Panthers Plunge Into Unfamiliar Territory

When discussing the reasons the Panthers aren’t performing up to their potential, the conversation starts and ends with the injuries that have hit the roster like a Category 5 hurricane.

According to the team’s injury report, Florida players have missed 120 games due to injury so far this season, with forwards Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek all missing 24 apiece. In fact, it’s the duo of Barkov and Tkachuk that has been missed the most throughout the first 20-plus games of the campaign. Barkov is the captain and leader of the team on and off the ice, and his tearing of his ACL and MCL in September put a damper on the season before everything really got started.

Then there’s Tkachuk — undoubtedly the face of the franchise and one of the team’s best players — who suffered a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle during the second half of last season but played through it during the playoff run. He hasn’t touched the ice this year, though, and that has definitely been a net negative for Florida.

There are countless other players who have missed action so far, including Dmitry Kulikov (22 games missed), Jonah Gadjovich (14), Eetu Luostarinen (six) and Cole Schwindt (five).

The Season is Far from Over

Despite the bad vibes right now, there’s plenty of hockey left to play. While it’s unlikely the team will ever get back to full strength — especially due to the nature of Barkov’s injury — there’s always a chance that if players like Tkachuk return at some point this season, the Panthers can get back on the horse and go on a run to complete the three-peat. After all, only five points separate Florida from being in third place in the Atlantic Division.

That’s what Sam Reinhart is hoping for, but in the meantime, he acknowledged that the team just has to win with the players it has on the ice right now.

“There’s some frustration, for sure,” Reinhart said after the loss to the Maple Leafs. “A lot of things have gone right for us over the last few years, and that certainly adds to it. We’ve been in this position before. It’s going to be the guys in the room and the guys that are healthy to get us out of it. The compete, the work, was there. We’re going to find a way to stick with it.”

Head coach Paul Maurice echoed a similar refrain, stating that “just staying with it is the most important thing.” He also mentioned that even though some key pieces aren’t on the ice, the team needs to get higher-end performances from the players who are. With the bad mojo surrounding the team at the moment, how that will come about is unclear.

What is clear, however, is that the Panthers just aren’t as fortunate this season. In the words of Maurice himself, “The puck’s not as friendly as it used to be.”