Cote: Thud! Panthers’ goals run ends in 3-0 loss as 3-1 series lead over Carolina hits road | Opinion
They’re human. The Florida Panthers were overdue this kind of game.
A lackluster performance. Trouble getting off a shot, let alone scoring. A home crowd muted.
A loss.
“I have a job to do to get them to play a certain way,” coach Paul Maurice said afterward. “I don’t think I got that done.”
“We were not at our best,” understated captain Aleksander Barkov.
The Panthers entered Game 4 Monday night having scored five-plus goals in four straight playoff games — only the fourth such NHL streak in the past 30 years. They’d outscored Carolina 16-4 the first three games. Outscored opponents 30-8 the previous six playoff games. It was a surreal run.
It couldn’t last. And it didn’t.
Florida’s 3-0 home loss in Game 4 shaved the Panthers’ East finals lead to 3-1 entering Game 5 in Raleigh Wednesday night.
Teams leading a series 3-1 in NHL history have won 91 percent of the time, or 323 times of 355 instances.
Still, the Cats were denied a sweep as the Canes made at least a semblance of a series out of it, though still facing two elimination games. Florida, before Monday, had been 3-0 all-time in closeout games with a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
The Prince of Wales trophy, the prize for winning the Eastern Conference, was in the house Monday, waiting to be celebrated.
It would not be brought onto the home ice.
Likewise, my own plans to look ahead to a Stanley Cup Final vs. either Edmonton in a rematch or vs. Dallas — well, that’s on hold for at least a day or two as well.
Florida still needs one more victory to reach a third straight Final in search of a second straight NHL championship.
The intrigue of a seven-game series is that the narrative can pivot on every result. I still love Florida’s chances. But if Game 5 gets away and it’s back in the Sunrise rink up only 3-2 ... does the pressure shift?
Maurice’s steady demeanor will help now.
“He knows how to really take the temperature of the group,” said Seth Jones. “He can have a meeting where he’s very intense, but he’s also very good at throwing a joke in there or a funny clip when we’re doing video. He doesn’t get too high or too low based on situations.”
Also, importantly, Florida should be healthier in Game 5. Big-scorer Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer all missed the loss with minor injuries but Maurice said all three skated Tuesday and “that’s what we were hoping for.”
No excuse for Monday, though, even with the injuries. The team that could not be stopped lately was impressively shut down by a Carolina team that seemed to finally find its game and its desperation.
Carolina led in shots 10-7 in a scoreless first period and had slightly the better of play. Florida’s shot total was meager as the Cats had troubling getting anywhere close to the net.
The Hurricanes led 1-0 mid-second — their first lead of the series — on a Logan Stankoven snap shot over Sergei Bobrovsky’s right shoulder off a Seth Jones giveaway.
“Nice to get a lead and play on our toes instead of our heels,” Stankoven said. “We have to bring that swagger each game.”
Through two periods the Canes led in shots on goal 23-12, but in prime scoring chances, 19-6, and in high-danger chances, 9-2. Bobrovsky was keeping the game as close as it was.
It was 2-0, Canes, early in the third period — but not for long. A coach’s challenge for offsides was upheld and the goal was scrubbed.
Still, the Panthers had to find a scoring touch somewhere, from someone.
The team that led the NHL with 18 different players scoring a goal this postseason could not buy one Monday night.
And the team that had lost 15 consecutive East finals games finally won one.
Carolina made the final score on empty-netter with 2:11 to play and another soon after.
The Panthers were a step slow all night, could not get traffic around the Canes’ net.
“A little hesitant,” Sam Bennett described the Panthers’ play.
And Florida’s power play sans Reinhart was 0-for-4 and is now 0-for-8 the past two games. This was a night when that man advantage was truly needed but not cashed.
“Our power play right now is slightly disjointed,” said Maurice.
It was jarring to see after the recent high-scoring run.
“You learn more from losing than from winning,” Maurice always says.
Asked what if anything he was happy with Monday night, he said, “I am exceptionally happy with the learning opportunity. There’s consistent things in games we don’t love.”
Florida entering Monday night was 40-20 in the past three postseasons.
The Panthers had been leaving a trail of others’ tears across the NHL.
The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins were left wondering what they need to do.
The rival Tampa Bay Lighting, vanquished 4-1 in the first round, were reminded their time is over.
Toronto, out in the second round despite a 2-0 series lead, has Maple Leafs fans waking up angry, their team president let-go, and plans in place to bust up their core-four nucleus.
Carolina and coach Rod Brind’Amour had zero answers this series, his Hurricanes turned into a Soft Breeze prior to Monday night.
Meanwhile the Panthers’ had been so stressed lately that the biggest media story of this round was whether Brad Marchand was eating Dairy Queen ice cream between periods in Game 3 ... and what flavor was it!?
Turned out Marchand was just havin’ some fun. It turned out to be a spoonful of honey.
No such levity is expected now as the Panthers -- finally beaten, finally humbled -- head back to Raleigh.
This story was originally published May 26, 2025 at 10:46 PM.
