With the same straightforward efficiency as he puts pucks in the net, Aleksander Barkov summed up the maddening habit that has driven this Florida Panthers season into a ditch.
The Panthers had just let yet another winnable game turn into an agonizing loss Tuesday against Carolina on Jeff Skinner’s tiebreaking goal with 3:55 remaining. Barkov, the top-line center, let it be known that he and his teammates are as mystified as everyone watching.
“I don’t know how many games we’ve lost in the last five minutes,” Barkov said. “We’ve been leading almost every game the last two months and then we find a way to lose them. I don’t know, it’s unbelievable.”
The 4-3 loss was the Panthers’ 11th in 14 games since they had played their way into playoff position by sweeping a five-game road trip last month.
After Tuesday, they were closer to last in the Eastern Conference (seven points) than to a playoff spot (eight points). With 10 games remaining, there’s little left to do but analyze what went wrong.
Recurring defensive lapses are at the top of the list.
“I think we get a little too puck-focused once in a while and we forget about the guys coming in from behind into dangerous areas, and that’s what’s been hurting us the most,” interim coach Tom Rowe said following Wednesday’s practice at the BB&T Center.
That was the case on the decisive goal as young defensemen Alex Petrovic and Michael Matheson were drawn to Derek Ryan working the puck through the left circle. That left Skinner open to take Ryan’s pass on the doorstep, and the Panthers with egg on their face again.
Three times the Panthers took one-goal leads in the game, only to give up the tying goal soon after each time.
The inability to maintain an advantage has been a common thread in three games this season against the relentless Hurricanes. The Panthers let 2-0 leads vanish in the other two games – former coach Gerard Gallant was fired after the first ended in a loss; they salvaged a shootout win in the second game.
“Obviously, we’ve allowed that to happen too much,” Matheson said. “The more it happens, then the next time you’re in that situation it’s kind of in the back of your head that we can’t make that mistake again. And you start squeezing your stick a little too much, start trying to do someone else’s job and then you’re leaving your job open.
“I don’t think it’s any bit of lack of effort or lack of concentration. Everyone wants to win and everyone has been working really hard throughout the entire year. It’s tough and it’s definitely frustrating.”
Making strides
Frustration aside, Rowe singled out Matheson as one of the bright spots in a disappointing season.
In his first full season, the former Boston College captain has averaged 20:48 of ice time. That was boosted by becoming an integral part of the Panthers’ NHL-best penalty killing unit.
“He’s been very good with his stick, which has been one of the areas he’s improved the most on,” Rowe said. “He breaks up a lot of plays before they even get started. Obviously, he’s become one of the better penalty killers that we have.”
Matheson is also one of the most mobile of the Panthers on the blue line. His skating and stick-handling ability will lead to more offensive production as his game evolves, Rowe said.
This season, in 71 games, Matheson has 5 goals and 15 points. His 166 shots rank fourth on the Panthers, only one fewer than forward Jonathan Marchessault who leads the team with 23 goals.
“Is he going to be like [Keith] Yandle and get 40, 50 points a year? I kind of doubt it. We’re looking at him as a shutdown guy that can skate, and he will create offense off of his skating alone,” Rowe said.
“The other area that he’s really gotten better at is moving the puck. In Portland last year [in the AHL] he would turn those pucks over quite a bit. Now he’s making a lot of great plays that he didn’t make last year.”
Malgin practices
Forward Denis Malgin was back at practice Wednesday, alternating on the third line, having recovered from a concussion March 11 at Tampa Bay.
In the same game that Aaron Ekblad also suffered a concussion, Malgin was hip-checked into the boards by the Lightning’s Anton Stralman near the Panthers bench.
“I saw him, I was thinking I was faster than him but he caught me. It was the beginning of the glass; I hit the side of my head,” Malgin said. “That wasn’t fun, but I’m happy that it just went one week. [I’m] feeling very good right now. “
