SUNRISE — Sometimes numbers do not tell the whole story, and that may be the case when it comes to the Florida Panthers this month.
Take a look at Florida’s January starts.
In 13 games, the Panthers have scored just seven goals in the first period of games.
That does not sound like many — because it is not.
But that does not mean Florida’s starts have been all that detrimental.
The Panthers have been outscored 12-7 in the first period since we flipped over to 2026, taking the initial lead in only four of those 13 games.
Florida is 7-6 during that span which includes nine of the 13 games being on the road.
Florida has also been hit hard with injuries, losing Seth Jones during the first period of the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 before Brad Marchand left a game in Toronto a few days later.
The Panthers have recently gotten Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk back.
“Two of our elite forwards just came back in the lineup,” Paul Maurice said. “That has something to do with it. We are playing tight games. We have been on the road, so they are going to get the match. We play them tight and I think we’re 14-6 in our last 20 road games. [Utah] was a bit of a road game for us because we’re back on a plane tomorrow.”
When it comes down to the numbers, the Panthers certainly appear to fare better in games that they take the early lead in.
The Panthers are 4-0 in games this month in which they scored first — and 3-0 when holding a lead going into the second.
Overall, Florida is 18-4-2 when scoring first; 12-2-1 when leading after the first.
The Panthers are 0-5 when trailing after the first period this month, and 3-15 all season.
Now, looking at the overall numbers does not show what the Panthers have been doing.
To Maurice’s point, the Panthers have played some pretty good hockey during the first period of games lately — only the results have not been there.
Of the past 13 games, the Panthers have outshot their opponents 114-94 in the opening period and have held a shot advantage in nine of them.
“We have been trying to patient,’’ Aaron Ekblad said after Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Utah Mammoth, a game in which Utah had a 1-0 lead after the opening period. “Our game isn’t a run-and-gun game and it’s not meant to score 4, 5, 6 goals. It is meant to win games by small margins that we feel that we can control.
“Obviously, we would love to score more goals in the first period, get that lead. We are pretty good at playing with a lead, but it doesn’t always go that way.’’
ON DECK: GAME No. 53
FLORIDA PANTHERS at ST. LOUIS BLUES
