"It was a great day for our team," said Panthers forward Erik Haula, radiating confidence after getting off the ice. "I think we did get a lot better today. There are some areas that we clarified. I think the Panthers got better today, and I think you're going to see a different team Thursday."
Like Haula, Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said the team's enthusiasm was noticeable.
"I thought their work ethic was good," Quenneville said. "The tweaks were something that we were talking about that could help us. As you go along here, we're going to need everybody."
Sitting at 33-26-7 with 16 games remaining on their schedule, the Panthers currently trail the Toronto Maple Leafs by five points for third place in the Atlantic Division. The two clubs also have one more head-to-head matchup remaining, a clash at Scotiabank Arena on March 23.
Working to snap out of a seven-game winless streak in Sunrise, the Panthers will have two days of practice to gather themselves and make some adjustments before closing out their five-game homestand with contests against Boston and Montreal on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Prior to that skid, they were one of the league's best teams on home ice with a record of 16-8-2.
"We've got to fine-tune our game," Quenneville said when asked what the team needs to do to break out of its current slump. "The last couple games we got really loose in our own end, and I think our overall game's got to be tightened, assured and [we've got to have] a lot of trust in how we play without the puck. Defensively, we've got to be predictable and accountable.
"Let's make sure that we're doing the little things right. Offensively, we've still got a little freedom to go. Let's make sure that -- whether it's checking, playing the score, or the time on the clock -- we need to find a way to get on the right side of the score at the end of the game. And, hey, we've got to show each other how important it is to get back in that race."
After taking Monday to "get out of the game a little bit," Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman said some time away from the rink was a good way for players to clear their heads. And with a playoff spot still up for grabs, this week's practices will be key in order for them to right the ship. It's going to be a daily grind until the end of the season, and today was a step forward.
"It's definitely important that we work on some of our issues, mostly defensively," Stralman said. "This is a good opportunity for it. There's a lot of hockey left in the season. There's a bunch of tough games coming up, so we need to prepare as well as we can. Today was a good step."
