Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Five-minutes of futility cost Panthers a chance to rise
During their 4-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, the Florida Panthers opened strongly and closed decently. But a poor five-minute stretch in the second period doomed them
The Panthers surrendered three goals in 4:43 on Thursday night, allowing the Blue Jackets to claim a three-goal lead, and they never looked back. Florida lost an opportunity to jump into a playoff position over the idle New Jersey Devils. Instead, the Panthers entered Friday one point back of New Jersey with one game in hand for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot.
“That was a five-minute lapse in our game,” Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo said to reporters in Columbus. “That was ballgame. I thought the rest of the 55 minutes was pretty evenly played, good playofftype hockey, but that fiveminute lapse in the beginning of the second really hurt us there.”
The stretch at the start of the second period was among the worst five-minute stretches of the season for the Panthers, who return home Saturday night to face the Arizona Coyotes. It was the first time in more than three months that Florida gave up three goals in such a short span.
Against Colorado on Dec. 9, the Panthers gave up four goals in 5:41, though two of them were emptynetters. Against Montreal on Oct. 24, the Panthers gave up three goals in just 1:35. Florida lost both games.
Keith Yandle’s pass through the neutral zone was picked off by Artemi Panarin and finished by Cam Atkinson just 59 seconds into the period. Then a missed assignment allowed Sonny Milano to sneak open at the right dot for a goal 3:20 into the frame. Seth Jones finished the assault by firing a shot from the point on the power play that tipped off Colton Sceviour in the slot.
“They came at us hard and we made some mistakes,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said.
The open to the second period also marked another slow start of a period for the Panthers. In their last four losses (at streaking Columbus, plus home losses to lowly Ottawa and Edmonton and an overtime loss at Tampa Bay), Florida allowed a goal in the first two minutes of a period.
The Panthers, meanwhile, have not scored in the first two minutes of a period since March 10 against the New York Rangers.
“First, it’s our fault,” Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov said. “But it felt like Columbus were everywhere and on us all the time and didn’t give space and time at all. Of course, it’s all about us. We needed to step up this game, but we couldn’t.”
With 10 games left, the Panthers are seemingly locked in a two-horse race with New Jersey for the final playoff spot. With a 10-game winning streak, Columbus has opened up an eight-point cushion on Florida. Philadelphia owns a seven-point edge, but has played three more games than the Panthers.
Of the 10 games left, two are against the worst two teams in the NHL: Arizona and Buffalo, both at home.
“Whether we win two points against Columbus or win two points against Arizona, it doesn’t matter,” Boughner said. “Points are points at this part of the season. We got to try to get back on a roll here.”
Luongo added: “We’re not going to win all of them. Just got to regroup, go home here for one and make sure we take care of business.”