FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers were back on the ice Tuesday for practice before heading to Raleigh for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Panthers were unable to sweep the series Monday night, falling to the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-0.
WATCH BELOW: Panthers look to 'execute faster' in Game 5
Going into Game 4, there was no team in the NHL hotter than the Panthers, who had won seven of their last eight games.
Head coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday they were simply outplayed.
"They were better at their game than we were at our game last night," Maurice said. "We've managed not to have that happen very often. When we lose, we happen to learn some pretty important things with the way we play."
A key flaw in the Panthers' game plan was a lack of urgency against a team desperate not to be swept.
While some may call it a lack of a killer instinct, the defending champions say it was just an off night.
"I don't think we made them uncomfortable enough," Panthers left winger Evan Rodrigues said. "We'll look to bounce back tomorrow and try to take it to them."
"We tried to look for more plays instead of shooting the puck right away, and they got their sticks on, and they blocked a lot of shots," Anton Lundell, Panthers center, said. "I think we just have to execute faster."
The Panthers knew the Hurricanes would fight hard with their backs against the wall, and without three key players in Sam Reinhart, A.J. Greer and Niko Mikkola out, things seemed a bit off. However, on Tuesday morning, all three players were back at practice.
"They all skated today, and we will see how they are tomorrow," Maurice said. "That's what we expected and hoped for."
