Panthers Battle But Fall Short in Return to Sunrise
The Florida Panthers were back on home ice Tuesday night, but the return didn’t come with the result they wanted. In just their second game in Sunrise over the past three weeks, the Cats dropped a tightly contested 4-3 decision to the Utah Mammoth-a game that saw them claw back to even the score three separate times before Utah finally pulled away for good midway through the third.
Florida never held a lead in this one, but they were far from outplayed. In fact, the Panthers controlled much of the action, generating 61 shot attempts to Utah’s 38 and holding the Mammoth to just 20 shots on goal.
The effort was there. The execution, at times, was sharp.
But a few missed chances, some untimely penalties, and a controversial whistle or two made the difference in a game that easily could’ve gone the other way.
Let’s break down the key takeaways from Tuesday night’s action.
Lundell, Ekblad Avoid Injury Scares
In a season that’s already seen its fair share of bumps and bruises, the Panthers had a couple more heart-in-throat moments Tuesday-but the early signs are positive.
Late in the second period, Anton Lundell absorbed a high, heavy hit from Utah’s Jack McBain. Lundell responded with a retaliatory hit and even threw a punch, but when the third period began, he was nowhere on the bench. That absence raised some eyebrows, but postgame, head coach Paul Maurice downplayed the concern.
“I think he’s going to be fine,” Maurice said. “It’s upper-body, we’ll know more tomorrow.”
Then there was Aaron Ekblad, who took a shot off his left leg and hobbled to the bench in clear discomfort. Fortunately, it turns out the damage was more to his equipment than his body-Ekblad said after the game that the shot broke his shin pad, but he’s okay.
Considering the Panthers’ injury history this season, getting out of this game without adding to the IR list is a win in itself.
Sandis Vilmanis Continues to Impress
Rookie forward Sandis Vilmanis is making the most of his first NHL stint, and Tuesday night was another step forward for the 20-year-old.
Vilmanis, playing in his ninth NHL game, started the night on one line but found his groove after being shuffled onto a unit with Cole Schwindt and A.J. Greer in the second period. That trio brought energy and grit, and it paid off on the scoresheet-both Vilmanis and Schwindt found the back of the net, scoring just over seven minutes apart.
“There’s a freedom that comes when he plays with Schwindt and Greer,” Maurice said postgame. “Greer is a real positive for those guys, those young guys he plays with, and they were good. Basically that line has got four goals in two games, so good for them and good for us.”
For a team still navigating injuries and looking for depth scoring, the emergence of Vilmanis is a welcome development.
Penalty Trouble and Controversial Calls
The final stretch of the game was marred by a flurry of penalties-five minors in the last 6:12-and more than a few raised eyebrows from the Panthers’ bench.
It started with a roughing call on Matthew Tkachuk, which came just before Evan Rodrigues was taken down by Barrett Hayton in the defensive zone. Rodrigues, trying to get across the ice to cover the penalty kill, was whistled for embellishment-along with Hayton, who was called for interference. Both players went to the box.
Then, with Florida’s net empty in the final minutes and the Cats pushing for the equalizer, Tkachuk was tripped in the neutral zone by Nick Schmaltz. But again, the officials saw enough theatrics in Tkachuk’s fall to call him for embellishment, sending both players off.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Florida, especially in a one-goal game where every second mattered. Maurice, who’s never been one to throw officials under the bus, kept his response measured-but telling.
“We’re not going to get an explanation on that,” he said. When pressed further, he added, “I’m not giving you anything on that.”
That’s coach-speak for “we’re not thrilled,” and understandably so. Whether you agree with the embellishment calls or not, they disrupted Florida’s final push and left a sour taste on a night where the effort was there but the result wasn’t.
Final Thoughts
This was one of those games where the Panthers probably deserved more than they got. They dictated the pace, generated more chances, and showed resilience by battling back each time Utah took the lead.
But hockey doesn’t always reward effort. Sometimes it comes down to a bounce, a whistle, or a missed opportunity-and Tuesday night had a little bit of all three.
The good news? The Panthers are getting healthier, their young players are stepping up, and they’re still very much in the thick of things. If they keep playing with this kind of energy and discipline (and maybe get a friendlier whistle or two), the results will follow.