Through three games of their Western road trip, the Florida Panthers sit at 1-2. They beat the Seattle Kraken in their opener, but dropped the next two contests to the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. In both losses, the Panthers were shut out. Their lone victory came with just one goal scored in regulation.
Seattle
The Panthers entered Tuesday’s game against the Kraken with a six-game point streak, hoping to extend it to seven. Despite being outplayed in the first period, Florida managed to hang on, thanks to several key saves from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. The Kraken led 1-0 after the opening frame.
In the second period, the Panthers found their rhythm and controlled play for the rest of the game. Although Seattle goalie Joey Daccord stood on his head, Florida finally broke through with a second-period goal. In the shootout, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each scored to secure a 2-1 victory.
Vancouver
Two nights later, the Panthers faced the Vancouver Canucks, who were coming off an overtime loss to St. Louis. Florida’s defense struggled throughout the night, particularly in giving up odd-man rushes. Three of the four goals the Panthers conceded came off the rush—an area they typically excel at defending. The 4-2 defeat marked Florida’s first regulation loss in seven games. Poor defensive play and the inability to stop odd-man opportunities were the primary culprits.
Calgary
After the loss to Vancouver, the Panthers hoped to bounce back against the Calgary Flames. Sergei Bobrovsky got a break, and Spencer Knight started in goal. After falling behind 1-0 on a Nazem Kadri goal, Florida shut down the Flames’ offense for most of the game. However, Calgary added a second goal late in the second period, and two more in the third, to seal a 4-0 victory. Florida struggled to generate consistent offense and was unable to create second-chance opportunities against Flames goalie Dustin Wolf.
Edmonton
The Panthers now head to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the high-flying Oilers. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since Florida’s loss in the Stanley Cup Final in June. The Oilers, riding a five-game win streak, will be eager for revenge. Florida, on the other hand, will look to break its two-game losing streak and get back in the win column.
Minnesota
After Monday’s game against Edmonton, the Panthers will have a day off before facing the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night. Florida lost to the Wild 5-1 at home earlier this season. Minnesota, led by MVP-caliber forward Kirill Kaprizov, has been one of the league’s surprise teams, making this a tough matchup for the Panthers.
Other News
At the Board of Governors meetings in Palm Beach, Florida earlier this week, sources confirmed that the Panthers will host an outdoor game at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, next season. The exact nature of the event—whether it will be a Winter Classic or Stadium Series game—has yet to be determined. Speculation suggests the Panthers could face the Tampa Bay Lightning in this exciting matchup.
On a positive note, the Panthers were able to reconnect with a few former teammates during this road trip. The team presented Stanley Cup rings to Brandon Montour and Josh Mahura the day before playing Seattle, and Ryan Lomberg received his ring the night before facing Calgary.
Schedule
The Panthers have two games remaining on this road trip. They’ll face the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. EST, followed by a game against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST.