For days leading up to Wednesday night's clash with the Ottawa Senators, every story about the Florida Panthers centered around Brady Tkachuk's return to his old stomping grounds. Of course, he didn't disappoint, scoring the game's first goal and being involved in almost every scrum in between whistles. However, the rest of the Panthers disappointed in a 5-1 loss, their worst defeat of the 2026-27 season. So, let's not sugarcoat anything here.
Claw: Brady Tkachuk
For eight seasons, Tkachuk wore a Senators sweater, serving as their captain for five. In late June, he found himself traded to the Panthers, and after a very slow start, he has become the team's hottest goal scorer with seven lamplighters in just his last four games. Considering the media attention surrounding his return to Ottawa, it was only fitting that he tallied the game's first goal. He also wasn't afraid to get physical with his former teammates, showing that friendships would take a back seat once the puck dropped.
Flaw: Akira Schmid
The Panthers are going to be in trouble for the next two weeks, since Jacob Markström is back on the shelf for the second time this season. The Swedish netminder left Monday's practice, and head coach Paul Maurice said he'll be out 10-14 days, leaving the crease duties to Akira Schmid. Before Wednesday's game, he was 2-1-1 but with miserable-looking numbers, which include a 3.25 GAA and .878 SV%. Thrust into the starting role, Schmid surrendered five goals to the Senators, potentially opening the door for Cooper Black to start against Pittsburgh on Thursday. Regardless of who starts the upcoming games, Florida's temporary No. 1 goaltender certainly didn't look the part in prime time.
Claw: The Panthers’ feistiness
For the past few seasons, the Panthers have usually been one of the toughest teams to play in the NHL. Most of the guys are no strangers to visiting the penalty box, and over the summer, Bill Zito went out to make Florida even tougher to play. After 10 games, the club is pacing the league in penalty minutes with 159 total, including 44 against the Senators. Despite spending plenty of time shorthanded, Florida's penalty killers limited Ottawa to one goal on seven opportunities. Everyone knew going into this game it was going to be a tense situation, and at least the boys were amped up and never backed down from any challenges.
Flaw: Swedish goalies
As mentioned, Markström wasn’t in the lineup for the Panthers and won’t be for the next week and a half. Unfortunately, fans missed an opportunity to see two veteran Swedish goaltenders face one another, as former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark started for Ottawa. After giving up just one goal on 18 shots, he had to leave the game with an apparent lower-body injury, playing only 43:35. Thankfully, another Swede, Samuel Ersson, came in and made one save over the final 16:25 he played. However, it was a rough week for Swedish goaltenders over 30, as both Markström and Ullmark suffered injuries within days of one another.
What’s next for the Panthers?
At least there’s not much time to dwell on Wednesday’s lackluster performance, since the Panthers are on the ice at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh for a clash with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Thursday night. Then, on Sunday, Florida visits the Windy City for a matchup against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.
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