“We weren’t very good and I’ll just leave it at that,” said Paul Maurice after the Florida Panthers suffered a sound 3-1 loss at the hands of the New Jersey Red Devils at the Prudential Center. But while the veteran coach didn’t want to spend too many words, the alarm bells are ringing. This was the Panthers’ third straight loss on the road. And yet, some fans seem to think the defeats are a boon in disguise.

Bryan, a Florida Panthers fan, took to X following the match against NJ to share their take on how the losses can prove to be beneficial in the long run. To establish their logic, Bryan drew attention to the Panthers’ record from the previous two seasons after their sixth game. “The panthers first 6 games in 23-24: 3W-3L,” the post highlighted. “The panthers first 6 games in 24-25: 3W-3L.” The similarity between these two seasons? Paul Maurice’s boys won the Lord Stanley Cup both times.

Now, with the Panthers sitting on a very similar record this time as well, the fan couldn’t help but speculate, without even saying anything, whether the three-peat could actually be on the table. After all, trends are good indicators. If Florida indeed goes on to win the Stanley Cup this time as well, they will achieve a feat that has not been recreated in over four decades (the New York Islanders did it last in the 1980s).

The thought can’t be avoided. The Panthers have made it to the Championship Series back-to-back-to-back. The heartbreak of 2023, when the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the championship series, has been justly offset by the success they have attained in the following two seasons. And now, here we are. Holding on to the Cup in Sunset, Florida, will be the greatest gift for the fans, and where the Cats stand right now seems to be exactly where they need to be.

But the season is still in its nascent stages, and the Panthers will have to walk a long and difficult road being able to make it to the playoffs. After that, it’s a whole different ballgame altogether. If you remember how Sam Bennett and Co. barely made it to the postseason last time and suddenly shifted gears, you’d understand that the playoffs bring out a completely different side of the NHL teams in the final stretches of the season.

And that’s exactly where things get complicated. The Panthers have a lot of issues to deal with, almost all of which can potentially jeopardize their three-peat dreams.

The Florida Panthers will have their work cut out for them

Just before the 2025-26 season kicked off, Coach Maurice was faced with a pincer attack by fate. Both Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk incurred injuries during practice or have been dealing with troubles for a long time, rendering both stars out of the team for a long time. While Chucky is expected to return to the roster in December, the squad captain is most likely to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. With these two out, many fans have already abandoned any hopes of the Florida Panthers retaining the Cup.

But on the plus side, Brad Marchand thinks, this is the exact kind of situation that helps others to step up and shoulder extra responsibilities. “Obviously, it’s unfortunate that we lost our best player and our best leader. Again, that just creates the opportunity for someone else to be big, someone else to fill into a hole that maybe they didn’t think they were needed for a while because Barky was there. But it gives an opportunity for others to step up and have a voice and lead in different ways,” Marchand said, while also noting how he’s using his experience and wisdom to help the navigate the trying times.

The Panthers continue their days on the road as they wait to take on the Sabres next. Buffalo’s season hasn’t been anything to chime about so far, either, but can Florida take advantage? Share your predictions for the upcoming match in a comment!