Three takeaways: Panthers defense holds up in Colorado, both goaltenders shine

It was a tough night in the Mile High City for the Florida Panthers on Monday.

The Cats fell to the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 at Ball Arena, kicking off their quick two-game road trip with a fourth loss in their past six outings.

Florida showed up well in Colorado despite playing shorthanded, going toe-to-toe with the Avs in their barn for basically the full duration.

Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be as a couple funky goals from far out would prove to be the difference.

Here are Monday’s takeaways:

GOALIES PUT ON A SHOW

Between Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida and Mackenzie Blackwood for Colorado, fans watching Monday’s game were treated to some high-end goaltending.

Between the two, they stopped each and every high danger shot on goal, combining to finish with an eye popping 22 high danger saves.

Both were at their best during the third period, but overall were excellent in a game that featured some of the NHL’s best offensive players.

“There were some good saves going both ways,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “And we got lucky with some iron there a couple times the second and we had one hit in the first, so I think it was good goaltending. Both teams were respectful of the other team skill level, so everybody defended hard tonight.”

BJORNFOT FILLS IN NICELY

Florida was missing both Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola due to injury on Monday night.

The Cats called up defenseman Toby Bjornfot from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers over the weekend in case of this situation, and he turned in an extremely solid performance against one of the best offenses the NHL has to offer.

Whether or not this earns him more ice time remains to be seen, but putting strong showing at this level on tape could go a long way.

“Oh boy, I liked his game today,” Maurice said of Bjornfot. “He makes his decisions early, so he may not be the fastest guy in the league, but because he's smart enough, he can close the gap, he made good decisions with the puck and I liked how competitive he was. I was really happy for him. He’s had a long road back to the NHL. He's worked hard to give himself a chance. I thought he was good tonight.”

OVERALL SOLID TEAM DEFENSE

Playing without two of their top four, on the road, against a team like the Avalanche sure seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Alas, both teams put their defensive hard hats on and went to work, showing respect for what their opponents are capable of.

If nothing else, the Panthers and Avalanche would probably be one hell of an entertaining Stanley Cup Final.

“I thought they played together,” Maurice said of Florida’s team defense. “I thought they played in groups of five. Nobody cheated. I like the way they competed tonight and I’ve got no problem with our game.”

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