Jordan Staal sat in his locker wanting shell-shocked. Again.
The Carolina Hurricanes had simply been blown out for the second straight night time — a rarity in itself — however by the identical group, no much less: the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
And it was truthful to say the Canes captain was reeling from the expertise.
“We acquired beat in each side,” Staal mentioned following the 6-0 drubbing on Nov. 30. “Not an entire lot of positives out of any of it.”
Even much less so when the end result simply 24 hours earlier — a 6-3 defeat for the Hurricanes — had prompted Staal to level out the Panthers “do not offer you something — it is at all times a battle in opposition to that group.”
Call it cliché. But the remainder of the league would co-sign. In an period during which it is robust sufficient to go on one Cup Final run, the Panthers are recent off back-to-back journeys (with one victory) and seem no worse for put on regardless of lengthy springs and brief offseasons.
It’s not simply that, although. Florida has needed to retool its roster, letting go of sure personnel (specifically Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson) whereas prioritizing in-house extensions (taking a look at you, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe).
Still, the Panthers are an elite membership, battling for first place within the Atlantic Division and remaining (largely) on observe by the quarter mark of the season.
How have they achieved it? What has stored Florida from falling off? And can it maintain — and lengthen — its success into one other Cup run, as simply the second group in almost 4 a long time to make three straight Final appearances?
It might occur. Here’s why.
WHEN REINHART COLLECTED an astonishing 57 objectives in a career-best displaying final season, it was simple (and predictable) to suspect he’d fail to succeed in such heights once more.
Well, think about this season Reinhart’s rebuttal.
The 29-year-old is incomes each greenback of the eight-year, $69 million contract extension he inked on July 1 as not solely the Panthers’ main scorer however sitting among the many prime 10 within the league with 18 objectives and 34 factors by 26 video games. Reinhart units a tone for Florida’s offense as a high-powered, unrelenting power that is deep with expertise.
The Panthers have loads of different stars producing. Aleksander Barkov has 25 factors in 18 video games. Matthew Tkachuk has 23 in 21. But how about Anton Lundell (19 factors), Evan Rodrigues (13 factors) and naturally Verhaeghe (20 factors) and Sam Bennett (24 factors)?
Florida is averaging the fourth-most objectives this season (3.65 per recreation) by being the other of a one-line marvel. That could make issues arduous on an opponent.
“The Panthers can generate scoring in distinctive methods,” an Atlantic Division defenseman mentioned. “There’s no actual script with how they will assault. It’s robust to organize for them.”
They’ve proved it earlier than. Florida’s offense is trending above the place it left off in 2023-24 (eleventh general, averaging 3.23 objectives per recreation). But the pattern, year-over-year, is evident: The Panthers’ depth holds up even by accidents, scoring slumps and shedding streaks.
The Panthers have been in a skid in mid-to-late November, dropping six of seven, and trying to find solutions. They responded with three routs — first of the Toronto Maple Leafs, adopted by their two takedowns of Carolina — with a mixed 17 objectives scored. Florida has by no means been afraid to look inward and actually assess its points. That’s how the Panthers’ offense lastly rebounded.
“It’s not about … fixing. It’s [saying] OK, the issue is recognized,” coach Paul Maurice mentioned. “To play that [elite] method each night time may be very, very troublesome. And we have been in search of a little bit of that emotional effectively, about the place will we get the power to play like that once more.”
Maurice is aware of the way to get probably the most of this group, too. Saturday’s 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks made Maurice the winningest coach in Panthers historical past (111-65-16) since changing Andrew Brunette behind the bench in 2022. And Maurice is not going anyplace after signing a multiyear extension with the Panthers in October.
If Reinhart is steering the offense along with his output, then Tkachuk is powering his group’s engine in different methods. Even when the latter does not make it onto the scoresheet, he is offering the intangibles that only he can, and that has been a difference-making mentality for Florida since Tkachuk got here on board three years in the past.
“Our total recreation is best at a sure emotional degree, and he’s the motive force of that,” Maurice mentioned. “Matthew brings an depth to the sport each night time. He’s simply wired into it. He’s not faking it. That’s simply the way in which he’s when the puck is dropped, and that is infectious.”
IT’S EASY TO be a Florida Panther.
That was the chorus from gamers like Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo once they have been acquired by the group finally 12 months’s commerce deadline.
“They’ve been so good,” Okposo instructed ESPN final month of the Panthers serving to him transition. “The group has extraordinarily excessive requirements and there isn’t any secret what the expectations are. That’s an thrilling factor.”
GM Bill Zito tasks to be busy once more working the telephones to strengthen an space the Panthers have not been dominant in: purpose prevention. Florida ranks twenty sixth in objectives in opposition to per recreation (3.33), a good distance from the place they left off final season (second, 2.41).
It was inevitable that shedding Montour and Ekman-Larsson in free company would depart a major void on the Panthers’ blue line that Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt — two low-cost free agent signees — haven’t totally crammed. Zito is out there for a right-shot defender who can elevate that group.
That shall be tough contemplating the Panthers could have solely about $2.9 million in obtainable cap house forward of the March 7 deadline. That’s the place Zito’s forte at discovering the suitable items for the suitable worth pays off. He’ll want that once more, as a result of his group faces each opponent’s greatest each night time out.
EVERYONE WANTS TO beat one of the best — and take the proverbial throne. It’s a part of what makes any sport nice.
For a group on prime just like the Panthers, meaning bearing the heavy goal in your again with out cracking below the strain.
That’s one other space during which Florida is ready to excel.
“Yes, different groups are enjoying us probably even more durable than they did final 12 months,” Maurice mentioned. “You’re getting all people’s A-game. In the video games that we predict we have been emotionally in tune, we have been fairly darn good. We’re coping with, and have handled, what we thought can be the problem: It can be the emotional power to play our recreation.”
Doing that night time after night time can take a toll, however the Panthers are nothing if not resilient. Consider their current bout in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers, during which Florida blew an early 3-0 result in dangle on for a 7-5 victory. Emotions? They have been excessive. And the Panthers used them to gasoline their general efficiency as a substitute of creating excuses for errors.
It’s true that each group could have their hills to climb — something from accidents to sudden subpar play — however not all golf equipment can stand tall within the face of these trials. Florida does. The Panthers’ goaltending this season is an instance. Florida has gone primarily with a tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, and neither netminder has beautiful stats; Bobrovsky owns an .890 save share and three.04 goals-against common, whereas Knight is at .890 and a pair of.84.
Florida’s dynamic offense has picked up the slack for the group’s extra porous protection and goaltending. Sometimes, that is what it takes. Of course, the Panthers wish to be well-rounded and efficient in each space, and it goes again on Zito to make the right changes. But the Panthers are particular in that they’ll lean on one facet of their recreation to maintain them on an elite observe whereas nonetheless enhancing these different areas.
Even by all of their achievements, the Panthers aren’t resting on their laurels.
WHEN THE PANTHERS aren’t at their greatest, it is apparent what’s lacking: the (typically) soiled particulars.
Great zone entries and exits do not make the spotlight reel. All however a couple of of the hockey-obsessed are scanning for who received probably the most board battles or broke the puck out successfully by the impartial zone. But these issues include the territory of being champions. And Florida is great in all of these classes.
The Panthers innately know themselves. They’re a bodily group, and that needs to be on show. It’s no marvel that Florida is averaging the third-most hits per 60 minutes this season (27.68) they usually’re prime 5 in takeaways (5.76 per recreation).
Flash and finesse are simply relished. But balancing that with grittiness, physicality and a workmanlike effort can set a membership aside — and tee them up for rounds of victory when it issues probably the most.
“I believe we’re structurally forward of the place we have been in every of the final two years,” Maurice mentioned. “So whenever you minimize video, you are not slicing video on the place we’re out of place on our neutral-zone protection, so there’s not a whole lot of technical stuff that we’re doing proper now.”
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Sam Reinhart scores on the facility play for Florida Panthers
Sam Reinhart scores on the facility play for Florida Panthers
CONSISTENCY IS KEY. Florida has been dominant on the facility play this season (third general, at 28.4%) and have an above-average penalty kill (twelfth, 80.8%), each of which might be difference-making momentum drivers.
How do we all know? Roll the tape.
Since 2022-23, the Panthers are eighth general on the person benefit (23.9%) and 14th general short-handed (79.4%). The certainty behind these numbers breeds confidence in a group, and that is how the Panthers can push by durations when even-strength offense is at a premium or they don’t seem to be as dialled in defensively.
That’s to not say the Panthers aren’t reliable at 5-on-5. Florida is top-10 in even-strength scoring the previous three seasons, and sixth general in objectives per recreation (3.43).
Fact is, Florida has discovered its method. The Panthers have stayed atop the league as a result of they’re constructed not for brief bursts of accomplishment however to thrive for sustained stretches. That’s a basis most groups would try towards, and it is what separates these Cats from the pack when it issues most — like, say, within the playoffs.
It’s inconceivable to say what the subsequent six months will convey for Florida. If the Panthers keep on tempo, although, there’s potential for an additional brief and candy offseason, a prospect any group would love looming in December.
