The Florida Panthers arrived in Boston feeling pretty good, and rightly so.
They were riding a six-game winning streak and had allowed a single goal over their past four games.
Then on Tuesday, as Florida’s game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden progressed, things felt like they were following a similar script, with the Panthers holding a 2-0 lead in the third period.
But boy can things change quickly in this league.
A few simple mistakes began piling up, and the next thing the Panthers knew, they were trying to salvage a point by forcing the game to overtime.
Ultimately, it didn’t work out.
On to the takeaways.
SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS
Looking back at each of Boston’s third period goals, all three of the plays could be traced back to the puck being on a Panthers player’s stick.
Failed clearing attempts combined with Florida’s general aggressive defensive strategy left a couple of Bruins players wide open in prime scoring areas, and they did not miss.
Knowing how smart and responsible this Panthers team generally is with the puck on their sticks, this outcome feels like an anomaly.
We shall see.
“We had full control of the puck three times, and then didn’t,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think those are plays we can execute on. So much of it is what you give them, what you get, or what you take from you.”
NEED TO BE USED TO THIS
While yes, Florida was facing a desperate Bruins team trying to salvage their season and claw back into a playoff spot, it’s hardly a rare situation for the Cats to be in.
Most of the Panthers recent opponents are fighting for their playoff lives, and that’s not going to change for a while.
Even on their current six-game road trip, all five teams they have yet to visit are either holding a playoff spot or within a few points of one.
Throughout the season, the Panthers have been a team that has bounced back relatively quickly from troubling times.
Considering the extended road trip they just began, Florida will want to turn things around soon before things start to spiral in the wrong direction.
“I think they played as hard as the last two or three teams that we played,” Maurice said. “Columbus is fighting same way for the…