For starters, the Panthers are not good ones.

It has been eight seasons since Florida has been above .500 after 10 games. The same amount of time has passed since the last time the Panthers were above .500 after the first two months of the season.

The 2-7-1 start to this season is the Panthers' worst since the 2000-01 season when Florida started 1-6-3-3.

Over an 82-game season, such a start wouldn't be of overwhelming concern -- except when you factor in the team's history.

``I can guarantee almost every team in the league is going to go through a 10-game period like we've just gone through,'' Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said. ``Unfortunately, ours is right at the start, but it's magnified with the history here of our starts to the season.

``We were here in the same spot at the 20-game mark last season and dug ourselves out of it.''

For the Panthers to dig themselves out of this season's hole, the team has to clean up its game.

``Hockey is a very interesting sport,'' defenseman Jordan Leopold said. ``It's a game of mistakes, as probably every sport is, you try to limit those mistakes and they have gotten the best of us for the first 10 games of the season. Obviously, you look at the positives and try to take positives from it, but also we have to look at the negative, too, and figure out why we are giving up opportunities when we are.''

The Panthers also are going to have to get on track without a couple of injured key players -- David Booth (concussion) and Radek Dvorak (knee), who are both expected to miss two to three weeks.

``We are good for periods and then we have lapses like [Wednesday against Ottawa] when we gave up two goals in 40 seconds, which ended up being the game,'' Panthers center Stephen Weiss said.

``We don't have room for error like some teams do with [Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin] that can go out and get four or five points a night. We're going to have to do it as a group.''

TAFFE CALLED UP

The Panthers recalled center Jeff Taffe from the team's AHL affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., to replace the injured Dominic Moore. Moore did not accompany the team on its trip to Dallas because he needed nasal surgery after breaking his nose last Saturday night in the loss at Philadelphia.

The Panthers hope Moore will be back Wednesday against Carolina. Moore had a full cage on his helmet against Ottawa on Wednesday.

Taffe, 28, was waived by the Panthers during the team's trip to Finland and was assigned to Rochester. He has four goals and three assists in nine games with the Americans.

Taffe has played in 153 NHL games, including 53 over the past two seasons with the Penguins.

McARDLE'S GAME

DeBoer had praise for the play of Panthers 2005 No. 1 draft pick Kenndal McArdle on Wednesday night against the Senators.

``He gave us what he needs to give us,'' DeBoer said. ``He gave us some energy, almost scored a goal. He got in a scrap. We need that type of desperation in our lineup.

``The saying I use with the young players when they come up is, `Don't let me take you out of the lineup.' I think he played a game last night that it's hard to remove a guy from the lineup that plays a game like that.''

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