Power play goes 0-4; second period stings
NEWARK, N.J.
When it was over, there was no mistaking Panthers coach Bob Boughner’s irritation.
His team had dropped a 3-2 decision to the New Jersey Devils in a Saturday matinee at the Prudential Center in Newark.
The Panthers fell to 2-4-3 overall, 2-2-1 in their past five, and 1-2-0 after three games in the New York metropolitan area.
Yet he was still emphasizing positives.
The Panthers outshot New Jersey 37-26. And while nine games have been played, 72 remain.
“There’s a lot of season left,” Boughner said. “There’s 90 percent of the season left. We just have to get on a roll.”
Strong special teams would help in the effort to start stringing together wins. The Panthers went 0 for 4 on the power play. Players lamented not fin-
Coach Bob Boughner says “there’s a lot of season left,” but the Panthers’ effort to notch a win before heading to Finland fell short in New Jersey on Saturday.
ishing breakaways and odd-man rushes.
“If we bury a third of those chances, then we’re coming up with a win,” said Michael Matheson, who played a role in Kyle Palmieri’s semi-controversial game-opening goal for the Devils with 9.4 seconds left in the first period.
Following an offensive zone faceoff win by Nico Hischier, Damon Severson fired a slap shot that Panthers goalie James Reimer attempted to block. Instead, Palmieri who drove to the top of the goal crease while engaged with Matheson, had the puck bounce off his body and into the net.
Thinking Reimer had been interfered with, Boughner challenged the goal; after an extended review, the on-ice ruling was upheld.
“I’m still very confused on what happened,” Boughner said. “[Reimer] had to stick his arm out to make a blocker save and the contact with the goalie pushes the puck in. So I don’t know what the rule is anymore.”
Reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall scored his second of the season 3:05 into the second to put New Jersey up 2-0. Standing alone in the slot, Hall took a pass from Palmieri, then beat Reimer on the stick side. Ten minutes and 16 seconds later, Blake Coleman’s deflection pushed the Devils’ lead to 3-0.
Florida has been outscored 20-8 in the second period this season.
“If we had the exact answer, I think we would have fixed it,” Matheson said of the continued woes in the second period. “We come in very focused on each game and maybe when we come in for the first intermission we relax a bit.”
Matheson’s driving backhander with 4:57 left in the game ended Keith Kinkaid’s shutout bid, and Mike Hoffman added his fifth of the season with 14.1 seconds left.
“We played hard,” Boughner said. “Just didn’t capitalize on our chances. We played well enough to win.”
Hoffman’s goal was his fourth in as many games, and Evgenii Dadonov extended his personal point streak to six games with an assist on it. Kinkaid made 35 saves; Reimer stopped 23 shots.
Mark Pysyk and Denis Malgin were scratched. Derek MacKenzie missed his eighth straight game with an upper-body injury.
The teams will meet twice more, on Nov. 26 and April 6. Both games will be at the BB&T Center.
After Saturday’s game, the Panthers left for Finland, where they will play Thursday and Friday against the Winnipeg Jets.