The Panthers had moments of dominance during their victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round. They won the first three matches before ultimately claiming the series in five. However, their first game against the Bruins served as a reminder of the challenge ahead. The Bruins were on an emotional high after a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their own series on Saturday.
Paul Maurice, the coach of the Florida Panthers, stated that their hopes for the Stanley Cup Playoffs did not involve “world domination.”
According to Reinhart, their solid play is a clear advantage. They should focus on being more thoughtful and quicker, utilizing the space around the goal more often. It’s not necessary to always aim for the perfect move. By creating more opportunities near the net, they can open up more options for scoring.
Last season, Bennett recorded a total of 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 20 playoff games while playing for Florida. Before being injured, he had contributed two points (one goal, one assist) in two playoff games.
Maurice chose not to share specifics, but mentioned the Panthers examined “two areas where we can significantly improve” in Game 2. One of these was likely the handling of the puck after turnovers in the defensive zone, which resulted in the Bruins’ first two goals on Monday. This seemed to have a domino effect, leading to five consecutive goals against the Panthers after they initially took a 1-0 lead with Matthew Tkachuk’s goal at 11:45 of the second period.
Maurice remarked that there will inevitably be a game that you don’t enjoy. However, rebounding from it and taking lessons from the experience, even if it’s not the most essential element for the next game, will ultimately benefit you in the long run. There will always be a loss that can assist you in your future progress.
In the first game, the Panthers failed to score on three power play opportunities. This continues their trend from the regular season, where they were unable to score on 11 power plays against the Bruins. Boston’s defense has been strong in the playoffs, only allowing one goal in 24 instances of being short-handed, resulting in a 95.8 percent success rate. It will be crucial for the Panthers to find a way to score on the power play and challenge their penalty kill.
It also served as motivation to improve their performance.
In the end, the key will be for Florida to address and correct their mistakes from Game 1 and use that experience as they continue in the series and playoffs.
As far as I am aware, no one has ever achieved a record of 16 wins and 0 losses,” Maurice stated on Tuesday. “So it’s inevitable that you will experience a loss at some point.”
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart reflected on the mental challenges of the postseason, especially during a series where emotions can fluctuate. Even being up 3-0 and then losing a game in Tampa can feel like the end of the world, but eventually things settle down. After getting through a series, there is a sense of mental relief, though a game like last night serves as a reminder to stay focused and in the zone.
“You desire involvement. You wish to be in the midst of action.”
Anton Lundell, a forward, stated that this is the playoffs and there are times when you win and times when you lose. It’s important for us to learn from our mistakes. We reviewed some footage and identified areas where we can improve tomorrow. While we did some things well, we didn’t get the desired outcome. Therefore, we focused on finding ways to enhance our performance and make adjustments for tomorrow.
The potential return of Sam Bennett, who has been sidelined since Game 2 of the opening series due to an upper-body injury, could provide a boost. According to Maurice, Bennett may be back for “one of the following three games, guaranteed.”
The Panthers must improve their performance in the offensive zone during both regular and power play opportunities. Despite their 39-29 shot advantage, they were only able to score one goal against netminder Jeremy Swayman, who has not given up more than two goals in any of his seven playoff games. While Swayman has impressive stats with a 1.42 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in the playoffs, the Panthers are confident they can make things more challenging for him.
Despite facing a challenging 5-1 defeat against the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on Monday, the Panthers remain determined to bounce back and make necessary adjustments for Game 2. The next match of the best-of-7 series will take place at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET, airing on ESPN, SN, TVAS, and CBC.
Stenlund stated that it is crucial to be positioned ahead of him in order to increase the chances of saving the puck. The goal is to prevent him from seeing the puck and create a challenging situation.
“I believe we were a little bit off our game,” stated forward Kevin Stenlund. “Our performance was a bit lackluster, a bit sluggish. We need to make a stronger effort tomorrow.”
