The NHL’s All-Star break has concluded, and the Florida Panthers roll into the second half of the season with a good lead in the standings. They currently sit second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 31-15-4 with 66 points and trail the Boston Bruins for first place by just five points.
One of the biggest concerns going into their next game post-All-Star break was the lack of playing time. Before their meeting against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, their last game was a 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on Jan. 27. That’s 10 days in between games, and they need to find a way to rise above it.
Time Between Games Already Hurt the Panthers
In their first game back Tuesday night, the Panthers fell to the Flyers by a score of 2-1. In the first period, everything seemed well, with the power play finding the back of the net again. But it was all downhill from there, as they finished the game at 42.2 percent in the dot and had 21 shots on goal and 15 giveaways. This is the first game they’ve only found the back of the net once since Dec. 18 in Calgary against the Flames.
In his first game back from his Toronto vacation, forward Sam Reinhart failed to score a goal, which is the first time since Jan. 19. against the Minnesota Wild. Furthermore, it’s the first time he went pointless since Dec. 30 at home versus the Montreal Canadiens.
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The captain, Aleksander Barkov, extended his goalless streak to 17 straight games. It was also the second time in five games that he went pointless on the score sheet.
For Matthew Tkachuk, it snapped a five-game point streak, as the last time he failed to register a point was on Jan. 17 against the Detroit Red Wings. The break is affecting the top stars on the roster.
This Was a Factor in Dropping the Stanley Cup Final
This past postseason, the Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0 to become Eastern Conference Champions for the first time since 1996. They did not play their next opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights, until 10 days later. That ended up being a huge factor, as Vegas was riding the hot hand, with their last game being half the time.
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The Panthers would ultimately drop the final by a series score of 4-1. Along with injuries piling up for the team, the lack of momentum from the Conference Final slowed them down. They need to find a way to rise above it, or this could be a repeat of last season.
Despite the Rough Start, There’s Time to Right the Ship
Even though the first game of February started with an anomaly to their play, there is still plenty of time to get things back in order. Despite having to go through a three-game suspension, forward William Lockwood is coming back from injury soon, as he’s already begun practicing. Continuing with the good news, seven of their 11 games this month, including their loss to Philly, are on home ice. Fans know how dominant they are at Amerant Bank Arena, with 14 wins this season in Sunrise, Florida.
The team’s great run before the break gave them room for error in the second half of the season, but they cannot sit back quite just yet. They can start to get back on track Thursday night against the Washington Capitals with a win. If that can happen, it’s a giant step in the right direction for the rest of the season.
