Extreme challenge ahead for the Florida Panthers, why the players look rattled right now

The spectacle was unforgettable, but the hockey result stung, a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers that felt over before Florida found its legs. Outdoor games do that sometimes, the night gets louder than the details.

Maurice admitted he would normally be grumpy after a game like that, yet he talked about gratitude and long-term memories instead. I respect it, because he did not pretend the event was meaningless.

Now the season snaps back into focus on Sunday, and it is a mean reset. The Colorado Avalanche come in rolling, and Florida is close enough to the wild card line that every point feels like rent.

The biggest worry is health, because Seth Jones left in the first period after a deflected puck hit near the collarbone area. Maurice said it did not look terrible, then followed up Saturday that Jones is day to day.

Jones matters because he settles shifts when the game gets messy. He quarterbacks touches up top, he plays with bite, and he logs the kind of minutes that keep everyone else in the right chair.

If he misses time, Florida has to simplify. Breakouts need to be one touch and go, and the power play cannot drift into cute passing when the legs are already tired.

This is the tricky part of the schedule where effort alone is not enough. The East is tight, and one sloppy week can turn a playoff pace into a chase.

The Panthers also have to avoid living off the Winter Classic glow or the Winter Classic drama. Consistent play means winning boring shifts, closing the slot, and getting pucks behind defenders when the highlight lane is not there.

Maurice has earned trust in this room, because he keeps the message steady and he treats people with real respect. That is why players have to buy in, even when the season starts throwing injuries like curveballs.

The memories will last, but the next milestone needs to be practical, get healthy, stack points, and play a full sixty that looks like Florida again.