Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky came up big when called upon during his first action since the NHL All-Star Game

It took a few periods, but the Florida Panthers were finally able to get back to playing a level of physical, intimidating hockey that strikes fear into the hearts of potential playoff opponents across the conference. 

The team led by Head Coach Paul Maurice has spent the past year and a half learning and mastering his systems.

That doesn’t just mean the x’s and o’s of the game, but also the amount of effort and dedication it takes to perform at the required level in order for the systems to work.

Florida knows exactly how difficult they can be to play against when they’re firing on all cylinders. There are plenty of receipts.

Unfortunately for Maurice and his squad, the Panthers weren’t able to hit the ground running as well as they would’ve liked after taking a week off during the NHL All-Star break.

Perhaps that’s a testament to just how difficult it is to perform at the level they’ve been playing.

It also provides something of a redeeming element when you think about which forward line it was that helped snap the Panthers back into form.

Let’s get to the takeaways.

Fourth line leads the way

Florida’s fourth line, with Kevin Stenlund centering Ryan Lomberg and Jonah Gadjovich, was perhaps the team’s most consistent unit on Thursday night.

They combined for nine shots on goal and came up with perhaps the biggest shift of the game when Lomberg scored the game-winner late in the third period.

But wait, there’s more!

Taking a look at the advanced metrics, Stenlund’s line put up some truly eye-popping numbers, especially when taking into account how often they were matched up against Washington’s big guns, out-chancing them 18-2, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“That line led in terms of style of play,” Maurice said. “Their forecheck was really good and heavy, but they didn’t cheat for it, they didn't get in behind the puck, they didn't give up anything to be as aggressive as they were on the forecheck, and that's a game that I don't think we've played really in a while. I don't think in January we’ve had the legs to get on that forecheck, but tonight we did, and I thought that line drove the bus on it.”

Getting back to Panthers hockey

As the game progressed, you could see a shift in how often the puck was on Washington’s side of the ice.

By the time we got into the third period, Florida was back to making life a living hell for their opposition by bogging them down in their own end and turning the neutral zone into an unpassable swamp of sticks and skates.

Maurice’s players have worked long and hard to master that playoff-style kind of hockey, and they started to flex those muscles again on Thursday.

“It's more about style of play for us because we've earned the right – we’ve got a bit of a cushion, we certainly don't want to rely on it – but we want to play our game, and that is a hard game to play,” Maurice said. “Some nights it doesn't go for you. I liked the second two periods (against Washington) because it was closer to the way we're supposed to look. We had a whole bunch of chances that didn't go, but you're on the bench and you get to the last 10 minutes of the third period (and) I'm fine. I'm comfortable with our game. We're playing right. Whether these pucks go or if they knuckle one in and they get lucky on one, I'm fine with our game.”

Quietly big game from Bob

Sergei Bobrovsky started his first game for the Panthers in nearly two weeks after being selected as an NHL All-Star and participating in the annual showcase of superstars last weekend in Toronto.

He came up with several key saves in the game’s early stages, including a penalty shot against Washington’s Beck Malenstyn, before the Panthers began to make his evening a bit easier.

Bobrovsky finished with 21 saves, including four of the five high danger shots the Capitals sent his way.

And, also, a penalty shot when the game was still scoreless. 

“It was good for him,” Maurice said. “And that was a really tough game because he kind of lost his stick on the first one, I don’t know if he got it back, and it knuckled on him on the first goal. Then you get a penalty shot, you get a backdoor (goal), they had really one chance in the second period, and they scored on it, it was a legitimate goal, and then there's not a whole lot to do. So that's a veteran guy who knows how to mentally stay on those.”

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