5 Takeaways: Panthers Shut Out in Loss to Blackhawks

The goals were hard to come by tonight.
Despite firing off 41 shots on net, the Panthers were kept in check and held off the scoresheet for just the second time this season in a 3-0 loss to the Blackhawks at United Center on Thursday.

"We definitely had some chances to get on the board, which probably really could've helped us get back in the game," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "It didn't materialize. We probably got a little bit too much on the outside as the game went on, which isn't what we're looking for."
With no goals to speak of in the first period, the Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead at 1:05 of the second period when - taking advantage of some chaos in and around the crease - Patrick Kane skated in and lifted a shot over Sergei Bobrovsky on the power play to break the ice.
Just over two minutes later, Pius Suter doubled that lead when he walked in a rebound following a shot from Alex DeBrincat on a 2-on-1 break to send the Panthers down into a 2-0 hole at 3:34.
From there, the Panthers continued to pepper Kevin Lankinen with pucks, but simply couldn't get anything past the rookie goaltender. Then, with 1:24 remaining in regulation, Brandon Hagel iced the game away with a long empty-net goal that locked in a two-game sweep for Chicago.
Bobrovsky finished with 18 saves, while Lankinen stopped all 41 shots he faced.
"Their goalie played strong, a couple massive saves for them at key times," Panthers forward Mason Marchment said. "Bob played great for us, too. We just need to get a couple on the board for him."
Despite the loss, the Panthers remain in third place in the Central Division with a record of 20-9-4. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, improved to 16-13-5 to gain a little tighter grip on the fourth spot.
Looking to get back on track, Florida will kick off a back-to-back set in Dallas on Saturday.
"I think we're trying to be too cute," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. "Just skate a little bit more. We look like we're not skating. That's what we've been doing all year, and I think the last three games we've just kind of stopped. That's not the way we've got to play if we want to win."
Here are five takeaways from Thursday's loss in the Windy City…

1. SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS!

Like Quenneville said, the Panthers weren't lacking scoring chances tonight.
Nearly doubling up the Blackhawks in shots on goal, the Panthers fired off a whopping 41 shots on Lankinen, but none of them snuck through. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, they also finished with noticeable advantages over Chicago in shot attempts (73-34) and high-danger attempts (14-5).
And while they tipped their cap to Lankinen, the Cats feel like the goals will return soon.
"I feel like every good team runs into spurts like this where it's just not going in," Marchment said. "When [Lankinen] is down and out and gets his knob on Tippy [Owen Tippett], that's just how it's going. It's just going to take one garbage goal and it's going to come flooding right back in. I think it's just keep pushing and keep shooting, right? That's our game plan."

2. CAN'T CONTAIN KANE

Kane gives every team he plays against headaches, and the Panthers are no exception.
With two points tonight, the 32-year-old forward has now cracked the scoresheet in all six games against Florida so far this season, racking up a total of three goals and five assists.
"It's a full-time job," Quenneville said when asked about trying to contain Kane heading into the series with Chicago. "He plays so much and he demands the puck. He's outstanding when he gets it, and he's he good at finding it. Basically, you've got to be aware of him on the ice."
Doing a lot of the heavy lifting on offense for the Blackhawks and putting himself into contention for the Hart Trophy, Kane leads the team and currently ranks third in the league in scoring with 46 points (13 goals, 36 points). Of Chicago's 98 goals, he's factored in on roughly 47% of them.

3. HORNQVIST EXITS EARLY

Already missing Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers were dealt another blow tonight.
A few minutes into the third period, Patric Hornqvist exited the game and did not return after absorbing a massive check from Nikita Zadorov as he entered the offensive zone.
After he hit the ice, Hornqvist immediately signaled for a trainer and was helped down the tunnel. After the game, Quenneville labeled Hornqvist's injury as day-to-day.
"We'll see how he is tomorrow," Quenneville said. "We'll know more then."
In the midst of his first since with the Panthers, Hornqvist has quickly become one of the team's loudest voices and most-effective scorers. An alternate captain, he ranks third on the team in points (25) and tied for second in goals (12), including a team-leading seven on the power play.
"He's always got energy and a positive attitude," Marchment said of Hornqvist. "It's easy to feed off of him. He's a great two-way player. He's been in the league for a while now. You learn from him every day. He definitely knows what he's doing out there."

4. BARKOV UPDATE

In other injury news, Barkov appears be on close to getting back to work.
During his pre-game availability, Quenneville mentioned that the Panthers captain, who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, could be returning to the lineup very soon.
Hopping a flight to Dallas after wrapping up their two-game series with Chicago, the Panthers will close out their road trip with back-to-back games against the Stars on Saturday and Sunday.
"Feeling way better," Quenneville said of Barkov, who's a key contributor in all situations and currently leads the team in goals (13), points (37) and shots (112). "We'll see how he does when we get to Dallas. We'll see if there's a chance he could get in before the weekend is over."

5. BATTLING ADVERSITY

When facing adversity, all you can do is push forward.
With how great things are going for the Panthers this season, their current three-game losing streak can easily be labeled as their greatest challenge thus far. And while that's certainly a testament to just how good they've been, Quenneville believes it's also a learning experience.
"It's never the worst thing facing [adversity] to see how you get out of it, but you want to make sure that you stick together," Quenneville said. "We'll see what happens, if Barky plays this weekend or not, but for the guys that are playing it's a great opportunity. Everyone is getting more quality, better chances to make a contribution and enhance their position here."