For the first time this season, the Florida Panthers came up on the losing side of a game. A jacked-up Philadelphia Flyers squad playing in their home opener came out strong and gave the Cats a strong fight, handing Florida their first defeat of the season by a 5-2 final score. The game was much closer than the score would indicate, as the Flyers added a pair of empty-net goals in the final minutes. Overall, the Panthers will be able to take some good things from the game while still finding a few elements they’ll need to improve upon, which would be expected this early in the season. Let’s get to Monday’s takeaways: SLOW START PROVES COSTLY The Flyers were all over the Panthers early in Monday’s game. Perhaps they were jacked up for their home opener, playing in front of a packed house of rabid Philadelphia sports fans. Whatever it was, Florida managed just five shots on goal while being out skated and out-possessed for the majority of the opening frame. “They came out fast,” said Panthers center Sam Bennett. “Obviously, they had a lot of jump to start the game and put some good pressure on us. I thought we actually played well in the third, we had a good pushback and had a lot of chances. They just capitalized (on their chances), and we couldn't get it back.” LACKING IN SPEED DEPARTMENT One of the reasons Florida appeared to be so much slower, at times, than they usually do was due to players not moving enough with and without the puck. Whether it was trying to do something in the offensive zone while standing still or not being in motion when receiving the puck, there were some things about the Cats’ movement that was just a little off on Monday. “We'll look back at the game, and it won't be a lot of defensive breakdowns” explained Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “It's what we did with the puck, and then why (we did it). We had a lot of standing with the puck when we moved it. For me, we played a slow puck game. So the turnovers, even broken plays or plays that didn't get completed, we were standing still when we were moving the puck. That's true of our back end, that was true of our forwards, whether they were in the offensive zone or the defensive zone. We were trying to make plays when there weren't any, from a standing position, and that’s why we looked so slow.” STRONG DEBUT FOR TARASOV New goaltender Daniil Tarasov saw his first action in a Panthers sweater on Monday night in Philadelphia. Coming off a strong showing during training camp and the preseason, Tarasov played well in the defeat, making several big saves while allowing Florida the opportunity to mount a comeback. He finished with 17 saves, including stops on all three of the high danger shots sent his way by the Flyers. “He was good,” said Maurice. “He gets across the net real hard, talks to his D-men. He was fine. Most of the action he got was of the higher end. There weren't a lot of shots. With him in the net, I think we gave up five even strength shots over the last two periods, but that power play they had in the second was a full two-minute heater on him, so he had good.” “He was great,” added Bennett. “He gave us chance to win the whole night, and that's all you can ask for from the goalie. He did a great job.” LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers can't keep up with Flyers in Philly, drop first game of season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-can-t-keep-up-with-flyers-in-philly-drop-first-game-of-season] Panthers' Superstar Goaltender Named Third Star Of The Week [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-superstar-goaltender-named-third-star-of-the-week] Daniil Tarasov To Make First Start Of Season As Panthers Take On Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/daniil-tarasov-to-make-first-start-of-season-as-panthers-take-on-flyers] Mackie Samoskevich And Anton Lundell Are Shining In Early Part Of Panthers Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/mackie-samoskevich-and-anton-lundell-are-shining-in-early-part-of-panthers-season] Florida recalls defenseman Tobias Bjornfot from AHL Charlotte in wake of injury to Dmitry Kulikov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-recalls-defenseman-tobias-bjornfot-from-ahl-charlotte-in-wake-of-injury-to-dmitry-kulikov] Photo caption: Oct 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save against Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) during the third period at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
