Inside the Numbers: Power Play Issues Plaguing Panthers

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Oct 4, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling and Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk talk between plays against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Honda Center.

Mandatory Credit: Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The start of the 2026-27 NHL season for the Florida Panthers has tested the intestinal fortitude of both players and fans alike. Despite four straight games on the road to open the campaign. and losing their captain in game two with another injury, the Panthers clawed their way to six points before finally seeing home ice 12 days into the season.

The Panthers are dead last in the NHL on the power play entering Sunday's games, converting just one chance in 28 opportunities . Advanced stats indicate that Florida is struggling on both ends of the ice with the man advantage. Per NHL EDGE tracking, Florida ranks 21st in offensive zone time and 24th in defensive zone time on the power play.

It has been a group effort for the Panthers in the scoring department as they only have 20 points overall. Both Sam Reinhart and newly acquired Brady Tkachuk are scoreless in five games, with a combined plus/minus of -5. Florida has earned 83 penalty minutes this season, second most in the NHL. The penalty kill started off strong, only allowing one goal in their first ten shorthanded scenarios through two games.

Anaheim cracked the code in game three, scoring all three of their goals on the power play. The Panthers are now tied for 19th in penalty kill rate at 77.3%. The lack of power play success has been a major factor in the Panthers poor offensive production. Florida is scoring just 1.8 goals-per-game, 29th in the NHL.

Florida did a better job of entering the offensive zone on the power play against Minnesota, but could not convert on five opportunities.

“Obviously special teams needs to be better for us to. I thought that there were some good things there that hopefully we can take because, you know, blink and you got two more games back-to-back. Gotta get ahead of this. ”Florida is playing slower than their opponents according to head coach Paul Maurice, and the advanced stats support his thesis.

The Panthers are last in the league with just one burst over 22 miles-per-hour this season per NHL EDGE stats.

“There was a consistency through that game that we were just slower than they were. ” We were slow in all parts of our game, but they were also quick with how they moved the puck up their feet. We were just sluggish in our game. ”Maurice and company will need to find answers in a hurry as the Panthers return to the road Monday with back-to-back games.

The Panthers travel to face the Buffalo Sabres then will visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. David Eversole has covered local sports in South Florida for over a decade, starting with his independent site the Miami Sports Wave . He joined Five Reasons Sports in the early days with a YouTube show based on MSW called the Miami Sports Break, and has contributed as a producer, host, and guest on multiple Five Reasons outlets.

David has produced hundreds of shows for the network - including PrizePicks daily fantasy content and shows covering the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and Miami Hurricanes. In 2026, David returned to his writing roots to cover the Florida Panthers for Sports Illustrated online. David is a lifelong Floridian and currently lives with his family in Delray Beach.

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