5 TAKEAWAYS: Flyers 4, Panthers 3

Coming up just short for the second straight game, the Florida Panthers closed out their two-game road trip with a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.
Sitting at 4-3-1, the Panthers sit in second place in the Atlantic Division.
"There's a couple of things we have to fix, but they didn't relate to pucks in our net," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said after the loss. "It's all mentality. It's all mindset. We slowed slightly. We didn't get outplayed at that point, but we came off it slightly just trying to find a different way to do it, but then we got back on it in the third. It's a tough loss, but well played."
For a quick recap of the game, click
HERE
.
To read up on five key takeaways for the Cats, continue below.

1. FORSLING FINDS TWINE

In the absence of Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling continues to step up.
Breaking the ice in Philadelphia, the smooth-skating blueliner gave the Panthers an early lead when his shot from the point slipped past Carter Hart to make it 1-0 just 3:41 into the first period.

"I think everyone is contributing," Forsling said. "We've got to get it to the D and get some shots and then puts some pucks in the net. … Everyone is stepping up without Ekky."
Looking to build off a breakout 2021-22 in which he set new career-highs in goals (10), assists (27) and points (37), Forsling has already registered six points (two goals, four assists) in eight games this season. Averaging 23:51 of ice time, he's also posted eight hits and nine blocked shots.

2. MORE FOR MAHURA

Josh Mahura has clearly found a home in South Florida.
From the waiver wire to catching fire, the up-and-coming defenseman regained the lead for the Panthers in the first period when he chased down a rebound and beat Hart with a short-side snipe from a sharp angle to make it 2-1 at 7:58.

Finding success in his new surroundings, Mahura has lit the lamp twice in eight games and needs just one more goal to match the career-high three he scored in 38 games with the Anaheim Ducks in 2021-22.
Over the 69:31 that Mahura and Radko Gudas have been on the ice together, the Panthers have led 92-40 in shot attempts, 48-23 in shots on goal and, most important, 7-3 in goals.

3. MONTOUR HAS POWER

The Panthers could finally exhale a bit after this one.
Netting their first goal on the power play since Oct. 15, Brandon Montour trimmed the deficit down to 4-3 when he backhanded a rebound past Hart just 36 seconds into the third period.

"I thought we had some good looks," Montour said. "Clean looks. I'd like us to be a little quicker still. We're still trying to make a little too perfect of plays. We've got some good shooters. It was nice to get one there early in the third, but still a lot to work on there."
Racking up five points (two goas, three assists) in six games this season (he missed two due to an injury), Montour leads the Panthers with two goals on the power play. Playing with Forsling on the team's top pairing, he's skated more than 25 minutes each of the last three contests.
Florida ranks tied for first in the NHL in goals by defensemen with seven.
"A lot of skill back there," Montour said. "Guys like to join the rush. Being in the offensive end as much as we can. The coaching staff like us and appreciates us getting up in the play and being that fourth guy or just creating chances there. It was nice to get a few."

4. THE KITCHEN SINK

If there was a kitchen sink on the ice, the Panthers would've thrown that at the net, too.
Firing off 51 shots on goal and 104 shot attempts -- the most they've ever recorded since NaturalStatTrick.com began tracking in 2007-08 -- the Panthers kept the pressure cranked up to 11 on offense for the majority of the game against the Flyers.
"We had 104 shot opportunities, and I don't think I've ever seen that," Maurice said. "The story is their goalie. We missed some, but when you get that many on the net I don't think you can critique too much. … We played hard, we played well.
"I'm not sure we're playing a whole lot better than that when you put that many pucks to the net. Every once in a while you have one of these. This is our test right now. We lost a couple in a row, but that's a fine game we played there. We should be proud of it."
Per NaturalStatTrick.com, Florida led 4.99-1.94 in expected goals.
"I think 5-on-5 we were the better team," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. "It was just a couple of breakdowns that led to goals. We can't give up that big of a lead in the NHL. They're a good team too, and they're going to defend well. Overall we had good chances."

5. HART OF PHILLY

While the Panthers admittedly missed on a few golden opportunities to score, the vast majority of the chances they sent on net were simply gobbled up by Hart.
Making a career-high 51 saves, Hart stopped all 12 high-danger shots he faced.
"We could've beared down on our opportunities a little more," Verhaeghe said. "Their goalie played really well. When we get a chance to score we've got be hard on our sticks and shoot the puck. But credit to them, they played a hard game."
Making 20 saves in the third period alone, Hart stood stall while facing an onslaught of shots from the Panthers after they pulled their goalie for a 6-on-5 advantage in the waning minutes of regulation.
Improving to 5-0-0, Hart owns a .947 save percentage this season.
"Obviously they have a good goalie on the other side," Montour said. "We had bounces during the whole third period and just in the game in general. We just couldn't get that last one."