Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis speaks after Florida's 2-1 overtime win over St. Louis on Dec. 20. The Florida Panthers returned home from a long and exhausting road trip only to find themselves playing in overtime on Friday. Florida came from behind to defeat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on an amazing overtime goal and effort by Cats captain Sasha Barkov. While Barkov’s play will get much of the attention, and rightly so, there was still another 62 or so minutes of a game that led us to that moment. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] What could have been a frustrating return home for the Panthers turned out to be anything but. The Cats maintained their discipline against a hungry Blues team trying not to lose for the second time in as many days and ultimately came out on top. Let’s get to the takeaways: TRUSTING THE PROCESS Friday night turned out to be one of those games where Florida just couldn’t seem to get a full grip on things. The Panthers did a good job of keeping the puck and grinding away to maintain offensive zone time, but the quality opportunities proved to be very difficult to come by. It was a game that the Panthers could have easily come out of their systems and chase a win due to the frustration factor. Fortunately, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has himself a mature, veteran group that knows if they stick with the program, things will generally work out. “You’re wondering, because you missed a couple empty nets early, if that's the way the game is going to go,” Maurice said afterward. “I thought when they made it 1-0, when they got their fifth shot, I thought we were pretty good after that in terms of what we gave up. We had some good zone time in the back half of the third period and stayed with it. We didn't change our game because we didn't have a lead.” GUTSY PERFORMANCE FROM BENNETT For the second time this week, Sam Bennett found a way to play despite feeling quite crappy. There has been an illness that has impacted several players in Florida’s locker room over the past week or so, one that kept Barkov out of two games on their recent road trip. One of those games, Monday night in Edmonton, Bennett not only played sick, but played big minutes in Barkov’s absence, about four more than his season average. With Barkov back in the lineup, Florida didn’t have to lean on Bennett nearly as much on Friday, but he still played some big shifts for the Cats, particularly during the game’s later stages. “We played him in the three hole to cut his minutes back,” said Maurice. “He was not at his 100% best, but that was also very true in Edmonton. He played ill, and Sasha was out and absolutely couldn't play. We really appreciate what he does for us and he played some important minutes for us, just not as many as he’s used to.” BREAK ON THE HORIZON Sunday and Monday the Panthers will play a home and home with the Tampa Bay Lightning, after which they’ll get a nice chunk of time off. The Cats’ next game will be the following Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens. After that, three more home games, keeping them in South Florida through early January. Considering the schedule they have had to endure over the past couple months, you better believe that the Panthers have had this break circled on their calendars. “I think when we get through those games (against Tampa Bay), that will put us at about 36 games, and I think 22 of them are against the top teams in the league,” Maurice said. “That month of November was really heavy, especially coming back from Finland, but we've battled back. We've got a good stretch of games where we lost a couple, but we learned from them, I think. As the team does, we struggled a little bit, found our way out.” LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Barkov, Bobrovsky shine in Panthers 2-1 OT win over St. Louis [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/barkov-bobrovsky-shine-in-panthers-2-1-ot-win-over-st-louis] The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice stories, trade talk, Rangers on the brink [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-paul-maurice-stories-trade-talk-rangers-on-the-brink] Panthers back on home ice after long road trip, hosting St. Louis [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-back-on-home-ice-after-long-road-trip-hosting-st-louis] After rigorous travel schedule, Panthers get to end year at home [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/after-rigorous-travel-schedule-panthers-get-to-end-year-at-home] Three takeaways: Aaron Ekblad thriving, Panthers wrap up road trip on high note [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-aaron-ekblad-thriving-panthers-wrap-up-road-trip-on-high-note] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
