Panthers remain frustrated
Improved play isn’t translating into consistency
A night after ending a five-game losing streak, the look of frustration was back for the Florida Panthers.
Unable to build on Friday’s 4-1 win at Buffalo, a 2-1 loss at New Jersey concluded a 1-2 trip and left them still without back-toback wins since the second and third games of the season.
They could point to much tighter play defensively throughout the trip and outshooting the Sabres and Devils in the back-toback games. But finding solace in defeat sounds hollow as the Panthers slipped to dead last in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m really disappointed,” coach Bob Boughner said after the Panthers outshot the Devils 17-4 in the third period but couldn’t net the equalizer. “I’m happy with our effort and execution. I thought we deserved better.”
It won’t get easier for Boughner’s struggling crew as they return home Tuesday against Dallas, then go back on the road for an always-taxing three-game western swing (San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim).
With Toronto and Chicago visiting the BB&T Center during Thanksgiving week, it is difficult to spot likely wins on the horizon.
There is added concern after forward Derek MacKenzie left early Saturday with a lower-body injury, leaving the Panthers without one of their top penalty killers.
Third-line center Jared McCann is also ailing with a lower-body injury and didn’t play on the trip. More will be known about their status when the team returns to practice Monday following an off day.
Saturday was one of those games a team in the Panthers’ predicament needs to steal on the road in order to gain traction and begin chipping away at the deficit they’ve created for themselves in the standings.
The Devils are first in the Metropolitan Division (10-4-2). But they had lost four in a row while allowing 17 goals.
Instead, goalie Cory Schneider was impenetrable Saturday, and the Panthers couldn’t bury the chances they created. Florida’s only goal came when Nick Bjugstad pounced on a rebound of Mike Matheson’s shot from the point.
New Jersey had built a 2-0 lead on a goal that deflected off Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle’s skate and another on a 5-on-3 advantage.
“It was kind of a lucky break that won the game,” said goalie James Reimer, whose glass is always half full. “As much as it sucks losing, there [were] a lot of big positives tonight.”
There were in the overall effort and energy. But not on special teams, as the Panthers went 0 for 4 on the power play and finished the trip 1 for 9 with a man advantage.
“We didn’t capitalize on our power plays, and that’s on us. We’ve got to be able to get more chances on the power play,” said Vincent Trocheck, who had a fourgame points streak end.
MacKenzie’s injury had others working overtime. Trocheck played a gamehigh 26:33 and Aleksander Barkov played 23:23.
The two top centers dominated the faceoff circle, with Barkov winning 17-of-24 draws (71 percent). Trocheck went 11 for 17 (65 percent).
“In my mind we've played six great periods the last two games. I'm not disappointed in how we played,” Boughner said. “It’s just disappointing to not get any results from it. I just say if we play that way on a nightly basis we’ll get our share pf points.”
At 5-9-2, the question is whether the results will take a favorable turn while there is a chance to turn the season into more than a learning experience.
cldavis@ sun-sentinel.com; Twitter @CraigDavisRuns; here on Facebook