Panthers can’t rely on comebacks, Huberdeau, coach say

“A little bit helter-skelter at both ends,” he said. “It’s entertaining but it’s not going to win you a lot of games in the playoffs.”Huberdeau agrees with his coach’s assessment.”It’s been happening a lot,” he said. “I mean, obviously we’ve got to figure this out. Because obviously in the playoffs this can’t happen, these types of things. You’re not going to get as many power plays, stuff like that.”We’ve got to be more ready.”Huberdeau, for one, certainly was on Tuesday. He has scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in a nine-game point streak, 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 23 games since the Panthers returned from the NHL All-Star break on Feb. 16 and is a strong candidate for the Hart Trophy, voted as NHL most valuable player.Though Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has been creating a lot of buzz to that end with his NHL-leading 54 goals, Brunette said he hopes the exposure Huberdeau received on national TV in Canada against Toronto will educate fans north of the border on how good the native of Saint-Jerome, Quebec, really is.”Great night for him,” Brunette said. “It kind of showed what we’ve been talking about all year. Maybe for Canada to see what we’ve been talking about all year.”Huberdeau is second in the NHL scoring race, trailing Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, who has scored 106 points (41 goals, 65 assists). But it’s team goals Huberdeau is most focused on, especially with the lack of postseason success he and Florida have had since the Panthers selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.”It’s been a roller coaster,” he said. “We’ve had some tough years. But I want to win for this organization. I was drafted here. They believed in me. And I’m still here after 10 years.”Now is our time, I feel.”