Florida Panthers Grinding Out Games in Adversity-Filled October

The Florida Panthers are grinding through an October that has thrown a season’s worth of adversity at them. They won’t use it as an excuse, though 

They’re missing top center Aleksander Barkov due to a lower-body injury, and star winger Matthew Tkachuk due to an undisclosed illness. Fourth-liner Jonah Gadjovich tightened up in the first period on Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks and didn’t return, though Panthers head coach Paul Maurice didn’t sound too concerned about it after the game. Tkachuk should be back next week, with Barkov following a week or two later. But for now, they’re grinding for every win they could get.

Hard as they tried Thursday, Florida was just barely edged out by a Canucks team that was searching for its first win of the season.

The teams traded blows: a Teddy Blueger goal in the first period, a Jesper Boqvist answer 11 seconds later, a Quinn Hughes goal in the second period, and an Anton Lundell power-play goal with a minute left in the period.

In overtime, it was a J.T. Miller wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that sent Florida home with one point, and Vancouver on a happy flight to Philadelphia.

“We’ve played a lot of hockey here,” Maurice said. “We were afforded the opportunity to play considerably more hockey than most teams. We appreciate that. And that’s okay. I think that that’s the narrative of our entire season.”

The Panthers are coming off a road back-to-back, their first of 14 this season. Maurice still expects effort from his team, but he understands the challenges that lie ahead.

“I think there’s only one other team in the league that plays more tired games than we do. I think we catch a team tired like once or twice the entire season. … It’s going to be some nights that don’t look smooth. So you’re going to drive your team real hard. We’re going to get these guys to work real hard. But I’m not going to be too rough on them when the tanks are half full, as long as they empty it.”

Controversial Goal

Tied at 1-1 six minutes into the second period, the Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes fired a slapshot past Sergei Bobrovsky for the lead.

It’s a goal that probably shouldn’t have even had the chance of happening. At least, that’s how Maurice saw it. When the puck was dropped in the faceoff circle in Vancouver’s offensive zone, the puck went off center Nils Aman’s glove before hitting the ice. Maurice and the Panthers challenged the play, alleging a hand pass had occurred.

However, the Toronto replay room didn’t see it that way, and the goal stood.

According to the NHL’s explanation, the puck deflected off Aman’s glove during the faceoff, which does not constitute a hand pass.

The official ruling from the NHL on #FlaPanthers coach Paul Maurice’s failed coach’s challenge on a missed game stoppage: pic.twitter.com/XnglFLZ1bI

— Colby Guy (@ColbyDGuy) October 18, 2024

Firsts 

They might have to saw this puck in half so Mackie Samoskevich and Jesper Boqvist could share it. Florida’s first goal of the game came off Boqvist’s stick, his first as a Panther. He was fed a pass from Samoskevich, who recorded his first NHL point with the assist. 

Samoskevich, making his 13th career NHL start, wrapped around the Vancouver net while jockeying with 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes. Once he was on the other side of the net, Samoskevich sent a pass to Boqvist along the goalline for the Swede to snipe home underneath goaltender Kevin Lankinen’s glove.

Samoskevich had his chances to notch his first goal as well. Twice, he received a feed from Nate Schmidt with a wide-open shooting lane, and he missed wide right both times.

“I think I’ve been playing well enough to get those chances,” Samoskevich said. “So that’s the only thing I’m worried about is, if you’re getting those chances it’s a good thing. It’s only a matter of time before they start popping.”

Lundell’s Heater Continues

Anton Lundell seems to thrive when given a larger role. He has made a home for himself as a third-line center over the last couple of years, but when Aleksander Barkov or Matthew Tkachuk are out – which they both currently are – the young Fin is the first to move up in the lineup.

Lundell is on a line with Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen, which is where he lined up last year when Barkov missed time. He got hot then, and he’s hot now. He’s scored four goals and notched an assist in four games without Barkov, and has scored in three straight.

On Thursday, the 23-year-old was left with tons of space on a second-period power play when he fired a wrist shot past goaltender Kevin Lankinen.