Florida Panthers drop Game 1 to Tampa Bay, 4-1. Time for Huberdeau and Barkov to step up | Opinion
One was born in 1992, the other one year after. Both are all grown now, but sibling rivalries never end. Do they?
One is still Big Brother, the other is still The Kid. It has almost always been thus.
That is what Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning is all about in this NHL second-round playoff series that began Tuesday night on the Cats’ ice in Sunrise.
Will the dynamic finally change? Is the younger of the two ready to stand up at last and say, “No more, bro.”
It is time.
Isn’t it?
It wasn’t Tuesday in Game 1. Six more chances to prove it is time, and four of those must be victories.
The Panthers squandered an early lead in a 4-1 home loss to Tampa Bay to commence this Sunshine State grudge match, and this time, there was no late mojo or magic from the Comeback Cats.
Tampa ousted Florida in six games in last year’s playoffs and this was not the home start the Panthers needed.
The Panthers have now lost nine consecutive Game 1s. Any way they can start with Game 2?
A 1-0 series hole is hardly too deep for a Panthers team that had the best record in the NHL and led the league in scoring.
Then again, the opponent this time is Big Brother, and the two-time reigning champion going for the first triple-title run since the New York Islanders did four in a row in 1980-83.
This is not a time to panic.
But it is time for a call to arms, to action.
Dear Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov:
Please join the playoffs at your earliest convenience. You are the team’s best players and most dynamic goal producers. By a lot. You both have been quiet thus far through seven postseason games, quiet by your tall standards.
The first round vs. Washington was won despite limited contribution from Huberdeau and Barkov.
This one will not be.
Time to lead. Time to score.
The Miami Heat have Jimmy Butler, rising right nnow, when it matters most.
The Panthers need that of Huberdeau and Barkov -- their Jimmy Butlers.
Huberdeau scored a club-record 115 points in the regular season, second in the league., but had a quiet first round with one goal and two assists. It was a big reason Florida struggled on the power play.
He led the team with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in last year’s playoffs vs. Tampa. He was fourth in the NHL with 38 power play points this season.
The Cats need that Huberdeau to reappear.
And the Barkov who had a personal best 39 goals this season.
They also need a fast solution to what has been a nightmare special teams performance this postseason.
Tuesday the Lightning scored three power plays goals and the Panthers none.
Through seven playoff games Florida is now 0-for-21 on power plays while giving up eight such goals to opponents.
Florida dominated 5-on-5 in Game 1. Small consolation.
Panthers coach Andrew Brunette seemed rather upbeat for a guy whose team had just lost Game 1 at home 4-1.
“For about 35 minutes I really liked our game,” he said. “We did a lot of good things 5 on 5. I was happy with our game. It’s the little things [Tampa does] so well. It’s special teams, all these things they excel at. We’ll be better next game.”
Cats had the better of the first period Tuesday and a 1-0 lead on Anthony Duclair’s in-close finish 14:01 in on service from Brandon Montour and Jonathan Huberdeau. It was redemption for Duclair, who’d been scratched from Game 6 in the first round.
Cats had two efficient penalty kills in the opening third, the first when MacKenzie Weegar was sent off for tripping 27 seconds into the game -- antithesis of the discipline the coach had been preaching and calling for.
Then the penalty box came to haunt the Panthers, a familiar refrain after the opening series vs. Washington saw Florida 0-for-18 on power plays and giving up five such goals to the Capitals.
This time Tampa went even at 1-1 on Corey Perry shot off a Nikita Kucherov pass with Weegar again the culprit and in the box.
Florida had two power plays of it own in the second period -- one very briefly a 4-on-3 -- but could do nothing of either.
Lightning struck for a 2-1 lead on an even-handed goal by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, from Perry, 3:35 into the third period.
And once again the Comeback Cats would need more of that rally mojo.
The Panthers led the NHL with 29 comeback wins in the regular season and had three more to turn around the Washington series.
A dangerous well to visit too much.
The horn blast said the Cats tied it 2-2 on another Duclair goal with 8:09 left, this on a power play, but a smart Tampa challenge and replays proved it was no goal and was disallowed.
“Our coaching staff told us right away it was not a goal,” said Duclair.
Tampa then put it away at 3-1 with a Kucherov score -- and a second on the power play.
And made it 4-1 with 2:16 left on a Ross Colton shot -- and the third power play of the night.
“The intensity level goes up an umpteenth amount,” Florida coach Andrew Brunette had said after Tuesday’s midday skate. “As the series goes on you hate each other more and more.”
The intensity only grows from here.
For the Panthers. it had better.
For Huberdeau and Barkov, it had better.
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 9:59 PM.
