Matheson, defense seeking right balance in 3-on-3 OT

Wednesday’s day off was a welcome one for the Florida Panthers.

The team had just completed a back-to-back in Detroit and Chicago, with both games going to overtime. The Panthers played 124 minutes of hockey in about 28 hours, collecting three of a possible four points. The games kicked off a five-game road trip that continues in Colorado, Las Vegas and Arizona.

Florida has had a tough time breaking through in overtime this season, scoring only once in eight overtime games. It’s lost three times in overtime, while four games have gone to a shootout. But one of the Panthers’ most impactful players in 3-on-3 overtime has been defenseman Mike Matheson.

“I think it’s a great format,” Matheson said in a phone interview. “I think it’s exciting to watch and it leads to a lot of chances, which is what we want. That’s what’s exciting for fans to watch. There’s a lot of offensive back-and-forth chances.”

Matheson scored his first goal this season when he forced a turnover in overtime, then banged in a rebound in Detroit. But he also surrendered Patrick Kane’s breakaway gamewinner in Chicago when he gave away the puck.

He’s fifth on the Panthers in overtime minutes, and has the second most among defensemen, trailing only Keith Yandle.

“It’s tough because if you want to generate some sort of chance, you need to create some sort of advantage somewhere on the ice,” Matheson said. “That normally means leaving somebody open behind you. It’s almost as if you need to create a chance and bury it. Otherwise, you’re giving up a chance the other way.”

Added Panthers coach Bob Boughner: “Young guys, you’ve got to be able to live with their mistakes. You got to empower them to make sure that if they’re making mistakes, they’re making it trying to do the right thing. … There’s a lot more good in his game than bad. He’s a big talent for us.”

Although it didn’t appear in the box scores, Matheson has helped save a couple of overtime periods for Florida. Against Toronto, he made a diving check from behind to dispossess Auston Matthews of the puck. Against the New York Islanders, he poked the puck away from Josh Ho-Sang.

Matheson said he developed his signature poke check in part by watching videos of Quebec native and current Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic do it.

“I think it’s one of those things where you try to watch video and watch guys that are really good with their sticks,” Matheson said. “I’ve always tried to watch Marc-Edouard Vlasic. He’s one of the best defenders in the league with his stick. I think it’s just about being patient and waiting for the puck to be exposed and then trying to get your stick on it.”

Boughner said the Panthers don’t practice overtime much because, in part, it’s such a physically taxing format. But he said the team preaches a few concepts in overtime. One is making sure they have possession of the puck when making line changes. The other is picking their spots to shoot.

“Worst thing you can do on a 3-on-3 is go down and miss the net wide and break them out and get caught below the play,” Boughner said. “We talk about managing the puck and hitting the net if we’re going to attempt to shoot it. Obviously, defensively, it’s not getting too tight to a guy on those 1-on-1 battles. They’re trying to pick and they’re trying to run interference.”

Only six NHL teams have more than Florida’s five overtime or shootout losses this season.

KARL B DEBLAKER/AP “I think it’s a great format,” the Panthers’ Mike Matheson said of 3-on-3 overtime. “I think it’s exciting to watch and it leads to a lot of chances, which is what we want.”