The Florida Panthers Lost Thursday. They May Be Better For It

SUNRISE — The bad news from Thursday night was that the Florida Panthers lost at home.

Even worse, they lost for the fifth time in the past six games.

What, pray tell, is wrong with the Panthers?

Actually, Thursday may just have been the start of something good.

Or, the continuation of something good.

On Thursday night, the Panthers, for the most part, looked like the Panthers y’all have come to know and love.

At least from midway through the second period on.

Yes, the Panthers lost 5-3 to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins at Amerant Bank Arena.

And while it is true the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions looked like they were sleepwalking through another game — at least early on — they certainly turned up the heat.

From the time Brad Marchand scored on the power play at 8:26 of the second to make it a 2-1 game, the Panthers were back.

They had played eight games and change and, despite starting the season 3-0, they had not looked like this since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final back on June 17.

OK, so, it is another loss.

Only it sure was good to see Panthers Hockey once again.

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“The first half of the game we looked like we have for a while: Just slow offensively,” Paul Maurice said. “In the back half of the game, we got to the right pace and there was a little bit of freedom. We have been really tight with the puck, turned pucks over that we normally do not or expect we should. …

“We looked the way we’re supposed to look.”

Boy, did they.

After the first period, one in which the Penguins led 1-0 lead thanks to a Hall of Fame power play goal from one Sidney Crosby, the Panthers were outshooting Pittsburgh 7-6 in a 20-minute slogfest one longtime staffer commented reminded them of the bad old days.

The Panthers once more had very little life, did not seem to be all that interested in playing yet another October game.

Down 2-0 in the second, Marchand scored on a backdoor tip off a slick pass from Mackie Samoskevich.

It was game on.

The Panthers were, all of a sudden, very interested.

The heavy forecheck was back, the Panthers swarmed goalie Tristan Jarry and forced him into making one big save after another.

Now, the Penguins led 3-1 going into the third and answered everything the Panthers had to offer.

But it was good seeing the Panthers back in action.

If they can keep this up — and there is no promise of that, knowing what they know — things are going to be OK.

”We got back to the way we played in the second half of last year, the way we need to have success’’ Marchand said. “We did it for the entire game after that. It was good to see.’’

So, how tough is it to get back into that mindset — to play that hard hitting, take-no-prisoners style of game knowing it’s not even Halloween?

“Yeah, sometimes it is during the regular season,’’ Marchand said. “You know, it’s a hard game to play all year in the regular season, training camp, playoffs. But the more we do it early on here, it takes a little bit to get back into it after being off all summer. It’s a hard game to play every night.’’

As much as the Panthers say they want to play this style of game, the one that makes them so successful, it is hard to actually go out and do it.

They did for the first time this season on Thursday.

“You have something to point to, right?” Maurice said. “Something to point to, something we have not had so we can show it and work off of it. Work off that offensive template. We don’t talk a lot about offense because we’re a defensive-first team. We felt we were slow offensively, and I didn’t feel we were tonight.”

Florida ended up outshooting the Penguins 31-9 in the final two periods and ended the game with an 81-43 advantage on shots attempted.

The Panthers were also hitting Pittsburgh player who moved.

Now, give credit to a resurgent Penguins team which has now won four straight and is 6-2.

Crosby was terrific as was Jarry.

But if you have to bet on which team has the higher upside when it comes down to it with 70-plus games left, it is the Panthers.

When they play like they did for 30 minutes on Thursday, good luck.

“It’s still a resilient group here,’’ Eetu Luostarinen said. “We have everything we need so we just have to start playing harder and dig in.”

ON DECK: GAME No. 10

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• This Season — At Florida: Saturday. At Vegas: Nov. 10.
• Last Season: Tied 1-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Tied 7-7
• Postseason History — 2023 Stanley Cup Final: Vegas d. Florida 4-1
• Up Next for the Florida Panthers: Tuesday vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m.