The Florida Panthers have completed their first road trip of the season, and it’s one they’ll want to forget.
After starting the season 3-0-0, winning each game at home, the Panthers were riding high. But things took a quick turn when they embarked on a five-game road trip, beginning in Philadelphia.
It started poorly, as the team lost 5-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers. The next two games witnessed the Panthers lose 4-1 to the Detroit Red Wings and the New Jersey Devils. The final loss was to the Buffalo Sabres, losing 3-0. Finally, things began to get better for the Panthers, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-3 in an emotional return for Brad Marchand.
The obvious struggles for the Panthers were the lack of offense, both at 5-on-5 and on the power play. The Panthers scored just seven goals in five games, and went 2-for-22 on the power play. Against several teams expected to fall short of the playoffs, the offense was far too dry, even with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk’s absences.
The Panthers were outshot in three of the five games. According to Natural Stat Trick, at 5-on-5, the Panthers held the advantage in expected goals percentage in just two of the five games and held the advantage in high-danger chances in just two games.
Defensively, the Panthers have remained potent on the road. While it may not be at the level it is when Barkov and Dmitry Kulikov are playing, the Panthers continue to make generating offense against them very difficult. They do a solid job of limiting high-danger chances and clear the front of their net efficiently.
Individually, the Panthers are still waiting for certain players to break out. Marchand and Anton Lundell have carried the load offensively, with Marchand leading the way with three goals and eight points and Lundell with two goals and six points.
The Panthers need more from Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. Reinhart and Verhaeghe have scored two goals and three points, while Bennett has notched just one goal and one assist. The Panthers would also love to get more offense from their blue line. The Panthers have one goal from their blueline, which came from Aaron Ekblad.
Returning home, the Panthers are hoping for a reset. With tough opponents like the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars, the Panthers’ play needs to improve.
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