Florida has had a troubling habit of giving up the first goal in the game this season.

The Florida Panthers have fallen into a concerning pattern through their first four games this season: giving up the first goal of the game.

In all four games so far, the Panthers have allowed the opponent to score first, digging an early hole for themselves to climb out of the rest of the game. In wins over Tampa Bay and St. Louis, they were able to. In losses in Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, a late goal thwarted their comeback efforts.

During Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Penguins, the Panthers allowed Sidney Crosby to net a power-play goal in the first period that gave Pittsburgh an early 1-0 lead. Crosby also scored the eventual gamewinner in the third period.

Despite falling behind again, Panthers coach Bob Boughner said he “loved the start of our game.”

“We came out ready and even the second period, we came out again,” Boughner told reporters in Pittsburgh. “The start wasn’t bad, we just got to execute and bury our chances when we get a chance. That was the difference.”

Added Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk: “In the first, I don’t know if it was the plane legs or whatever, but we did a good job in the second and even in the third and right up until the end.”

In all four games, the Panthers have erased the early deficit, wiping two-goal leads from the Lightning and one-goal advantages from both the Blues and Penguins.

Over the last two seasons, Florida is 21-45-8 when the opponent scores first. It is 61-17-12 when it scores first.

The Panthers have scored just one goal in the first period but have tallied eight in the second and seven in the third. …

Boughner said the Panthers’ power play “wasn’t good enough early in the game,” when it didn’t score on its first two chances and surrendered a short-handed goal by Penguins center and former Panther Greg McKegg.

“I thought we could have changed the flow of the game at least, playing in their end for two minutes and getting a few chances here and there,” Boughner said. “Instead, they got a short-handed goal and I think that’s the difference in the game, really.”

Florida tallied a powerplay goal in the second period when Jonathan Huberdeau slipped a shot past Penguins goaltender Matt Murray. The Panthers’ power play is tied for 18th in the NHL, capitalizing on 16.7 percent of chances. …

Two nights after Boughner toyed with the Panthers’ top line when he didn’t think it was clicking, the trio of Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov bounced back — on offense, at least.

Huberdeau scored two goals, marking the eighth mulit-goal game in his NHL career. Dadonov notched two assists, his second multipoint game this season.

But Huberdeau’s defensive zone giveaway in the third period led to Crosby’s deciding goal and Barkov’s turnover at his own blue created a Penguins’ short-handed goal.

“I think our line, we got to get better defensively,” Huberdeau said. “We’re giving way too many chances.” …