SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers are hoping a couple days of preparation at home will get them back on track in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Cats return to South Florida trailing 2-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
It was a rough couple of games for Florida, as they were outscored 12-4 at T-Mobile Arena.
In the days since, the Panthers have hit the books, and the ice, and are ready to make this a series.
“We did some video, some study, we know what to do to help us,” said defenseman Brandon Montour. “We’ve played some offensive teams so far and have maintained it, so just get back to what our strengths are and be ready for them.”
Examining the first two games, there are several areas you can point to and say this needs to be better.
Giving up too much off the rush has been a problem, but so has the penalty kill.
Staying out of the box would go a long way toward helping that element, but as we’ve seen throughout the season, and the playoffs, that’s a whole nother issue.
Overall, the Cats know they need to be better, and it starts on the back line.
“As a team, just being sharp and paying more attention to the defensive side of the puck, and being opportunistic when we get our chances,” said defenseman Marc Staal. “I think we have a lot to fall back on against a lot of really good offensive teams, and we’ve handled that very well. We expect to do that again.”