The Florida Panthers arrived in Boston by feeling very well, and rightly so.
They had a sequence of six consecutive victories and had granted only one goal in their last four games.
Then Tuesday, while Florida’s match against Boston’s Bruins at TD Garden progressed, things felt likely to follow a similar script, the Panthers holding a 2-0 lead in the third period.
But the boy can change quickly in this league.
Some simple errors started to accumulate, and the next thing that the panthers knew, they were trying to save a point by forcing the game with overtime.
In the end, it did not work.
On take -out dishes.
Self-inflicted injuries
By thinking back to each of the third goals in Boston, the three games could be traced with the puck being on the stick of a panthers player.
Failure of compensation attempts combined with the general aggressive defensive strategy of Florida left some players of Bruins wide open in the first -rate score areas, and they did not fail.
Knowing how intelligent and responsible for this panthers team is with the washer on their sticks, this result looks like an anomaly.
We will see.
“We had full control of the washer three times, then no,” said Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. “I think they are games on which we can perform. This is a large part of what you give them, what you get or what you take.
Need to be used to that
While yes, Florida faced a desperate team of Bruins trying to save their season and to fall back in a place of playoffs, it is hardly a rare situation for cats.
Most recent adversaries of the panthers are fighting for their living in the playoffs, and that will not change for a while.
Even during their current road trip of six games, the five teams they have not yet visited hold either a place in the playoffs, or a few points from one.
Throughout the season, the Panthers were a team that bounced relatively quickly disturbing times.
Given the prolonged road trip they have just started, Florida will want to return things shortly before things start to spir in the wrong direction.
“I think they played as hard as the last two or three teams we have played,” said Maurice. “Columbus fights in the same way for the playoffs, and that is what the road trip will be. You have a hard in Toronto, then the two teams we play at the end of the trip are fighting for their playoffs. There are a whole bunch of teams that are four or five points, and they are there. »»
Precious lessons learned
Good teams find ways to extract positive things from their losses.
Learning things about their opponents, or themselves, who can be precious on the road is a key to being a successful team.
If the panthers can transform the collapse from Tuesday to something that encloses them in shape and prevents Florida from blowing the next advance, it would just be another sign that this team was worth its place as the favorite of the Stanley Cup.
“We are certainly going to learn from this one,” said Panthers striker Mackie Samoskevich. “At the top of two entering the third, I think these are things you are going to have in the playoffs. I think we have to be more difficult on the defensive, I think we have to endure rings there, but as I said, I think it will be good for our group. “”
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