CBS4's Steve Goldstein On How The Panthers Will Bounce Back
SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – You know the old saying: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Well, a three-game losing streak for the Florida Panthers, in which they allowed 16 goals, was a rare speed bump in a season of fast hockey.
Why did they lose three in a row on home ice where they had previously been 23-3?
And how have they responded this week in practice before they get back on the ice Thursday at home against Ottawa?
Let's dig in.
Get Saves
Led by Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers goaltending has been good this season. That was not the case during the three games last week where the combined goalie's percentage was in the low 800s.
The Panthers were not out played for much of the nine periods of hockey, and in fact dominated play more than half the time. Expect Bobrovsky to come back strong versus Ottawa.
Adversity Helps
In a season that has been very smooth on the ice, and you could extend that back to last season where the Panthers were excellent, it is good to have a little bit of a rough time on occasion. There will be moments in the Stanley Cup Playoffs where things won't go their way and they will need to be able to recover quickly in a short series. This past week is a good test.
Energy & Confidence
Practices this week have been crisp. Interim head coach Andrew Brunette said he didn't need to do anything loud as players came ready to work. This is a confident team that knows it's better than the results last week.
With teams now bunched up in the division, the stakes are high as the Panthers enter a stretch of games they need to win.
But no games in this league are easy.
Ottawa has recent wins against Carolina, Washington and Minnesota.
On Saturday Detroit comes to town. The Red Wings beat the Rangers a few weeks ago and Carolina this week.
The Panthers then hit the road, playing Monday at Buffalo. The Sabres pounded Toronto 5-1 Wednesday, not allowing the Maple Leafs to jump the Panthers for second place in the division.
Every night is a battle in the NHL.