TAMPA -- Tomas Vokoun knows as the goalie of the Panthers, it would be easy to put the blame for Florida's poor start on his shoulders. After all, the team has won just one of five games with him in goal this season.

``There's a downside to being a goalie and a good side,'' he said after Monday's 3-2 loss to the Lightning. ``You are there to make a difference and there's nobody to help you. If you make a mistake, it's a goal. A lot of players can make 20 mistakes or 10 mistakes during a game and nothing happens.''

It would be easy to blame Vokoun. No, he hasn't stolen a game yet -- although his 52-save performance in the opening-night win was very impressive. But the Panthers haven't done much to help their goalie. The Panthers are struggling in every facet of the game.

Since the team's stirring opening-night shootout win against Chicago in Helsinki, Finland, on Oct. 2, the Panthers either have not given much of an effort (Game 2 against the Blackhawks), made one mistake after another (Carolina), got skated around (New Jersey) or had plenty of chances and just got beat (Tampa Bay).

Vokoun held a lead Monday at Tampa Bay and gave up a bad goal to Martin St. Louis that tied the score in the third period. But the Panthers couldn't find a way to score more than two goals on the Lightning and have scored three goals only once. That's more a reason why they lost than Vokoun surrendering a goal.

Before Monday's game, coach Pete DeBoer was asked about the team's poor offensive performance. Add in a defense giving up too many chances, a power play that rarely scores and a penalty kill that has been scored on 30 percent of the time, and it's plain to see that blame surrounds the entire team. Very few players are immune from this start.

``Everything is wrong,'' DeBoer said with a laugh.

Florida's top line, the one the Panthers are counting on for so much of their offense, is creating chances but not goals. David Booth scored in the opener but not since. Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton each have a power-play goal and that's it.

The second line has been a complete disappointment, with Cory Stillman and Steve Reinprecht ineffective and sometimes just invisible. Michael Frolik has both of that line's two goals. The third line, supposedly the team's checkers and grinders, has been the team's best, although it has accounted for only two goals -- one of which Radek Dvorak scored short-handed Monday.

Florida's defensemen, who contributed offensively last season, have accounted for seven assists. The six who have played most are a combined minus-12.

Going into Tuesday's games, Florida is ranked third from last in the league with an average of 1.77 goals per game.

``It's way too early for me to be looking at stats, looking for trends after the schedule we've had and what we've had to go through,'' DeBoer said. ``I don't think we're getting a true read on where we're at and because of that, I'm not panicking. It's a long season.''

DeBoer gave the team Tuesday off, apparently hoping an extra day of rest after the team's strenuous travel schedule would be beneficial. Since the return from Europe, the Panthers have scored just six goals in three games.

The Panthers last went 1-4 in 2000, and that team finished with 60 points, the worst in franchise history. This team has time to turn things around, but getting just two points out of the first 10 available might end up costing them.

``It's tough, but [Monday] was a good game for our confidence,'' Dvorak said. ``We didn't play the way we wanted to in the first four games. I think we showed more confidence with the puck and were making plays.''

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