Panthers ‘not happy with just one point’ in OT loss to Bruins. Plus latest on injuries

The glass-half-full look at the Florida Panthers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday would be that the Panthers managed to pick up a point against one of the top teams in the league on the road.

The glass-half-empty version is far more realistic — and how the Panthers are viewing the loss.

In summary: Florida had a 2-0 lead after one period before giving up a goal apiece in the second period, third period and overtime; saw two key players leave early with injury, including one who was making his season debut after being hurt for the first seven games; failed to capitalize on a five-minute power-play opportunity when the game was tied midway through the third period; and saw a prime opportunity to pick up two points in a road game against a top-end division opponent slip away.

“We’ll take one [point], but we wanted two,” Panthers captain and star center Aleksander Barkov said. “We’re not happy with just one point.”

Monday was the latest example of outings that have plagued the Panthers (4-3-1) early in the season. They would have a great period or spurt of success but would not be able to sustain it over a full 60 minutes.

Against Boston (8-0-1), Florida’s success came in the first period. Barkov and Sam Reinhart teamed up for a pair of goals nine minutes apart to give the Panthers an early 2-0 lead on the Bruins.

In that opening 20 minutes, Florida had a 16-6 advantage in shots on goal and 33-15 edge in total chances (including blocked shots and shots that missed the net) over Boston.

While the Panthers continued to take more chances than Boston throughout the game — Florida finished with a 37-26 edge in shots on goal and 34-24 advantage in scoring chances — they couldn’t get anything else past Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark the rest of the night.

That allowed Boston to mound its comeback.

Brad Marchand cut the Panthers’ lead to 2-1 early in the second when he took a feed from Jake DeBrust and his shot from up close deflected off defenseman Gustav Forsling’s skate and past Sergei Bobrovsky; The Bruins then tied the score 7:20 into the third on a Charlie McAvoy wrist shot. Pavel Zacha score the game-winner for Boston 3:02 into the five-minute overtime period on a breakaway despite the Panthers dominating possession.

“Our first period was outstanding, but we just have to learn how to keep going and play the same way when we start the right way,” Barkov said. “It’s been happening all season. We have good periods and bad periods, and obviously, it’s early in the season, but we want to establish the game that we’re playing in all 60 minutes as hard as possible. Not just 20 or 40.”

Injury updates

In the midst of the game, the Panthers lost two key players in center Sam Bennett and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to injury, and their status moving forward is up in the air. The team has a scheduled off day Tuesday and is slated to practice again Wednesday before playing the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Bennett, who was making his his season debut, left the ice with 13:05 left in second period after Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm fell awkwardly on Bennett’s left leg — the same leg he injured toward the end of the preseason that kept him out for the first seven games. Bennett needed to be helped off the ice. He played 11 shifts and was on the ice for 7:54 before the injury and his presence was noticed in the early going.

Anton Lundell took Bennett’s spot on the second line between Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk after Bennett’s exit.

Bennett’s initial injury came on Oct. 5 in the Panthers’ second-to-last preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He missed the first seven games while rehabbing and practiced with the team for the first time on Thursday.

“Losing Sam there effects how much energy we have,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who added that Bennett was walking around in the dressing room postgame. ”We were rolling four lines there and then you have to start taxing people.”

Meanwhile, Ekman-Larrson was knocked out of the game after Charlie McAvoy logged an illegal check to Ekman-Larsson’s head. The penalty resulted in McAvoy being ejected from the game and gave the Panthers a five-minute power play with the game tied 2-2. Florida couldn’t capitalize on the extended man advantage, though, with Ullmark stopping all six shots on goal in that span.

Ekman-Larsson has averaged close to 24 minutes of ice time this season.