Do The Florida Panthers Have A Discipline Issue?

It's no secret that the Florida Panthers play physically and walk a fine line in terms of what is legal and illegal on the ice. 

They don't back down from anyone and want their opponents to have a certain level of fear, but are the Panthers pushing it too far?

Through 12 games, the Panthers rank 32nd in the NHL in average penalty minutes with 15.1. The Calgary Flames, who rank 31st in the NHL, average just 12.8 penalty minutes. There is a clear gap.

With a 6-4-2 record and 14 points on the season, the Panthers haven't been overly affected by it, but they're still in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers have the sixth-ranked penalty kill in the NHL, killing 84.9 percent of their penalties, but this path is a recipe for disaster. 

So far, the Panthers have played three teams that rank in the top 10 in power-play percentage: the Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, and Minnesota Wild. The Panthers lost two of those three games. They defeated the Hurricanes in the season opener without allowing a power-play goal, but they lost 4-3 to the Sharks and gave up a power-play goal, and they allowed one power-play goal in a 4-1 loss to the Wild. 

With the in-your-face approach and personnel the Panthers deploy, they'll never be at the top of the penalty minute rankings, but they could be smarter in how they approach their physical play.

Offsetting penalties and fights aren't an issue. If players like Bokondji Imama, Garnet Hathaway, and the Tkachuk brothers rack up penalty minutes through fights, they don't hurt the team. But players like Radko Gudas, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, and Aaron Ekblad have all taken at least four minor penalties. 

That puts the Panthers at a disadvantage too often and puts too much pressure on the penalty kill and goaltending. 

The Panthers have played only two divisional games so far, and in November and December they'll face many Atlantic Division opponents. Those teams will capitalize on their power-play opportunities if the Panthers give it to them. 

This isn't to say the Panthers need to change who they are, but they can definitely play smarter and take fewer penalties. 

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