SUNRISE - The Florida Panthers, back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, enter Monday’s road matinee against the Buffalo Sabres with the worst power play in the NHL: one goal in 28 attempts through five games, a 3.6 percent conversion rate that stands in stark contrast to the unit that helped win two consecutive championships.
During the 2024-25 Cup-winning season, Florida’s power play clicked at 23.5 percent, with Sam Reinhart alone accounting for 13 power play goals. In that year’s playoffs, the Panthers converted at 25.3 percent while killing off 86.4 percent of opposing power plays. Last season, even amid injuries, the unit held at 19.5 percent. The collapse to 3.6 percent through the current 2-1-2 start represents the team’s most glaring early-season problem, Florida Hockey Now reported.
Against Minnesota on Saturday - a 4-1 loss - the Panthers went 0-for-5 on the power play despite generating 11 shots with the man advantage. Head coach Paul Maurice acknowledged the frustration but drew a distinction between effort and execution. “Our entries have been a problem for us, for sure,” Maurice said. “But it wasn’t tonight. I thought we did a pretty good job with that. We had 11 shots.”
Maurice, speaking at Sunday’s practice before the team flew to Buffalo, said the power play is not the primary concern - team defense is. “We want to be a real good defensive team,” he said. “We gave up more off the rush last night than we had. So that’s our biggest concern. Those two goals off the rush and two other chances that we don’t like at all.” The Panthers have scored nine goals across five games.
Maurice also pointed to a broader offensive disconnect. “It’s rare that maybe your 5-on-5 offensive game and your power play aren’t going at the same time,” he said. “Usually, one is feeding the other a little bit, and that’s not happening.” With captain Sasha Barkov out, Maurice said he plans to keep Reinhart at center - his original position - for the foreseeable future, while keeping other line combinations fluid. “I’ve got two cards when I’m going to the bench,” Maurice said. “Usually, when you’re in some sort of flux, I’ll write out two (sets of) lines.”
Neither Reinhart nor Brady Tkachuk has recorded a single point through five games. The Panthers do get one measure of company in their misery: Buffalo’s power play sits at 5.9 percent, second-worst in the league. The Sabres, who ended a 14-season playoff drought last year, host Florida at KeyBank Arena on Monday at 1 p.m. The Panthers’ next game after Buffalo is Tuesday at Columbus, with a 6:15 p.m. faceoff.