Once-Mighty Panthers Shooting Blanks

First the Florida Panthers were struggling to win. Now they can’t even score.

Florida managed just 14 shots Wednesday in a 3-0 loss to Phoenix, saddling the Panthers with consecutive shutout defeats for the first time in the four-year history of the franchise.

Coach Doug MacLean’s shuffling of the lines failed to provide a spark, and the Panthers were blanked for the third time in nine games. They’re 1-6-2 over that span with 14 goals.

A year ago, the Panthers were the toast of the town when the reached the Stanley Cup Finals. On Wednesday, fans jeered as they left the ice.

“They have a right to boo - they pay money to watch us play,” forward Scott Mellanby said. “When they see us scrambling and playing sloppy it looks like there’s no effort, but there is. We’re not executing.”

Three weeks ago, the Panthers had the best record in the Eastern Conference. Now they’re third in the Atlantic Division, 11 points behind Philadelphia and seven behind New Jersey.

“It seems like right now guys are going in all different directions,” defenseman Gord Murphy said. “We aren’t working as five-man units.”

MacLean gave his team two days off after a 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday. But against Phoenix, the Panthers looked rusty rather than rested.

“It’s one of the poorest performances I can remember in a long time,” Murphy said. “We were given two days off to rest and recharge for the home stretch, and we come out like this. I have no answer. It’s unacceptable and embarrassing.”

The Panthers could blame their slump on a wave of injuries, including two Wednesday when defenseman Paul Laus sprained his ankle and Martin Straka strained his groin.

“That’s no excuse,” Mellanby said. “During the course of a year with injuries we’re used to playing with different people.”

A favorable schedule could help the Panthers shake their skid. The next five games are at home, and all are against teams below .500, beginning with Calgary on Friday.