Panthers stay put
Florida goes 0-for-6 on power play in penalty-filled game
Coach Gallant sticks with winning lineup for rematch with Flyers.
PHILADELPHIA — After crushing the Flyers by six goals two days ago in their season opener, the Panthers expected a pseudo-version of the old Broad Street Bullies to make a huge push in the first period of Monday’s rematch.
Well, they got pushed, shoved, slashed and much more in a penalty-marred, chippy, playoff-like affair. But what hurt the most was the Panthers punchless power play and the stellar goaltending of Flyers backup Michael Neuvirth in a hard-fought 1-0 loss at a sold-out Wells Fargo Center.
So the 1-1 Panthers still haven’t started a season with two wins since the 2005-06 season when they beat the then Thrashers and Lightning on the road.
Unlike Saturday where they clicked for three power-play goals, including two in the first 6:46, this time the Panthers were betrayed by the unit, going 0-for-4 in the first period and 0-for-6 overall.
“We were defending too much in the first two periods and not getting many opportunities,” Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. “I expected them to play a lot better.
They’re not going to lose 7-1 in their home opener.
“You pride yourself in playing 60 minutes and I thought we played 30.”
Actually, the Panthers could’ve picked up where they left off when they received a four-minute power play just 1:17 after the Flyers entered the ice to an introductory pyrotechnic presentation to commemorate their home opener.
Instead, the 1-1-1 Flyers were buoyed by their fourminute PK and scored on their next rush when forward Brayden Schenn backhanded a loose puck past Roberto Luongo at 5:57. Luongo, who was sterling in defeat with 32 saves.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, after they got embarrassed like that,” Luongo said. “We knew it was going to be a tough fought game, unfortunately, we couldn’t get one to tie it up.
“We need to have a little more traffic in front of the net, get dirty, and bang away at some rebounds. Sometimes when you score seven goals in a game you think things maybe will come a little easier in the next game, but you can’t fall into that trap and I think we did a little bit.”
The Panthers poured it on in the third period with 14 shots on net, including one blast by Alex Petrovic that got behind Neuvirth, inches from the goal line before he swatted it out with six minutes left.
“I faked the pass went sliding by, went short side upstairs, goalie made a good save, fell down and we had a couple of guys scrambling; we had a couple of chances that period,” Petrovic said. “It felt like a playoff game to tell you the truth.
“I thought we were just as desperate; we don’t want to be a .500 team. Tomorrow, it’s a big game [against Carolina] and we’ll be good.”
Then with 11.7 seconds left and Luongo out of the net, Neuvirth stoned Brandon Pirri with yet another lightning-quick glove save to ice the win.
“We have to capitalize on our chances. We should’ve scored on the first period power play,” forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. “The goalie played good but we got to play better.”
After absorbing a 7-1 drubbing to the Panthers, the Flyers held a playersonly meeting and rookie coach Dave Hakstol made wholesale changes to his lineup. Starting goalie Steve Mason, a human sieve Saturday while giving up four goals on eight shots before being yanked, was excused from the team to tend to a serious personal matter.
So Neuvirth, a longtime Capitals’ backstop, made his first start for the Flyers a memorable one with 31 saves for his eighth career shutout but first since March 11, 2012 against Toronto.
The Flyers finished with 18 PIMs and the Panthers 12. These two Eastern Conference foes won’t play again until March 12 in Sunrise.
Grimaldi sent to AHL
The Panthers took rookie forward Rocco Grimaldi off the injured list and assigned him to their AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine.
Grimaldi sustained a high ankle sprain in the third preseason game. Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon said he wants Grimaldi to get his hockey legs back before recalling him. …
Smashing debut
Panthers right wing Reilly Smith, who was acquired from the Bruins in the offseason, had two goals in his Panthers’ debut Saturday.
Panthers at Hurricanes
When/where: 7 p.m.; PNC Center, Raleigh, N.C.
TV: FSF Radio: 560AM
Notable: The Panthers play their second game in two nights as they take on the Hurricanes, who have dropped their first two games by one goal at home. The Red Wings scored three goals in the third period Saturday, including two by Teemu Pulkkinen to down the Hurricanes 4-3. Panthers backup G Al Montoya will receive his first start of the season because of the back-to-backs. Montoya, who was 6-7-2 with a 3.01 GAA last season, is 0-2-1 with a 2.56 GAA against Carolina. The Hurricanes will go with their backup in net as well as Eddie Lack is expected to start over Cam Ward, who’s 0-2 with a 3.08 GAA this season. The Hurricanes have added former Panthers wing Kris Versteeg and D James Wisniewski. However, Wisniewski tore his ACL in the season opener and is out for at least six months.