Alan Greenberg, FHN Sr. Writer
SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers need to get their game back tonight against Toronto.
It may be easier said than done.
The Leafs and Panthers are heading in opposite directions right now.
Toronto is in first place in the Atlantic Division, three points ahead of Florida after winning four straight and seven of eight.
The Panthers are riding a four-game losing streak with six losses in seven.
It is a stretch that does not sit well with a team that just won the Stanley Cup.
“When you go things like this, you just want to make a play so badly that it turns out hurting you even more,” Evan Rodrigues said Tuesday.
“Instead of being confident, cool and collected, you’re just gripping your stick tight. We have something like 12 posts in the past three games. You want to score so bad, you end up putting it in the goalies’ chest. We just need to get back to the basics.”
After Monday’s loss to Washington, one would have thought the Capitals had just won a big prize by the way they were whooping it up in their dressing room.
They had plenty to cheer about.
The Capitals ended a two-game slide; they beat the Stanley Cup champions, and they did it before a delegation of dads who were traveling with the team.
The dads, obviously enjoying it all, were having their own party outside of the visitors’ room in Sunrise.
Almost to a man, the Caps, minus Alex Ovechkin, attributed their victory to take away what the Panthers do best: Control possession time with tight checking.
In four power plays, the Panthers managed just two shots on goal.
They managed just four shots in the first period, tied for the fewest shots in a period this season.
Lars Eller scored his first two goals after Washington reacquired him in a trade with Pittsburgh earlier this month.
“We had to put sixty minutes together against a very good team,” Eller said. “We took as much away as you can take awayfrom that team with a high-powered offense. … They’re going to have some looks and some opportunities, but I reallythink we kept it to a minimum.”
Washington, upon taking a 2-1 lead off a 5-on-3 power-play goal from South Florida’s own Jakob Chychrun — with dad Jeff, of course, nearby — kept coming at the Panthers.
“I really, really was proud of that third period,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “That’s what it needs to look like. We’re not sitting back. We’re going to still continue the things that we’ve done, and it shows you – Florida has to start to takechances. They have to press, so now, all of a sudden, you’ve got some odd-man rushes.’’
The Panthers had a reputation as a good third-period team. That was one of the many secrets of their success over the past several seasons.
This season is another story.
The third period has been their weakest, Florida scoring just 17 third-period goals over the first 22 games.
Toronto has been without star Auston Matthews but have been doing just fine.
Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares are on fire.
Between the three, they have 31 goals and 54 points in 21 games.
For good measure, our old pal Steven Lorentz has played every game and has three goals, which is two more than he had the entire regular season last year in Florida.
It’s not quite time for Florida to hit the panic button.
That hour may be coming close.