5 Takeaways: Panthers Erase 3-Goal Deficit, But Fall to Flyers in SO

The Florida Panthers clawed back, but came up just short.
After erasing a three-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime, the Panthers couldn't find the luck they needed in the shootout, as Jordan Weal scored the game-winning goal in the skills competition to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-5 win on Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center.

Florida (0-2-2) has now lost each of its first four games this season by just one goal.
"Everybody's disappointed, everybody's wants this win as much as the next guy," Panthers head coach Bob Boughner said. "It's going to happen. We've just got to stick with it. We've got some things we need to clean up. We're scoring five goals on the road. We won the special teams battles tonight.
"I thought we were more desperate tonight, blocking shots and with the intangibles we talked about in the pre-game show. There's a lot of good. There's just still some bad in our game we have to eliminate. That's our job as a group here in the next little while, to get that full 60 [minutes] and stop allowing teams to get a freebie."
Aleksander Barkov scored in the shootout and twice in regulation for the Panthers, including the game-tying goal with 11:53 remaining in the third period. In his first start with Florida, goaltender Michael Hutchinson made 23 saves - several of them big stops to keep the Cats within striking distance throughout the night -- but was bested by Jakub Voracek and Weal in the shootout.
"That was one of those rollercoaster games," said Hutchinson, who was recalled from AHL Springfield after the Panthers lost starter Roberto Luongo to an injury last week. "We played great in the first period, and then [the Flyers] capitalized on their chances in the second. We really came out in the third period and got back to the way we were playing in the first.
"We were able to come back. We had that confidence in the dressing room that, after that second period, we were going to be able to come back. It's unfortunate that we only got one point tonight…We're hungry in this room. We want that first win. We want to get on a streak and we want to get going."
Here are five takeaways from Tuesday's loss in Philadelphia...

1. THE TALE OF THREE PERIODS

The first period couldn't have gone much better for the Panthers. In addition to taking a 1-0 lead into the second period, they also owned a sizable 23-9 advantage over the Flyers in 5-on-5 shot attempts and a 12-5 lead in total shots on goal. For the first 20 minutes, they were in full control.
But in the second frame, the Panthers came out flat, failing to record their first shot on goal for just over seven minutes to start the period. Their 1-0 lead? It was erased quickly, as the Flyers scored three times before the 10-minute mark. By the end of the period, Florida trailed 5-3.
"The first period was great," Boughner said. "The third period was a character period for us. I thought the second period, again, it seems to be a little bit of a nemesis when we have a lead that we're shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit. I feel like it's a broken record."
As Boughner alluded to, the third period could be a looked at a turning point for the Panthers. Within a span of 3:01, Evgenii Dadonov and Barkov each scored to tie the game, snatching a point from the jaws of defeat. The fight was clearly evident, even if it didn't end with a win.
"A pretty good comeback," Barkov said. "It shows what we have in this room. We played great in the third period. We never lost our trust in each other. We played great in the third period and found our way back. In a shootout, anybody can win. Unfortunately, it wasn't us this time."

2. FRANKIE V GOOD

That's how you respond to a healthy scratch.
After spending Saturday's game against Vancouver in the press box, Vatrano scored a pair of goals in his return to the lineup against the Flyers. The first goal came in the waning minutes of the first period, as the 24-year-old scored on sharp-angle shot to put Florida up 1-0 at 17:58.

"I was just lucky enough to get out there with a 2-on-2 going the other way," Vatrano said of the goal. "I tried to just kind of create a seam for Malgy [Denis Malgin], and he ended up throwing it towards the net. It went in the corner. I was actually looking for him backdoor, but he created a great screen. I saw an opening blocker side and it went in."
Later, in the second period, Vatrano scored his second of both the season and of the game, picking up a loose carom off the end boards and slipping it past goaltender Brian Elliott to cut Philadelphia's lead to 3-2 at 12:31. With a hot stick in his hand, Vatrano also went on to shoot third for the Panthers in the shootout, but was denied to end the game.
"It's obviously very frustrating when you don't get a win," Vatrano said. "I had the game in my hands to put us into another round of the shootout, and obviously it doesn't go in. I'm going to kick myself a little about that, but we've got another game coming up on Friday that we want to get two points in."
In addition to his goals, Vatrano also racked up four hits and one takeaway in 13:00 of ice time.

3. BOTTOM-SIX GETS LOVE

Vatrano scored the goals, but the entire bottom-six looked sharp against the Flyers.
Florida's third-line of Vatrano, Jared McCann and Denis Malgin combined for five points and seven hits, but also dominated the possession battle, as all three skaters finished with a Corsi For percentage above 70 at 5-on-5 play, which led the Panthers.

On the fourth line, veteran Troy Brouwer picked up an assist and had a game-high four blocked shots, while rookie Juho Lammikko saw a career-high 12:16 of ice time, including 2:15 on the penalty kill. Maxim Mamin, meanwhile, dished out two hits in 6:53 of ice time.
"I want to be able to roll four [lines]," Boughner said. "I think Lammikko's done a heck of a job, and I think Brouwer's done a real good job on that line as well. They have to eat some minutes. They've done their job again tonight."

4. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

The Panthers got a little help from their Russian connection to start the third period, as Bogdan Kiselevich set up fellow Russian Dadonov for a top-shelf goal to cut Philadelphia's lead to 5-4 just 5:06 into the final 20 minutes of regulation. After that score, the Flyers pulled Elliott in favor of backup Calvin Pickard, who would go on to give up the game-tying goal just minutes later.

For Kiselevich, the assist was his first point as a member of the Panthers, who he joined on a one-year contract this summer after spending nearly a decade in the KHL. As for Dadonov, he currently sits in a three-way tied for the team scoring lead with four points (two goals, two assists).

5. BARKOV MAKES HISTORY

Barkov is already making an impact in the Panthers history books.
With his first goal on Tuesday night, the 23-year-old center surpassed Hall of Famer Pavel Bure (251) for sole possession of 10th place on the franchise's all-time points list. He also broke a tie with Viktor Kozlov and Rob Niedermayer for sole possession of seventh place in goals (102).
"He's a superstar in this league," Vatrano said of Florida's captain. "He's our best player, on and off the ice. He leads by example, day in and day out. Your best guys usually step up at times when you need them. Going into the third, he did. He got us two big goals."

While Barkov's first goal was historic, it was his second that got the Panthers to overtime. Sent on a breakaway by a beautiful pass from Keith Yandle, he floated a backhander over Pickard's shoulder and into the net to tie the game and complete Florida's comeback in the third period.
"I thought he was a beast all night," Boughner said.