The Florida Panthers are currently fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. They sit second in the division, trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs by three points with a record of 26-17-3.
Unfortunately, that gap is starting to widen. The Panthers have been struggling as of late. The team is 4-5-1 in their last ten games. There is a multitude of reasons as to why the defending Cup champions seem to be having their championship hangover.
Offense Has Been a Problem
Last season, the Panthers’ offense was considered a dangerous weapon the team had. It finished 11th in the league that year in goals per game with 3.23 a game. Their power play was even more dangerous as the eighth-best in the league with a 23.5% conversion rate. Their top goal-scorer was forward Sam Reinhart, who finished second in the NHL that season with 57 goals.
At this point in the year, it is lacking significantly. Since the start of the calendar year, the team has averaged 2.13 goals per game, the fourth-worst of any team in that span. It does not help that some of their top stars have been invisible. The captain, Aleksander Barkov, has found the back of the net only once in his last 12 games. Matthew Tkachuk has been no better as he’s only scored one goal in his last 13 appearances. Furthermore, their recently extended forward in Carter Verhaghe only has one goal in his last 14 games played. Reinhart has been carrying most of the load with five goals in his last five games.
If they want the slump to end, they need to get back to their scoring ways. It’s going to be necessary come the second half of the season.
Defense Has Had Injury Problems, and It’s Evident on the Ice
Defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola missed time due to injuries over the last couple of weeks. Mikkola returned to the Panthers lineup last week against the Utah Hockey Club, but Ekblad has remained to be seen.
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The defense as a result has suffered. Since the start of the new year, the Cats have averaged 2.88 goals allowed per game, making for 20th in that span. Additionally, they’ve allowed 28.1 shots per game, which is 21st in the league in that span. Their penalty kill has been atrocious with a 70.6% kill rate since the start of 2025, making for the eighth-worst in that timeframe.
As a result of their struggles, certain players have had drops in their plus/minus ratings. Gustav Forsling has had an even rating since the start of January, while Dmitry Kulikov is at a minus-3 rating since then.
Goaltending Has Suffered as Well
If everything in front of the net struggles, it will also trickle down to the man between the pipes. Consequently, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky‘s numbers have worsened.
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Bobrovsky has lost four of his last five starts. Also, he’s allowed four goals in three of those games. In his most recent game against the Detroit Red Wings, he was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots faced. In only two of that five-game span, he’s had a save percentage (SV%) over .900. He needs to revert to the form that made him great in the playoffs.
Panthers Are Still In a Decent Spot, Are They Coasting to the Playoffs?
Throughout history, there have been teams that have made it far and have won the Stanley Cup not having the best positioning. For example, the 2019 St. Louis Blues entered the playoffs in third in the Central Division and ended up winning the Cup Final in seven games. Additionally, the last team to win the Stanley Cup while winning the Presidents’ Trophy was the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.
That does not excuse the struggles, but it does not mean the sky is falling for the team. However, if the trend continues, they could not only lose home-ice advantage in the postseason but potentially a playoff spot as well. They need to get back to their winning ways as soon as possible.
