The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions finished November sixth in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 12-11-1 record. The Florida Panthers, who will have a four-game homestand in the first week of December, are 8-5-1 at home.
The difference between the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning (34) and Panthers (25) is just nine points. It’s not a dream spot; it’s intriguing to see what will happen next. The star-studded Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres are at the bottom of the conference, 15th and 16th, respectively.
“It’s never a straight line but a general direction,” Paul Maurice said. In his post-practice Monday interview, he mentioned that knowing where the team is going and planning to be in three months is “equally important to knowing what place it sits in right now.”
It’s his job to take the Panthers there. One of the players who will help him is Brad Marchand, who leads the team with 15 goals and 27 points in 23 games.
Sweet November
November turned out to be a productive month for Marchand. He achieved a crucial milestone, becoming only the 102nd player in NHL history to hit 1,000 points. He is the first player in Panthers franchise history to reach this level. It’s another proof that trading for “Marchy” in March of 2025 was an excellent move by the club’s management. It’s a mutual benefit as the Cats’ jersey brings him luck, too. November of 2025 was the best in Marchand’s NHL career. In his debut season in 2009-2010, Marchand didn’t register a single point in November. Sixteen years later, he is the most productive Panther on the roster with 10 goals and 16 points in 13 matchups last month.
Deficits
Yet, a former Boston Bruins captain and his current team are short on key game components: 19.3% PP, 78.5% PK, and 48% faceoff wins. Marchand is the first on the Panthers roster with 27 points and 26th in the league, according to NHL Skater Stats Reports.
Just for the record, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche leads the NHL with 44 points, and two teenagers, Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, finished November in second place with 37 points.
The good news is Matthew Tkachuk has started to skate, but it’s too early to set any dates for his return to the lineup. The Panthers will have to continue building on momentum and hope for the best.