Panthers goalie Anthony Stolarz speaks after Florida's 2-1 loss to Philadelphia on Feb. 6 at Amerant Bank Arena. The Florida Panthers stumbled out of the gate as they resumed their schedule on Tuesday night after an extended All-Star break. Florida hadn't played a game in 10 days before facing the Philadelphia Flyers at Amerant Bank Arena, and despite looking good in the early stages, left the rink in a sour mood following a 2-1 defeat. It was the Panthers first regulation loss this season when scoring the first goal (20-1-4). Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] There isn’t much to sugar-coat with this one, so let’s jump right into the takeaways. Good start fizzles away Florida started the game looking every bit as dominant and in control as they had prior to the All-Star break. Perhaps that had more to do with a slow start by Philadelphia than it did with how the Panthers were playing, because as soon as the Flyers flipped the switch, the game took a whole new feel. “It started halfway through the first, I think we had about two shots after the 10-minute mark,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said. “We started playing with puck more than we needed to, and Philly wasn't in the game yet, they hadn't got off the plane. They got one in the second, and we beat that thing to death pretty good. I though we then put ourselves in a spot that we were away from the puck and couldn't make plays, but we kept trying to make plays.” Stolarz solid yet again Florida's backup goaltender has been one of the most consistent elements of the team this season. Anthony Stolarz finished the game with 23 saves, including stops on four of Philly's six high danger shots. Game in and game out, regardless of how much or little time between action, Stolarz provides a huge presence in goal, excellent rebound control, solid stickhandling ability and overall steady play. While his record dropped to 8-5-2 following Tuesday’s loss, Stolarz is still sporting a 2.11 goals against average and .917 save percentage this season, which are excellent numbers. "He was good right from the start,” Maurice said of Stolarz. “Chances were 6-2 after one (period) for us, but even after two because they were 6-2 for them, he made some really good saves. He was sharp.” A bump in the road At the end of the day, the Panthers have been here before. No team is going to play a perfect 82-game season, and Maurice's bunch has done a good job at not letting a bad game turn into a bad week. "We weren't where we need to be,” Maurice said. “I'm not particularly worried about it, I'm just not in a good mood, I didn't like the way we played. I don't feel that we were very well prepared. We had a good first (period) relative to the second and third. It wasn't good. Nobody's getting sent down and we're not cutting anybody because of it. We've got to get back and have a good, sharp practice tomorrow and get back on our game.” LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida comes out hot, then shut down by Flyers in 2-1 defeat [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-comes-out-hot-then-shut-down-by-flyers-in-2-1-defeat] Ryan Lomberg reveals 'Which teammate is most likely' in fun Q&A [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/features/ryan-lomberg-reveals-which-teammate-is-most-likely-in-fun-q-a] Panthers welcome Flyers to Sunrise for matchup of teams heading in different directions [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-welcome-flyers-to-sunrise-for-matchup-of-teams-heading-in-different-directions] Nick Cousins poised for return to Panthers lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/nick-cousins-poised-for-return-to-panthers-lineup] Veteran forward Zac Dalpe sets all-time Charlotte Checkers goal record [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/veteran-forward-zac-dalpe-sets-all-time-charlotte-checkers-goal-record] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
