Panthers head home, drop road trip finale, CBS Miami's Steve Goldstein
SUNRISE - The Florida Panthers are back in South Florida for two home games this week before the holiday break.
The five game, three time zone, road trip started in promising fashion with a win in Columbus but ended with the team wanting more. Goal-scoring was the issue in three losses to Vancouver, Seattle, and Calgary. But overall, coach Paul Maurice is satisfied with the team's style of play, and the Panthers are in good shape in the standings.
Chance For Winning Trip
After splitting the first four games, the Panthers looked like they would have a winning road trip. In Calgary, the Cats controlled most of the first two periods and were tied heading the third. This season, they were 17-0-2 when either tied or leading after 40 minutes. Usually, a stellar team in the final period, the Panthers allowed a shorthanded goal that broke the 1-1 tie and lost 3-1. They had ample opportunity to score more than one goal, putting up 35 shots. The trip ended with a 2-3 record.
More O Needed
In the two wins, the Panthers outscored Columbus and Edmonton 10-3. In the three losses, two were shutouts and the opponents had the advantage 11-1. The Cats need their depth to step up as the offense from the bottom six has been lacking. Losing Anton Lundell to illness doesn't help as center Kevin Stenlund has to step up to the 3rd line in Lundell's spot. Matthew Tkachuk said Monday morning he knows his offense isn't where he wants it to be, but the team is winning, so all is okay. He was active in his return to Calgary but is still looking for his first hot streak of the season.
Road Warriors
The good news is the Panthers have gotten their long West Coast trip over with. They only leave the Eastern time zone for a few games and have played almost half their road schedule already.
Holiday Hockey
After the disappointing results of two wins on the trip, two big home games loom before the holiday break. Unlike the NBA and NFL, the NHL takes off for three days around Christmas. On Thursday, St. Louis is in town and on Saturday afternoon it's a Stanley Cup final rematch against Vegas.