely Gassed Against the Kraken
After seeing how the Panthers handled the Kraken just a week ago, this performance is one we can chalk up to poor scheduling.
It was the Panthers’ fourth game in six days and was on the tail end of a back-to-back.
Right from puck drop, you could see the Panthers were a step behind. It was slow feet and poor puck management once again.
“We just didn’t seem to have enough guys with the gas needed to play,” Eric Staal said after the game.
“They [Kraken] were on us. They forced us to turn pucks over a little too much…they attacked us with their quickness and speed.”
By the end of the game, the Panthers had committed 16 turnovers and had plenty more plays that were dead from the start.
Their lackluster offense resulted in the Panthers being out-shot in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
And they certainly didn’t do themselves any favors by parading themselves to the penalty box all night.
A frustrating night for the Panthers peaked in the third period after Ryan Lomberg let his emotions get the best of him. After taking a stick up high from Justin Schultz, Lomberg retaliated and drilled Schultz into the boards from behind. His actions saw him get ejected and resulted in a lengthy 5-minute major.
The subsequent penalty led to a Daniel Sprong goal to put the Kraken up 4-1 and put the game out of reach.
Another Wasted Effort by Bobrovsky
One of the lone bright spots over this weekend had to be the play of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Now, on the surface level, one would easily argue that allowing four goals in back-to-back games is anything but bright. But these games would’ve looked a lot uglier if it wasn’t for their netminder.
Bobrovsky continually stood on his head, making brilliant saves and doing everything in his power to keep his team in it.
HANG IT IN THE LOUVRE! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/RsJnqZKC84
— Alex Slemp (@AlexSlemp) December 12, 2022
“I thought he was dialed in. I thought he was really good…,” Maurice said of his goaltender after the loss to the Lightning.
“His last two games he looks back wired right.”
But you can only expect your goalie to do so much. Constant defensive breakdowns in front of him led to Bob being hung out to dry way too often. And there’s just no way for any goalie to obtain success when facing the multitude of scoring chances he had.
On the season, Bobrovsky sports a 5-8-1 record to go along with his 3.58 GAA and .884 SV%. Hardly the stats you write home about.
But as Maurice said, Bobrovsky looks to be back. You can see the confidence in his play has returned. He aggressively challenges shooters and is coming up with first and second saves.
In today’s NHL it is critical to have a solid one-two punch in the net. Spencer Knight was playing superb hockey before being sidelined with an illness, and now Bob is finding his rhythm.
If the Panthers can play better in front of their goaltenders, this team stands a chance to climb their way back into a playoff spot.
Up Next
The Panthers will take advantage of a much-needed day off before hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets are currently riding a two-game win streak and won their previous matchup, 5-3, against the Panthers back on November 20.
Columbus has struggled mightily on the defensive end this season. They are second last in the league with a horrendous 4.07 GA/G. So on paper, it looks like a great matchup for the Panthers to get their offense rolling again.
Puck drop is Tuesday, December 13 at 7:00 pm ET.
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Ep 69: NHL Preseason, Rumors, Mike Babcock Saga
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 4:07 am
Jim and Chris are back to discuss the beginning of the NHL preseason, the […]
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Ep 68: Auston Matthews Extension, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Much More
by Full Press Coverage on September 1, 2023 at 2:23 am
Jim and Chris are back to chat about the Auston Matthews extension, the […]
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Ep 67: Karlsson Trade, Matt Dumba Signs, NHL News and Notes
by Full Press Coverage on August 11, 2023 at 2:21 am
Jim and Chris discuss the big Erik Karlsson trade to Pittsburgh, the Matt […]
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Around the NHL: What is Going in Tampa and Toronto As Training Camps Begin
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Vox Media NHL Analyst Bruce […]
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Around the NHL: Mike Babcock Resigns as Head Coach In Columbus
by Full Press Coverage on September 19, 2023 at 1:48 pm
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Around the NHL: From Columbus to Montreal To Calgary To Atlanta
by Full Press Coverage on September 16, 2023 at 12:00 pm
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Ep 86: David Krejci Announces Retirement
by Full Press Coverage on August 14, 2023 at 10:28 pm
Ian and Chris react to David Krejci's retirement. Learn more about your ad […]
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Ep 85: Offseason Reset: Lucic, Bergeron, Krejci, and More
by Full Press Coverage on July 23, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Ian and Chris discuss the changes the Bruins have seen over the last few […]
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S5Ep3 - Mike Babcock Out in Columbus and Steven Stamkos Drops The Hammer in Tampa
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S5Ep2 - What Carey Price Meant to the Montreal Canadiens
by Jim Biringer on September 19, 2023 at 1:00 pm
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Winnipeg Jets
by Broken Controller Media on September 27, 2023 at 3:00 pm
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St. Louis Blues Preview
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Nashville Predators Preview
by Broken Controller Media on September 25, 2023 at 3:30 pm
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Episode #144: 22-23 AHL Awards Show
by Full Press Coverage on July 14, 2023 at 10:00 pm
The 2022-23 AHL season has come to a close, and what better way to […]
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Episode #143: Dessert > Desert
by Full Press Coverage on June 24, 2023 at 5:54 pm
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Full Press Islanders - 9-27 - Recap of Preseason opener
by Full Press Coverage on September 27, 2023 at 3:15 pm
We talk about last nights loss in the Preseason opener to the Rangers and […]
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Full Press Wild - 9-27 - Recapping the Wild’s preseason loss to Dallas.
by Full Press Coverage on September 27, 2023 at 2:00 pm
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Renegades Of Puck Ep 797
by Charlie Saunier on September 27, 2023 at 5:01 am
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Full Press Kraken - 9-26 - Preseason games, numbers, notes.
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 10:15 pm
Reviewing the split squad games and numbers Learn more about your ad […]
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Full Press Blackhawks - 9-26 - Connor Bedard & Lucas Reichel stealing the show in training camp
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 3:30 pm
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Full Press Hurricanes - 9-26 - Hockey is Finally Back!!!!
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 2:00 pm
The preseason for the Carolina Hurricanes begins today which means hockey […]
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9/26 - Eagles/Bengals Win On MNF, Mac Jones, and Much More
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 2:04 pm
Ian and John discuss the Eagles and Bengals wins on Monday Night Football, […]
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9/25 - Week 3 Reactions, Dolphins Hang 70, Biggest Disappointments
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Ian and John react to a fascinating Week 3 in the NFL and talk about some […]
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9/22 - 49ers Move To 3-0, Week 2 Picks and Predictions
by Full Press Coverage on September 22, 2023 at 1:58 pm
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9/21 - Thursday Night Football Preview; NFL MVP Talk
by Full Press Coverage on September 21, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Ian and John preview Thursday Night Football between the Giants and 49ers […]
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Ep 307: FAAB Talk and Taylor Swift
by Full Press Coverage on September 27, 2023 at 1:55 am
In this episode, Kyle Senra and Brad Harvin have a FAAB talk. They discuss […]
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EP 136: Week 3 Studs and Duds
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 7:01 pm
Ian and Braden give their studs and duds for Week 3 in the NFL. Learn more […]
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9/26 - Eagles/Bengals Win On MNF, Mac Jones, and Much More
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 2:04 pm
Ian and John discuss the Eagles and Bengals wins on Monday Night Football, […]
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Ep 185: Week 4 Preview vs Lions
by Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 12:36 am
A solo Senra show. For this episode, Kyle Senra previews the upcoming […]
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9/25 - Week 3 Reactions, Dolphins Hang 70, Biggest Disappointments
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Ian and John react to a fascinating Week 3 in the NFL and talk about some […]
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Ep 184: Week 3 Instant Reaction
by Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 12:47 am
The Green Bay Packers were in another 1-point game, this time a 18-17 win […]
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Ep 135: 49ers Move To 3-0, NFC South Buy or Sell, Week 3 Picks/Predictions
by Full Press Coverage on September 24, 2023 at 3:13 pm
Ian and Braden discuss the 49ers win on Thursday Night Football, the […]
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Ep 171: Discussing The Career Of George Kunz With Son Matt
by Full Press Coverage on September 23, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Clark and Ira are joined by Matt Kunz, son of former Colts lineman George […]