The Florida Panthers may play in front of a lot of empty seats, they may lose a lot of money, and they may have even eclipsed the Arizona Coyotes in terms of relocation speculation.
But you know what?
The Panthers are actually playing some decent hockey these days.
Florida (4-2-3) enters tonight’s contest in Boston riding a two-game winning streak and on a six-game points streak. While no team has played fewer times than the Panthers (9), it’s still worth mentioning that no team has fewer regulation losses than their two.
The shot-stopping of goalie Roberto Luongo has been a major factor in Florida’s early success, as the 35-year-old has compiled an impressive .933 save percentage in eight starts. The Panthers are also among the league’s top possession teams, even if it needs to be noted they’ve only played three opponents that made the playoffs last season.
Besides goaltending, Florida also boasts a decent collection of blue-liners, including first overall pick Aaron Ekblad, who’s logged 21:25 per game while paired with veteran Brian Campbell.
In a recent interview with a Winnipeg radio station (audio), Panthers owner Doug Cifu said Ekblad “looks like the second coming of Ray Bourque.”
Granted, we’re not sure making statements like that is the best way to manage expectations, but Ekblad has looked pretty good for an 18-year-old.
The Panthers’ next 10 games...
...should provide a good test for this team.
Related: Luongo says ‘we need to start winning some games’ for Panthers’ attendance to improve