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Paul Maurice calls out ‘slow’ Panthers team after Flyers loss
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- Paul Maurice calls out ‘slow’ Panthers team after Flyers loss
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The post Paul Maurice calls out 'slow' Panthers team after Flyers loss appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Florida Panthers ' roller-coaster start to the season hit another drop Wednesday night, as they were handed a 4-2 home loss by the Philadelphia Flyers at Amerant Bank Arena. The defeat denied Florida the chance to secure even a single standings point, dropping the club to 12-10-1 on the year.
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Despite the strong build-up , head coach Paul Maurice was candid about what unraveled after the second intermission. After seeing his team fall behind during a late-game scramble for loose pucks, Maurice pointed directly at Florida's lack of urgency in the third .
"I thought we were slow with the puck [in the third period]," said Maurice after the game via Panthers reporter Jameson Olive. "I think they got in on some pucks. We were just late to some loose pucks that were laying around, and they maintained that control."
Florida appeared to be in control early, dictating tempo and winning races in the attacking third. The Panthers jumped on the scoreboard first when Sam Bennett pushed downhill toward the crease and connected with Brad Marchand on a crisp feed at 5:21 of the opening period, giving Florida a 1-0 edge.
"The first and second [periods], I thought we were really quick with the puck and our decisions," Maurice added.
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The confidence carried into the middle period, where Carter Verhaeghe , fresh off a three-point showing in Monday's win at Nashville , capped a fluid multi-pass sequence. Bennett delivered his second primary assist of the night on a highlight-thread assist that allowed Verhaeghe to hammer home the 2-0 goal at 5:16.
Philadelphia's comeback began when Emil Andrae , scoring the second goal of his career ripped in a shot from the point to cut Florida's lead in half.
The Panthers pressed throughout the third period, but Flyers netminder Dan Vladar held firm, stopping 25 of 27 shots. The game flipped decisively in the final minute when Tyson Foerster 's rebound shot deflected painfully off Aaron Ekblad 's leg before Foerster fired again to break the tie with 44.5 seconds remaining.
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After a Thanksgiving reset, Florida returns to home ice Friday at 4 p.m. ET to host the Calgary Flames — a key opportunity to tighten puck-pressure, get back to winning races, and climb the Atlantic Division standings.
