Same As It Ever Was For Florida

For a recap of Tuesday’s 4-3 OT loss to the Edmonton Oilers, I could easily link to any number of the Florida Panthers twelve total losses because it followed a familiar pattern: A two-goal, third period deficit overcome with a late rally, only to lose in overtime.

A small twist in the script was that the Cats were able to score the first goal. Marcel Goc’s snipe midway through the first put the Panthers up 1-0 through the first. Following the Florida tally, another familiar trend reared its ugly head: opposing players getting their first goal of the season (and in their career) against the Panthers. Philip Larsen tallied his first of the season with three minutes in the first to tie a game that the Panthers seemed to have under control.

In the second, first career goals from Mark Arcabello and Taylor Fedun (playing in his first career game) 33 seconds apart put the Panthers in the familiar two-goal hole.

This time, the Florida rally came from the unlikeliest of sources. Scottie Upshall had his best game in three seasons in Florida as he scored twice in the third, including the game tying goal with 57.6 seconds left.

To complete things, Arcabello cashed in an Upshall tripping penalty with less than two minutes gone in overtime, sending the Panthers to their sixth consecutive loss.

There are three teams below Florida in the league standings and, with this loss, the Panthers have lost to all of them. Two of those losses have come at home. At this point, what can you even say? The Oilers had come in having been shutout in their previous two games and put three behind Jacob Markstrom 23 minutes into the game. It’s bad enough that the better teams get their work for their backup netminders against this team but now they seem to be the cure for what’s ailing the not-so-good teams. Something needs to happen and quickly or the Panthers won’t have to worry about losing to teams below them in the standings because they’ll be in 30th.

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