Despite Injuries, Change, Panthers Pacing Well Through Adversity

Thirty-one games into the season and the Florida Panthers are still waiting to show fans, and the league, what they are fully capable of.

The adversities they faced at the start of the season have not been limited to their injury woes—several factors have been the cause of the Panthers’ sluggish start.

A better understanding of those factors, and that this is simply a learning curve, should give fans the confidence that this season is not lost and that the Panthers are, indeed, pacing well.

And what they showed the other night against the Pittsburgh Penguins is that, even with a depleted lineup, they can still hang with the best in the league.

Remaining Competitive Through Adversity and Change

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment. They have won seven in a row and 12 of their last 14. 

On the flip side, the Panthers haven’t won more than two in a row all year and are still trying to establish their identity.

Despite their contrasting trajectories, the two teams matched up evenly in a highly-spirited and tightly contested affair. The pace was full throttle right from the drop of the puck and the atmosphere inside FLA Live Arena gave you the feeling that you were watching a playoff game.

Both teams traded chances the entire night with neither team being able to pull away from the other. 

The main difference, however, was that the Panthers were accomplishing this with an extremely depleted roster.

The Florida Panthers played with a short bench once again — dressing only 11 forwards and six defensemen. 

Out of the lineup was Matthew Tkachuk (illness), Radko Gudas (concussion), Anton Lundell (upper body), Colin White (upper body), Chris Tierney (concussion), and Patric Hornqvist (concussion).

And yet, there the Panthers were, keeping pace with the Penguins and even outplaying them for long stretches at even strength.

In the end, the Penguins came out victorious, 4-2. They won the special teams battle and Jake Guenztel’s empty-net winner late in the third iced the game for the Pens. 

All season long the Panthers have played through adversity. But last night’s effort displayed how the Panthers remain a highly-competitive team, despite consistently playing from behind the eight ball.

A New Season with the Same Expectations  

It is easy to only look at the surface of this team and chalk it up to a disappointing year. After all, the reigning Presidents Trophy winners are a pedestrian 14-13-4 on the year.

This time last season the Panthers boasted a 20-7-4 record and were leading the Eastern Conference. 

But the difference in results has been enough for fans to call into question some of Bill Zito’s offseason moves. And at the top of that list of critiques, is the head coaching position. 

Panthers fans have grown used to the results delivered by the Joel Quenneville and Andrew Brunette led teams. And with the Panthers still in their championship window, the fans have expected that same trajectory of wins and success with whoever is at the helm.

And rightfully so.

Therefore, if we are to look at the season strictly from a surface-level perspective, then yes, this team is failing.

But is this team really a failure?

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Multiple Factors at Play, Not Just Panthers’ Injuries

When evaluating a team you must go deeper than the surface. You have to look at all the factors, internally and externally, that are influencing the performance of the team.

And when you do that, you can see that the Panthers are not this disaster team that’s destined for a lottery pick, that some are making them out to be.

The Panthers have been banged up all year. Key players have been hit with injuries and an early-season flu bug has been spreading through the locker room like wildfire. 

The Panthers have already lost 48-man games due to injury and illness. And that doesn’t include games from Anthony Duclair. 

And the Panthers’ injuries keep occurring one right after the other. When one player returns to the lineup, there is another that goes out. This revolving door of injuries is one of the factors you have to consider when evaluating the team.

Let’s not forget, at the beginning of the campaign when the Panthers were at their healthiest, they opened with a 4-1-1 record. 

A small sample size, sure, but they did this all while learning a new system under a new head coach. 

Learning New Systems Takes Time

Paul Maurice came on board with a brand new system for the Panthers to adopt. It’s one he believes the Panthers needed last season when they were clamped up and swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It’s not a flashy system but it’s a tried and true method that often finds success in the playoffs. A strong 200-foot game with an emphasis on puck management has always proven critical in the playoffs.

Maurice’s idea is for his players to adopt this system in the regular season. That way it would be so built-in that their game will seamlessly transition into the playoffs and be a well-oiled machine when they were playing their most important games of the year.

But with learning anything new, there is an expected adjustment period. Especially something as drastic as going from a run-and-gun offense to a grind-it-out style.

Chemistry Doesn’t Develop Over Night

And if the growing pains from learning a new system weren’t enough, there’s the added challenge of developing chemistry with all the new faces in the locker room.

The offseason saw the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Mason Marchment, Claude Giroux, Noel Acciari, MacKenzie Weegar, and Ben Chiarot all leave. 

That is a lot of goals, a lot of points, and a lot of chemistry, gone.

And chemistry takes time to develop. Every player has their own tendencies and there is no way to fast-track learning it other than time and repetition.

And with the added challenge of injuries to start the season, the Panthers haven’t had it easy in that department. Almost nightly, Maurice has had to adjust and put his lines through the blender.

Don’t Judge Slow Beginnings 

So to recap, the Panthers brought in a new coach with a new system. The players are learning this new style while simultaneously trying to build chemistry with new linemates. But the ability to develop that chemistry has been stunted by all the Panthers’ injuries that keep piling up.

And let’s not forget that they have had two extended west coast road trips to start the season.

They have had about as difficult a start to a season as one could have.

AND YET, the Panthers are only three points out of a playoff spot in the highly-competitive Eastern Conference.

So before you hop off the Panthers wagon, take a closer look at what this team has been able to accomplish in the face of adversity. If they can keep this kind of pace so far, imagine how good they will be when everyone returns to the lineup and everything comes together.

As the old adage goes, the NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint. 

And the Florida Panthers are pacing well.