Three takeaways: Panthers couldn’t get into gear, goals suddenly hard to come by

The hungrier team earned two points on Saturday afternoon in Sunrise.

Usually, in games featuring the Florida Panthers, they are that hungrier team and they earn those two points.

That wasn’t the case this time though.

Instead, the young Montreal Canadiens skated into the Cats’ barn and took it to the defending Stanley Cup champs.

Let’s get to the takeaways:

COULDN’T GET INTO GEAR

For whatever reason, the Panthers just didn’t have their usual juice on Saturday.

After being off for four days due to the NHL’s holiday break, Florida was just flat after the puck dropped against Montreal.

Once the Canadiens could smell blood in the water, they continued to pressure the Panthers in ways that Florida generally does to their opponents.

It will be very surprising to see Florida come out with a lack of energy when their next game arrives on Monday.

“I don’t think we ever got to the level that we need to get to to give yourself a chance to win a game,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “We allowed it to be even through the first part of that game, and then you’re making a few mistakes, and they’re big ones, right? Then you’re chasing the game. They played well, they played hard. We weren’t close to a game that we would recognize as our own.”

GOALS HARD TO COME BY

Florida has now been shutout in back-to-back games.

Once by a goaltender starting his first ever NHL game and another by a career backup known for struggling at this level.

It’s the second time this month that the Panthers have suffered consecutive shutout losses.

When asked if there are reasons behind it, Maurice didn’t mince words.

“Yeah, there is something to that, we are playing the perimeter game for the most part,” Maurice said. “That has a lot to do with it.

CREDIT TO THE TENDY

Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes sure looked comfortable in his NHL debut.

I’m sure the Panthers would’ve like to had more of an impact on that, but at the end of the day, the kid deserves his flowers.

Dobes finished with 34 saves, including the four high danger shots Florida was able to send his way.

“They did a good job of allowing him to see a bunch of the stuff from the outside, which is really where you can get after a young goaltender,” Maurice said. “We didn’t get to where we needed to get to on those, but you know what, good for him. They played hard. Their goaltender was good. I don’t want to take anything away from them. Can’t talk about our game. They were good, and their goalie was good. They earned a shutout in here.”

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