Panthers Hit Rock Bottom, But Paul Maurice Isn’t Hiding From It
The Florida Panthers aren’t just banged up - they’re battered, bruised, and sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference standings. Twenty-five games into the season, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs are staring up at the rest of the East, and head coach Paul Maurice isn’t sugarcoating it.
“I don’t mind them looking at the standings,” Maurice said after Florida’s 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “Keep the urgency.
We’re not going to turn this into a full sprint. We just don’t have that.”
That loss to Toronto marked Florida’s fourth defeat in five games, and while injuries are a big part of the story, they’re not the whole thing. The Panthers are missing both stars and key depth pieces, and it’s showing up in all the little ways - the kind of ways that lose you games in a league this tight.
One mistake ends up in the back of the net. One missed assignment turns into a goal against.
And the comebacks that used to be this team’s calling card? They’re just not happening right now.
It’s December, and the Panthers are already in a hole. The kind of hole that takes more than just effort to climb out of - it takes execution, health, and a little bit of luck. Right now, Florida’s short on all three.
No Pity, No Excuses
Let’s be clear: no one around the league is feeling sorry for Florida. After three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final - and back-to-back championships - the Panthers have gone from underdog darlings to the hunted. The rest of the NHL isn’t shedding tears for their injury report.
And to their credit, the Panthers aren’t asking for sympathy, either.
“There’s some frustration, for sure,” said Sam Reinhart, who scored Florida’s lone goal Tuesday on a shorthanded break in the second period. “A lot of things have gone right for us the past few years, and that certainly adds to it. We’ve been in this position before, but it’s going to be the guys in the room - and the guys who are healthy - that are going to get us out of this.”
That’s the mindset they’re going to need. Because help isn’t exactly around the corner.
Matthew Tkachuk and Eetu Luostarinen could return later this month, but captain Sasha Barkov remains out with no clear timetable. And without their stars - and without their glue guys - the Panthers are having a hard time holding things together.
Short on Margin, Short on Finish
Tuesday’s game against the Leafs was a microcosm of Florida’s current reality. They came out with energy, pushed early, and still found themselves in a 2-0 hole. Reinhart’s shorthanded goal, set up by a strong play from Anton Lundell, gave them life - but that was as close as they got.
Even with Sergei Bobrovsky doing everything he could to keep them in it, the Panthers couldn’t generate enough offense to flip the script.
“Ideally, you let him make one big save to turn it around,” Reinhart said. “But he was having to make three or four.
That’s what he constantly does as the games go on. The production wasn’t there to back it up.”
The dagger came late in the third, when a desperation shot from Toronto’s Steven Lorentz deflected off Aaron Ekblad’s skate and into the net. Just like that, a one-goal game turned into a two-goal deficit, and the Panthers didn’t have the legs - or the firepower - to mount a response.
Rally Mode, Not Panic Mode
Maurice has been around long enough to know when to push and when to pull back. And right now, he’s choosing to rally his group rather than rip into them.
“There’s a good time to whip your team,” Maurice said, “and there’s a good time to rally them. We’re in rally mode now.”
It’s not blind optimism. Maurice understands exactly where his team stands.
He’s not ignoring the standings - he’s using them as a reality check. Yes, Florida has games in hand.
But as he pointed out, those only matter if you win them.
The Panthers have been here before - digging out of early-season ruts - but the difference this time is the personnel. In past seasons, they’ve been able to count on their stars to pull them back into the fight. Right now, they’re counting on whoever’s left in the lineup to keep the ship afloat.
What’s Next
Florida wraps up its homestand with three more chances to stop the bleeding: Nashville on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday, and the Islanders next week. These aren’t just games - they’re opportunities to reclaim their identity, one shift at a time.
They’ve shown flashes. Maurice pointed to some “nice pieces” of their game even in recent losses to Philadelphia and Calgary.
But flashes won’t cut it. Not when the standings are this tight, and the margin for error is this thin.
As Bobrovsky put it: “Things aren’t going our way at the moment, but we have a good group of guys, you know? We have a good team, we have good coaches. We believe in each other.”
That belief is going to be tested over the next stretch. The Panthers don’t need a miracle.
They need wins. And they need them now.
On Deck: Game No. 26
Nashville Predators at Florida Panthers
📍 Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
🕖 Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
📺 Scripps Sports / Panthers+ / ESPN+
📻 WQAM, WBZT 1230-AM, WCTH 100.3-FM, SiriusXM
Season Series: Panthers lead 1-0 (8-3 win in Nashville on Nov. 24)
All-time Series: Florida leads 25-15-6, 3 ties
Next Up: Saturday vs.
Columbus Blue Jackets, 3:30 p.m.