It\u2019s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.<\/p>\n
That famous sports quote was attributable to legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice.<\/p>\n
Paul Maurice was probably thinking the same thing after Aaron Ekblad scored with 1:13 left to tie the score against the playoff-bound Wild only to see Joel Eriksson Ek win it with less than 5 ticks on the clock.<\/p>\n
If the Panthers were in a heated playoff race, the loss would have been crushing.<\/p>\n
Given the circumstances, Maurice preferred to emphasize the positive.<\/p>\n
He was not alone.<\/p>\n
The Panthers had\u00a0seven regulars out of the lineup, then lost Evan Rodrigues on his first shift.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s patchwork lineup included five players who spent a lot of time in the AHL this season, yet managed to give the Wild a battle it may not have truly expected.<\/p>\n
The preliminary diagnosis on Rodrigues is a broken finger which might require surgery.<\/p>\n
It appears he will be joining the expanding group whose season is now over.<\/p>\n
Mackie Samoskevich may return to the lineup Saturday afternoon on Long Island.<\/p>\n
With Rodrigues now out, the Panthers have no spare healthy players, so it is possible for another recall before Saturday.<\/p>\n
Sandis Vilmanus, Jack Studnicka, and Jack Devine all spent time with the Panthers earlier in the season and at least one is a probable recall.<\/p>\n
Down 2-0 going into the third, the gritty bunch of old and new Panthers managed to tie it on goals by Matthew Tkachuk and Ekblad.<\/p>\n
The first came 42 seconds into the period; the latter came on a one-timer from the left faceoff circle with just over a minute remaining and Daniil Tarasov pulled from the net for an extra skater.<\/p>\n
Tarasov made 47 saves in perhaps his best effort as a Panther.<\/p>\n
It looked like sure overtime until Joel Eriksson Ek scored off his own deflection from in front of the net with Tomas Nosek draped all over him.<\/p>\n
Maurice\u2019s postgame assessment could have been applied to any number of games this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re down three centermen a minute into the game so we\u2019re moving people all over, out of position, playing with new guys,\u2019\u2019 Maurice said. \u201cThey\u2019re on us pretty good. Stay in the fight. Stay in the fight. Don\u2019t quit. (We) score early in the third, find a way to tie it and then just can\u2019t hang on to it at the end\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just painful when you\u2019re right there. They\u2019re right on the bench. They\u2019re encouraging each other. All these new guys in the lineup. Chucky\u2019s cheering for them. Our veteran guys are making sure they get a tap on the pads\u2026The veteran guys are being so good to the new guys and young guys that they play hard. They\u2019re going to play hard. They play for each other.\u00a0 They\u2019re tough results but I\u2019m not asking any more of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added a final thought which might typify the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got used to having five or six guys out,\u2019\u2019 Maurice said with a hint of resignation.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow we\u2019re getting to nine and 10. It\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tkachuk praised Tarasov\u2019s effort in still another tough loss for him. He is 9-13-2 with a fistful of excellent efforts which ended in disappointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how many of these we\u2019ve had this year. Losing in the last minute, the last few seconds,\u2019\u2019 Tkachuk said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of them. Kind of the story of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the fight of the Panthers?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of the guys. We\u2019re fighting. We\u2019re fighting together,\u2019\u2019 Tkachuk went on.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody\u2019s quitting on each other. We tied it up late. Guys are going all the way to the end\u2026It\u2019s not easy. The games are not fun when you\u2019re in this position. I\u2019ve never been in this position before and I don\u2019t want to be back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Panthers have 11 games left.<\/p>\n
They will play for pride and in some cases, for next year\u2019s contracts.<\/p>\n
The team will take off today for a two-game jaunt to New York where they will face the improved Islanders who are trying to hang on for a playoff spot, and the Rangers who are in a similar position as the Panthers, with a fluid lineup chock full of new players.<\/p>\n
Will the Panthers keep fighting?<\/p>\n
Sounds like they will.<\/p>\n
ON DECK: GAME No. 72
\nFLORIDA PANTHERS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Get-FHN.png\")
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