Florida Panthers Cannot Recover After Controversial Goaltender Interference Call in 2-1 Loss to Seattle Kraken.

“It’s always big,” Anton Lundell said. “But we still had our chances and we can’t blame that goal.”

SUNRISE, Fla. — After returning from the two-week 4 Nations break, the Florida Panthers limped their way through a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.

Florida looked rusty out of the gate, even moreso with Matthew Tkachuk missing with an injury he sustained at the tournament, and it could not recover from a couple of bounces that did not go their way.

A Mackie Samoskevich goal that could have put the Panthers ahead was taken off the board after a successful goaltender interference challenge by the Kraken late in the second period and Seattle forward Jared McCann responded to give his team a lead it never relinquished.

“It was a bit of a mixed bag,” coach Paul Maurice said of his team’s performance. “I don’t think we gave up a heck of a lot, they get one on the power play and we don’t, and then we had some missed opportunities. We’ll be above the bar on chances for and against and there were some plays with some sloppiness. We couldn’t get a handle on some pretty basic things.

“It was just OK. There’s not a trend here that I’m worried about.”

The Samoskevich goal getting taken off the board was a controversial call.

Evan Rodrigues was drawn into the crease while he was tied up with Seattle defenseman Josh Mahura as the rookie forward was firing his shot on net. It was ruled that Rodrigues made contact with goaltender Joey Daccord’s stick and that he went into the crease on his own before the puck went in to momentarily give the Panthers a 2-1 lead with 3:05 to go.

It was not to be.

“They don’t give you explanations,” Maurice said. “I heard the explanation. We can’t touch a goalie in the blue paint and I guess we did.

“I’m not sure I would have challenged it, so he’s right and I’m wrong.”

McCann then added some salt to the wound by firing a wrist shot past Sergei Bobrovsky 7:03 into the third period after Adam Larsson found him wide open to give Seattle the lead.

The Panthers failed to respond, generating just five shots and three scoring chances at 5-on-5 before frantically searching for an equalizer with Bobrovsky pulled with 1:43 to go.

There were a few good looks, but even more sloppy plays which sent the puck back into their own zone and they were unable to find it.

As much as one could look at Samoskevich’s goal being wiped off the board as a turning point, the Panthers did not do enough to recover from it.

“It’s always big,” Anton Lundell said. “But we still had our chances and we can’t blame that goal.”

The Panthers found themselves behind the 8 ball pretty early in the game.

After an unsuccessful power play in the first minute of the game, Kaapo Kakko put Seattle ahead 1-0 on a power play of its own 6:32 into the game.

The Panthers struggled to move the puck on the power play before getting hemmed in their own zone for a large portion of the penalty kill and it cost them.

After the first half of the game dragged on, Florida finally came up with an answer after Lundell found Eetu Luostarinen in the slot with a slick backhand feed through traffic. Luostarinen promptly tapped it in to tie the game with 8:23 to go in the second period.

It was a reversal of a highlight reel goal from Lundell the duo connected on at the 4 Nations tournament for Finland.

“I feel like sometimes we see each other too much,” Lundell joked. It’s always fun. He’s awesome. Awesome player, awesome guy and a very good friend of mine.”

But between the Samoskevich goal that was not to be and McCann’s early strike to open the third period, the Panthers were unable to recover and find an answer.

Daccord stopped all five shots he faced in the third period — finishing the night with 26 saves on 27 shots — and the Kraken handed the Panthers just their second regulation loss in their past six games.

While it is unknown how long Tkachuk will be out, the Panthers will look to regroup and get back to its winning ways from before the break.

They currently sit a point ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the top seed in the Atlantic Division after coming into the break on a 4-1-0 stretch.

“It’s always good to get back from your break,”Lundell said. “We did some things good today, but we can do it better so we have to keep building.”