SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers were back on the ice at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday hoping to turn the series around after losing Game 2 in blowout fashion (7-2) to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
The team, which gave up only six goals in the entire series against Carolina, has allowed 12 goals in the first two games against the Golden Knights.
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Local 10 News spoke with Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov who said the team is not lacking any confidence despite being down 2-0 in the series.
“We’ve just got to work a little harder, got to work a little smarter and find a way to win games,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself always and no matter if it’s the regular season or even training camp or playoffs, but I like that little pressure on myself. That’s when I get the best out of me.”
Florida Panthers Coach Paul Maurice said he saw some positives in the desert in spite of the two losses.
When asked if he needed more out of his top players, like Matthew Tkachuk, Maurice jokingly asked if the reporter thought he needed more 10-minute misconduct penalties.
“Like more misconducts? I think he’s got that covered pretty good,” Maurice joked.
Tkachuk has sat in the penalty box for 36 minutes in the series, an area that he will look to improve on.
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It wasn’t all about hockey during Wednesday’s practice as Panthers Defenseman Brandon Montour was asked about his son, Kai, who was born only hours after Game 1 ended around 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday,
“I was there at 6:30 a.m. and we were joking. As soon as I got there, it was straight to work for her, not me,” Montour said.
Montour’s son was born around noon Eastern Time, and he was back in Las Vegas later that evening ready to play in Game 2.
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Panthers Coach Paul Maurice says center Eetu Luostarinen, who was hurt during the Carolina series, is still not able to return.
Maurice said he expects defenseman Radko Gudas to play in Game 3 after taking a reverse hit in the first period from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev in Game 2.
The puck is set to drop from FLA Live Arena at 8 p.m. Thursday,