The Panthers capitalized on power play opportunities and the Avalanche did not. In a game that saw zero even-strength goals, Colorado simply didn't execute well enough on special teams to earn a victory.
The first period saw a recent trend continue: the Avalanche drawing penalties and failing to capitalize on the ensuing power plays. Officials would send Panthers Dave Bolland and Alex Petrovic off the ice nearly in succession, but Colorado would fail to score despite holding the puck in the Florida zone for nearly the entire combined advantage. To make matters worse, the Panthers would draw a holding penalty on Alex Tanguay with 1:23 left in the period, and score with just over 19 seconds left on a confounding 1-on-3 rush through the neutral zone.