The Florida Panthers have turned one of their biggest early-season headaches into a real weapon.
After opening the year ice cold on the power play, the Cats have caught fire over the last few weeks and now look nothing like the group that stumbled out of the gate. Through their first five games, Florida managed just 1-for-28 with the extra skater, including an 0-for-11 start over the first two games against the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks. That’s a brutal opening stretch by any standard.
The turnaround began in game six, even in a loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Florida went 2-for-4 on the power play that night, with both goals coming from Sam Reinhart. From there, the unit kept building.
On Saturday night, the Panthers added two more power play goals in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Since that 1-for-28 start, Florida has ripped off a 15-for-38 run on the man advantage.
“It took us three or four games to recover from that, but they found their rhythm.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice pointed to the work behind the scenes and the way the group has been reshaped. “I think (assistant coach) Jamie Kompon and his power play group have done a great job, really changing the foundation of what they try to do,” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice.
“You spend two and a half weeks working on your power play with (Sasha) Barkov and (Brad) Marchand on it, and they both disappear within the first three games. It took us three or four games to recover from that, but they found their rhythm.”
Seth Jones has been right at the center of the surge. The defenseman said the key has been getting the puck moving faster and forcing penalty kills to react instead of settle in.
“Just puck movement,” said Panthers defenseman Seth Jones. “Quick puck movement and putting the penalty kill in positions to make decisions.
I think we're scoring in many different ways: low plays, high plays into Reino. I think we're dangerous in a lot of different ways, but just moving it quick, being solid on the breakouts is key.”
Jones has backed that up with production. He has 18 points through his first 14 games, which puts him third among NHL defensemen in scoring. Eleven of those points have come on the power play, tying him with Matthew Tkachuk for the team lead in power play points.
“Seth Jones has been a huge driver, and we needed him to,” Maurice said. “He's got lots of confidence up top. He's offensively as strong as there is in the league from the blue line.”
The numbers now show a unit that has climbed all the way to 11th in the league at 24.2 percent.
That hot streak could get another test over the next several days at Amerant Bank Arena, where the Panthers will face the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Both teams sit in the bottom half of the league on the penalty kill, and Detroit’s unit is especially vulnerable, ranking fourth-worst in the NHL.
Florida, after that ugly start, has a clear plan when the chances come.
“I think we're just really looking to attack right away,” said Panthers forward Lars Eller. “We have different weapons to score. We have players that can find different ways to break down the opposition, and they've been doing exactly that.”
In Other News...
Panthers Just Sent A Message As Their Attack Keeps Coming
The Panthers kept rolling Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena, finishing off a home-and-home sweep of the Jets with a 5-2 win after beating Winnipeg 5-1 on the road earlier in the week. Florida has now won six of its last eight and sits at 8-4-2, a stretch that has only reinforced how dangerous this group looks when its attack is clicking and the pace stays on its terms.
Anton Lundell was at the center of it, and Seth Jones helped drive the offense from the blue line as Florida kept piling on pressure against a Winnipeg team that had already seen this matchup get away from it once. The result was another convincing statement from a club that is finding ways to score in waves, with one notable milestone tucked into the night and another quietly adding to the sense that this teams ceiling is still rising. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Fans Got A New Look At The Teams Rising Depth
With the Panthers getting ready for Detroit, there is a little more going on around the organization than just the NHL matchup. Floridas depth picture is getting a fresh look at the same time, with the Charlotte Checkers set to face the Iowa Wild and a wave of prospects making noise in other leagues. It has been the kind of week that reminds fans how much of the pipeline is moving at once, from the AHL down through junior hockey.
The prospect notes have been especially encouraging, with Louis-Antoine Denault posting a shutout in the QMJHL and Arvid Drott contributing a goal and an assist in the WHL. Those performances do not settle anything on their own, but they do add to the sense that Floridas system is producing more than just one or two headline names. For a team that has spent recent seasons leaning on organizational depth, those small developments matter, even if the next layer of the story is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Could Expose Whether Capitals Hot Start Is Actually Real
Washingtons 8-4-0 start has put the Capitals in an early-season spot they have not occupied often enough lately, and it has come with the usual mix of familiar strengths and nagging questions. Alex Ovechkin is still driving the offense, and the club has banked enough points to sit third in the Metropolitan Division, but the schedule is about to offer a much clearer read on how sustainable this opening surge really is.
Minnesota, Dallas and Florida are next on the slate, which means Washington is heading straight into a stretch against teams that can expose soft spots quickly. The defensive side already has been tested by injuries, and these games should tell the Capitals whether their fast start is the product of real progress or just a favorable opening run before the grind of playoff-caliber opponents begins. [Read more 🡒]