KANATA, Ontario _ Although Thursday's 6-1 loss to the Maple Leafs could mostly be pinned on turnovers and goaltending, diminished offensive production from top-line forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr can't be overlooked.
Certainly, the sieve-like goaltending of James Reimer was a nightmarish outing against his original team, and the defensemen couldn't keep possession.
However, Barkov and Jagr led the Panthers with 28 and 27 goals respectively last season, but thus far they've combined for just three goals through 17 games. Barkov, 21, scored a goal in the first two games of the season and has now gone 15 games without turning on a red light. His longest drought was 17 games, coming in his second season (2014-15).
Jagr, the NHL's third all-time leading goal scorer with 750, scored his lone goal on Oct. 20 against the Capitals, and is on a 13-game goal drought, 19, if the six-game playoff series with the Islanders is included. The 13-game slump matches the longest regular-season slide of his 23-season career, only done once before from March 10-April 5, 2012 when he was with the Flyers.
Panthers coach Gerard Gallant, who admitted his team, "didn't show up" Thursday, was quick to respond to the reason for the decline of his top-line duo.
"Jonathan Huberdeau," Gallant shot back via phone Friday afternoon.
Huberdeau was evolving into one of the NHL's top playmakers in the second half of last season in which he notched nine goals and nine assists in his last 17 games for a career-high 20 goals and 39 helpers. However, Jagr and Barkov's linemate has been out all season while recuperating from Achilles' tendon surgery, and isn't expected back until January at the earliest.
Barkov, considered the team's best defensive forward, does have three assists in his last five games, and Jagr, who led the team with 66 points last season, has five assists.
Soon, the naysayers will start tweeting that Father Time has finally caught up to the 44-year-old Jagr, who lost 15 pounds this summer to keep up with the NHL's evolving emphasis on speed over brawn.
Jagr recently bemoaned the loss of Huberdeau, but said last week that he has "never felt better" and to give it "30 games" before concern should set in.
The 8-8-1 Panthers have received a huge lift from Lightning castoff Jonathan Marchessault, who has responded with a team-leading eight goals and 14 points, mostly while playing with Jagr and Barkov.
However, Jagr and Gallant agreed that Marchessault is a shoot-first sniper, and doesn't have the passing or cycling skills of Huberdeau.
"Marchessault jumped from the third line to the top line, but if Huberdeau was back tomorrow night, (Marchessault's) not going to be on the first line anymore," Gallant said.
Gallant recently tried Jussi Jokinen at left wing on the top line, but even the Finn, who led the Panthers with 42 assists last season, was unable to spark the duo. Jokinen, who has missed 10 games with a knee injury and now the flu-bug, is also struggling with no goals and three points.
On Thursday, Gallant briefly placed 20-year-old forward Jared McCann with Jagr and Barkov, but soon replaced him with Colton Sceviour. Nothing has clicked.
Gallant pointed out that the second line of Jokinen, Reilly Smith and to a lesser extent Vincent Trocheck, who combined for 68 goals last season but now have nine, is also underachieving.
"It's not just Barky, there are plenty of the top guys who need to get going," Gallant said. "I have no problem with Barkov."
