Kaprizov's hat trick spoils the Panthers' home opener, 4-1

Wild 4, Panthers 1. The building was ready for a celebration and the cats showed up a step behind, and against Kirill Kaprizov a step behind becomes a three-goal night.

Florida's first regulation loss of the season arrived in the home opener, in front of a sellout crowd of 19,856 in Sunrise, and the Panthers are now 2-1-2. One goal on 30 shots and an 0-for-5 power play is a hard way to introduce yourself to the home crowd.

How it went

Matt Boldy beat Jacob Markstrom from distance 53 seconds in. Dmitry Kulikov took a holding penalty at 5:52, and Kaprizov needed only 26 seconds of power play to make it 2-0.

Matthew Tkachuk got one back at 2:18 of the second, unassisted, for his team-leading third goal. The good feeling lasted 2:42, until Kaprizov finished a play from Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek at 5:00. Jesper Wallstedt closed the door from there, stopping 29 of 30, and Kaprizov's empty-netter at 18:56 of the third completed the hat trick.

Three things from Sunrise:

1. The power play is a real problem now, not a slump. Florida came in converting 4.3 percent of its power plays through four games, by our count, then went 0-for-5 tonight. Five opportunities in a one-goal game, and Wallstedt barely had to stretch. Without Sasha Barkov and Brad Marchand, the first unit has nobody to slow the play down.

2. The faceoff dot was a mismatch. Minnesota won 43 of 68 draws, and Eriksson Ek won 79 percent of his. You can't chase a game when you're beginning every shift without possession. Lars Eller played 18:06, up from 12.9 minutes in Los Angeles per NHL data, which is the Barkov absence in one number.

3. Tkachuk keeps carrying the offense. That goal gives Matthew Tkachuk a point in four consecutive games, by our count, while Sam Reinhart has none through five. Anton Lundell fired six shots at Wallstedt and has nothing to show for it. Reinhart will be fine eventually, just not tonight.

Ferda play of the night:

Bokondji Imama. The Wild scored 53 seconds in, the building went quiet, and two minutes later Imama dropped the gloves with Michael McCarron. He played seven and a half minutes, took three shots and a five-minute major, and told the room the night wasn't over. It didn't change the scoreboard, but it absolutely changed the energy on the bench.

One more for the lifers: Aaron Ekblad played his 807th game, passing Barkov for the most in franchise history. He was here for the empty nights, and he deserved a better celebration.

Pabs' read

I've watched this team survive far worse nights than a 4-1 home-opener loss, so this one doesn't frighten me. What bothers me is how it happened, because the details were ugly. The Panthers outshot Minnesota and still never looked like the team controlling the game, because they lost the faceoffs, wasted five power plays and kept losing track of Kaprizov.

Markstrom stopped 25 of 28, and none of those three goals belong on him. The scrum at 11:42 of the third, with both Tkachuks in the middle of it, tells you the room was angry, and that's encouraging, because they'll need that edge in Buffalo.

Next game

The Panthers visit the Sabres on Monday, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m. ET, then play in Columbus on Tuesday. The box score and three stars are on the game page.