3 takeaways from Knights’ loss: Struggles during homestand continue — PHOTOS
Bruce Cassidy will concur that it’s not easy for teams to have three great periods for a complete 60 minutes, especially this early in the season.
The Golden Knights have had really good ones the last couple of games. There have been some bad ones, as well, that have swung the tide.
They had a strong third period for the second straight game and got to within one goal twice, but the Knights lost their third straight game 3-2 to the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night.
Center Tomas Hertl and left wing Ivan Barbashev scored in the third period to get the Knights within a goal on two occasions. Hertl scored 1:25 into the third to cut the deficit to 2-1, and Barbashev at 9:04 to make it 3-2.
But the Knights (7-4-4) couldn’t find the equalizer — unlike Saturday night in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks — and dropped to 1-3-1 during a seasonlong six-game homestand.
“When desperation mode comes in like it did the last two third periods the last two nights, then everybody’s good,” Cassidy said. “I think we’re a very resilient team that way and we’ll answer the bell. In those lulls, let’s have a little push so we don’t get behind by two.”
Goaltender Carl Lindbom made 17 saves and fell to 0-3-1 in his first four NHL starts. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 30 saves for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
Bobrovsky had a 17-save shutout against the Knights in a 3-0 win in Sunrise, Florida, on Oct. 25.
“It’s such a long season. It’s 15 of 82 games,” Hertl said. “Everybody knows it’s never a great 82-game season, but we have to figure it out because you need every point, because it’s always nice to have it because it’s tough to chase. But we have such a great team. We know what it takes.”
The Knights were without center William Karlsson, who is day to day with a lower-body injury.
Center Brett Howden filled in for Karlsson on the third line. Right wing Alexander Holtz skated on the fourth line in his first game since Oct. 31.
Florida (8-7-1) defeated the Knights for the sixth time in the last seven regular-season meetings dating back to the 2023 season, when the Knights defeated the Panthers in five games to win the Stanley Cup.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
1. Power play fails again
The Knights had a twofold opportunity early in the second period — a chance to tie the game while gaining momentum with a power play that’s gone ice cold the past few weeks.
Florida penalties by defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola 50 seconds apart gave the Knights a five-on-three for 1:10 just over six minutes into the frame.
The Knights had one shot attempt: a 42-foot shot from defenseman Shea Theodore that was wide of the net.
That was it. They failed to get a shot on goal on the two-man advantage. They were also called for offsides at the tail end.
A chorus of boos followed when the Panthers returned to even strength.
“We could’ve gotten momentum off that,” Cassidy said. “It’s five-on-three for a full minute. We should have been better than what we generated.”
Just over two minutes after that kill, the Panthers doubled their lead. Right wing Brad Marchand cut to the middle of the ice, deked defenseman Kaedan Korczak and finished with the backhand to make it 2-0 at 10:54.
The Knights went on the power play less than a minute later after Hertl’s goal thanks to an interference penalty on defenseman Jeff Petry. Once again, they failed to register a shot.
It ended early when Holtz was called for high-sticking at 4:09. Florida took advantage with a power-play goal from right wing Sam Reinhardt 45 seconds later to make it 3-1.
The Knights are 3-for-29 on the power play dating back to Oct. 20.
“It’s time for us on the power play to figure it out,” Hertl said. “It’s time to figure it out because we have too much skill to not look good on the power play.”
2. Lindbom searching for first win
It’s been a baptism-by-fire start to Lindbom’s NHL career. He’s faced dynamic offenses in Tampa Bay (twice), Colorado and now the defending champions.
The Panthers missing key players in captain Aleksander Barkov and right wing Matthew Tkachuk didn’t matter. Florida has built through its depth and skating ability the past two seasons.
Lindbom looked shaky early but settled in, especially when the Panthers crowded the crease. But it was a long-range shot from Panthers left wing Jesper Boqvist that got past Lindbom with 5:13 left in the first period for the game’s first goal.
Well out of his crease, Lindbom had to hurry back but was caught in too much traffic before settling back in.
The other two goals — a strong individual effort by Marchand and a tipped goal by Reinhardt — would be tough to stop for most veterans.
3. Failed to protect home ice
The best the Knights can finish with this homestand is five of a possible 12 points with a win Thursday against the New York Islanders.
Even without captain Mark Stone and goaltender Adin Hill available, it’s below expectations for the team to finish below .500 on an extended stretch at T-Mobile Arena.
The Knights will have five of their next six after Thursday on the road before returning home the week of Thanksgiving for four more at home.
“It’s all 20 guys every night. It can’t be just one line,” Hertl said. “We’ll figure it out. We just showed how to play the last periods the last two games, but we have to start like that and dominate the game from the puck drop and teams have to know they will have no fun here.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
