The 2021-22 Florida Panthers are off to a 5-0 start for the first time in franchise history. Undefeated through the beginning of the season, they have never looked better. Besides having outstanding goaltending and great defensive play, the Florida Panthers’ high-powered offence might be the best in the league.
Florida’s High-Flying Offence
Every season, teams must start on a high note. Winning the first game of your season is an excellent way to start. Winning your first five, even better. Besides the Edmonton Oilers, the Panthers are the only other team in the NHL that has yet to lose a game. At the same time, they came close during their run-in with the surprisingly good Pittsburgh Penguins team. Cooler heads prevailed when Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner off a feed from Aleksander Barkov.
At this point, most people, if not all, have seen the standings and watched the expert analysts speak on how the Panthers are one of the best teams in the league, with Sergei Bobrovsky turning it around compared to last season. And Spencer Knight continues to live up to the hype that surrounds them. Yet, none of that matters if you cannot put the puck in the back of the opposing net.
Luckily for Florida, they have had no issues with this assignment. The Florida Panthers offence is off to an incredible start with no signs of slowing down. They are scoring at least four goals in the first five games while outscoring all five of their opponents 22-9.
Florida Panthers Depth Scoring
Unlike a few other sports, one player cannot and will not take you all the way. Just ask Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby. In order to win, you have to surround yourself with the right group of people who have the same end goal in mind. For the Panthers, this is by far the best and most dedicated group they have had.
The Florida Panthers’ offence indeed has been outstanding. Currently third in the league in goals for with 22, this production is coming from all over the line-up. With 17 different players scoring so far, 13 of them have more than one point. In contrast, nine of those players have four points or more.
Besides the usual duo of Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau leading the way, some other players have found their scoring groove with this team. Whether it is from leading goal scorer Sam Bennett or rookie phenom Anton Lundell, the Panthers can and will score night in and out. The line that has been the most impressive has been the “third” line of Sam Reinhart, Mason Marchment, and Lundell—combining for 13 points, four goals and nine assists. Some might argue this line has taken over as one of the best third lines in all hockey right now.
Looking Down the Road
Now, we have a long way to go. Only five games into the season, quite literally anything can happen to turn this around. While they show no signs of slowing down, never say never. Through the course of an 82-game season, there will be highs and lows of all kinds. This will test the forwards and the team, causing plenty of adversity. But, like any other Stanley Cup-winning team, adversity is part of the road to the Stanley Cup.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
