Ten is the magic number for the Florida Panthers road win streak. The Cats have become the 11th team in NHL history to achieve such a feat.
A Look Into The Florida Panthers Road Win Streak
Twas The Week Before Christmas
December 18th. The last time the Florida Panthers lost while wearing their away sweaters was seven days before Christmas. One would think those jerseys have been washed since the Florida Panthers win streak started. Whatever lucky charm may be behind their current form, Panthers fans hope it is never left behind. Tradition, luck, ceremonies, rituals. Call it as you wish, but they can only take a team so far. The Paul Maurice-led Cats have a couple more tricks up their sleeve, and no other franchise seems to be able to decode them.
All-Star Break Fuel
Every season, teams both fear or look forward to the NHL’s All-Star Weekend. Not necessarily because of the thrill of watching the stars compete in all sorts of games and drills. But mainly because this bye week in February can either make or break a hockey team. Some clubs collapse and others rise from the ashes like a Phoenix. The St. Louis Blues 2018-19 season is the best testament to such a statement. The Panthers, however, are no strangers to similar accolades. Last season the Cats were on a roll following the All-Star game (which coincidence or not was hosted in Sunrise, Florida). That momentum was what got the Panthers to their second Stanley Cup Final appearance, beating the odds on every single series through the Eastern Conference. To call them ‘underdogs’ would be an understatement.
This time seems to be no different. The Panthers are once again showing no signs of relaxation. The foot is on the gas and there are no stop signs on the Cats road ahead. Nor are any intentions of letting go of the pedal. Ask the Tampa Bay Lightning if the Panthers ever pumped the brakes on their recent thrashing at Amalie Arena. Nine consecutive goals on a game where Tampa jumped onto an early lead just 24 seconds in. The Florida Panthers road win streak was not the result of a favorable schedule. They have beaten good teams and done so in a dominant fashion.
Consistency Is Key
Whoever said cats are home pets never caught hold of the Cats down in South Florida. Because these felines simply do not care about which logo is painted on center-ice, they just play hockey. And they do so arguably better than every other team in the country. And maybe even beyond the Canadian border. The Panthers have been a consistent, gritty, yet at times flashy team for some years now. However, they tended to come out flat-footed in certain rinks and dig themselves holes too big for them to crawl out of. Those times seem to be long gone. The Panthers are contenders now, and contenders come out ready to play, night in and night out. Whether it is on the Pacific Coast, at a college hockey rink in Arizona, or in an arena near Niagara Falls, the Panthers will bring their A-game.
Goaltending may be the position most linked to the term ‘consistency’. Luckily for Florida, both their goalies are to be trusted and are big reasons for the team’s success, both at home and away. Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz have played lights out. Almost as if in competition with each other on who makes the best save or the most. Stolarz posted an impressive 45-save shutout in the Panthers 4-0 win at Buffalo. Whereas ‘Bob’ has been as sharp as he was in last year’s postseason. Panthers fans do not have to break a sweat anymore on who gets the nod at the net.
Goals All Across The Lineup
The current Florida Panthers road win streak can also be linked to a decrease in Sam Reinhart‘s goals. However, it may be for the better. When one door closes, another tends to crack open. If anything, the reason for Reinhart’s goal production slowing down may be his teammates’ goal production increase. The All-Star winger has been sensational and at times single-handedly boosted the Panthers power play numbers and stats. Fortunately, the Panthers have now unlocked a great form in Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk who bolstered the Cats scoring and have made them almost unstoppable.
TKACHUK ? TKACHING ? pic.twitter.com/eSAknuVjwb
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 19, 2024
During the first half of the season, the main concern around this team was the lack of scoring in every other line number 13 was not playing in. The Panthers seem to finally have cracked the code and are finding ways to get everybody on their lineup in the scoring sheet. Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Jonah Gadjovich, and Kevin Stenlund are some of the pieces Paul Maurice has finally gotten to work and reasons for the Cats’ success. On the defensive side, Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour are back on their scoring ways.
Special Teams: The Backbone Of The Streak
It may sound like a cliché and it may actually be one. It is still a big truth in the hockey world: special teams matter. The Florida Panthers are currently one of the top teams in the NHL, in both PP% and PK%. Of course, it does not tell the full story, but it gives a great idea of it. The penalty kill has been tested and passed with flying colours when facing PP units as good as Tampa Bay’s, Vegas’, and Colorado’s, just to name a few. What is even better than shutting down great opposing power plays? Scoring in bunches when facing good penalty kills. The Cats have done both. The power play’s top unit consisting of Tkachuk, Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Montour, and Verhaeghe have been top of the notch. So good they even tried out a 3rd unit in which Ryan Lomberg scored his first PP goal of his career.
Tallying three power-play goals tonight at TBL, including two from Matthew Tkachuk, the @flapanthers have now scored a PPG in 10 consecutive games, tying their franchise record (10GP from Nov. 1-21, 2018).
— Florida Panthers PR (@FlaPanthersPR) February 18, 2024
Hungry For More
We get it. The Panthers are really good. The fans know it, the players and coaching staff know it, and most importantly, the NHL knows it, and everybody has been put on notice. The Panthers can enjoy the spotlight that they have rightfully earned, but they are certainly not content with it. They are eager for more. Last season they proved they belong with the elite of ice hockey. Can they finally seal the deal this time around? The goal is clear. But it is paramount for everybody to stay focused and not take anything for granted. Make the playoffs. Once you are in, Lord Stanley is up for grabs for anybody. Believe it: the Florida Panthers are well aware of that.
Main Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
