SUNRISE — Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was not about to rip into his team following a 5-4 overtime loss to Anaheim on Monday evening.
Sure, the Ducks had lost seven of its past eight but Maurice is playing the long game.
After the run the Panthers had, no one could blame him.
Florida, after all, had won nine straight before dropping its past two games.
“We had a good first period and I thought we were a little arrogant with the puck in the second,’’ Maurice said, before officially canceling his team’s scheduled Tuesday practice.
“When you start getting beat 1-on-1, that’s a tell for something else that is going on in your game. We were not happy with the way we played. I think we’re going to leave this one right here.”
Yes, the Panthers should have bounced back from Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Devils.
Playing Anaheim should have corrected things on Monday.
Florida was a heavy betting favorite.
Yet, it lost.
“I think you learn more during losses than you do while winning,’’ said Carter Verhaeghe, who scored his 23rd of the season.
“It’s just a testament to how hard we have to play every night and that’s tough to do for 82 games — especially these ones. It takes a lot of mental strength when you’re at home playing against a different kind of opponent.”
Although the Panthers had a 2-0 lead in the first, things fell apart when old nemesis Alex Killorn scored in the waning seconds of the first.
Adam Henrique, another old friend from the 2012 playoffs, scored on a shorthanded chance to tie things up.
Late in the second, however, the Panthers were up 4-2.
It appeared Florida was going to pile on.
Only Anaheim pulled to within 4-3 late in the second, tied the score onTroy Terry’s goal early in the third — then won it on Killorn’s second of the day just 48 seconds into overtime.
Again, if you were expecting Maurice to tear into his group, move along.
The Panthers will try to keep things going on Wednesday when the Red Wings come to town.
After all, they are 9-1-1 in the past 11.
“It was more of an open game than we wanted, but it was the style of game they want to play,’’ said Reinhart, who is now a goal away from tying his career-high in just 43 games played in this one.
“They did a better job dictating the play and how they wanted to play. We could have been a lot better, for sure. We’re not going to win hockey games like that. We’re not built for that and we need to tighten up.’’
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