Florida Panthers Remain Hopeful Following Slow Start To Season
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions, the Florida Panthers, are on a three-game losing streak and falling in the standings to dead last in the Eastern Conference. This is unfamiliar territory for the champions.
Florida Panthers Last In Eastern Conference
The Panthers have lost three games overall, four games at home, and have only 25 points in the standings. Florida Panthers Forward Sam Reinhart said, “There is frustration, but it’s going to be the guys in the room and the guys that are healthy that are going to have to get us out of it.”
Head Coach Paul Maurice, when asked about the season’s patience, said it has been brutal. “But we know what we’ve got, we know the situation that we’re in, and I think we all have enough experience to handle it.”
The one thing the Panthers have going for them is that the Eastern Conference isn’t totally out of hand yet, with teams pulling away. Nobody in the East has more than 34 points. The Panthers only had 28 points this time of the season and still made the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Panthers also have a laundry list of injuries they have been dealing with this season, especially with the missing star Forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. Tkachuk is slated to return at the end of December, and Barkov possibly for the playoffs if the Panthers make it.
Despite being in a slump, the Panthers still have the belief they can dig themselves out of it and turn the season around. The Florida Panthers are a resilient bunch and can come together to get wins; they can be successful this season.
Looking Ahead
The Panthers still have a slew of home games coming up this week. They will look to gain some ground and rally to turn home ice around. The Panthers just need one at a time, and the momentum will follow. The Panthers will take on the Nashville Predators on Thursday, then will have back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday against the Blue Jackets and Islanders.
