The Florida Panthers faced the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in three days, this time losing 3-2 in a shootout in Raleigh. Although Tuesday night's game was not as exciting as their meeting on Sunday, there are still a few things to talk about. Here are three takeaways from the Panthers' recent shootout loss to the Hurricanes.
Panthers goalie switch produces mixed results
Going into the 2026-27 season, many hockey experts wondered if Jacob Markström and Akira Schmid would be good enough to lead the Panthers on a deep playoff run. In a split game, both Markström and Schmid surrendered one goal apiece in regulation and made big saves, especially on the penalty kill. As the old saying goes, goalies have to be a team’s best penalty killers, and with a solid performance from both netminders, fans can take their finger off the panic button.
However, Schmid gave up the strangest goal on the first shot he faced as a Panther, and then gave up two shootout goals. Is it too early to judge his performance? Of course. He came in cold and did his job in regulation, keeping Florida in a tie and making some saves to get the game to the shootout. Considering Schmid hasn’t faced one-on-one competition outside of practice, this loss isn’t entirely on him.
Brady Tkachuk could smash his career-best totals this year
Yes, it is only preseason hockey, but Brady Tkachuk has five points in six periods as a Florida Panther. As an eight-year veteran, he’s been to the Stanley Cup playoffs before, but never played on a contender like the team he’s on right now. Sharing a dressing room with his brother must be a thrill of a lifetime, but what’s even more exciting is that he could be a point-per-game player in the regular season.
Back in 2022-23, he scored 35 goals and finished with 83 points in 82 games, the only time in his career he’s produced at a point-per-game pace of 1.01. There’s no way he continues at the torrid pace he’s begun the preseason at, but last year no one in the Panthers lineup scored more than 61 points. Moreover, it’s been more than two seasons since a Florida player had more than 81 points, giving Tkachuk a chance to have an outstanding debut season.
Should We Be Concerned About the Panthers’ Late Penalty Troubles?
Through six periods of preseason hockey, the Panthers have picked up 28 penalty minutes and given the Hurricanes eight power-play opportunities. Thankfully, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have only one goal on the man advantage, but Florida has taken five penalties in the third period and one in the shootout. They often say bad habits are hard to break, so in close games, will the Panthers keep it clean and not give opponents late opportunities?
Everyone knew, including head coach Paul Maurice, that this upcoming season is going to be wild and crazy, with both Tkachuk brothers roaming around the ice, alongside Sam Bennett, Radko Gudas, and Garnet Hathaway. But it’s Maurice’s job to ensure the team remains disciplined because there are teams out there who feast on the power play. Of course, it’s just preseason, and the players are still getting their bumps in, but when the games matter and valuable points are on the line, they need to be smarter in the final period.
Add us as a preferred source on Google