After Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, the Florida Panthers head to Columbus Tuesday owning a 9-7-2 record and a two-game losing streak.

After the loss in Boston, Florida finds themselves in the bottom half of the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. Their 20 points are just three ahead of cellar dwelling Detroit, and the Panthers must find answers soon with four division games remaining in November.

Florida has dealt with a myriad of injuries across their lineup which has factored in their uneven play through the first 18 games. There has been plenty of positives and the schedule will ease up as Florida will spend more time on home ice. The Panthers have played 12 games on the road, with just six in Sunrise.

Despite all of the injuries, the Panthers have fought hard to avoid long losing streaks. The loss Sunday marks the fourth time Florida has lost two straight this season, yet they have yet to lose three in a row so far.

Evaluating the performance of their position groups, there lies a study in contrasts.

Forwards - Grade B

Losing Sasha Barkov and Brad Marchand almost right from the start put Paul Maurice in a tough position with both his top lines along with the depth forwards.

The play of the Tkachuk brothers has been nothing short of spectacular over the last 10 games. After going without a goal in his first six games as a Panther, Brady Tkachuk broke the ice in a big way starting in a random Tuesday game at Columbus. His 20 points are second on the team, and the physicality he brings every game fits the Panthers style like a glove.

Speaking of Matthew, his 26 points are 10th in the NHL and he has four games with at least three assists. Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe are both off to great starts, and veteran Lars Eller has been a versatile depth forward adding much needed experience to the group.

Sam Bennett has been somewhat quiet statistically centering the top line between the Tkachuk brothers with five goals and three assists. A concern for the forwards is only Eller (+5), Verhaeghe (+4) and Bennett (+1) are the only forwards with a positive plus/minus this season. The third and fourth lines have been a roller coaster, with periods of great play balanced by games where they are simply not a factor.

Defense - Grade C-

A surprising note to the season so far for the Panthers is their lackluster play on the blue line, with one exception.

Seth Jones has emerged as the clear-cut top defenseman in Florida, commanding the power play and leading the team by nearly four minutes in ice time per game (24:54)

Outside of Jones and perhaps Niko Mikkola, the play on the defensive side for the Panthers has not been up to their typical standards. MIkkola leads the group with a +2 and is the only defenseman with a positive plus/minus rating (Jones even through Sunday).

Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling have struggled as a pair and are a combined -11 this season. The defensive end of the ice has been a danger zone for the Panthers. Poor breakout passes have led to turnovers and contributed to sluggish offense, and the fortification in front of their own net has been a glaring issue.

Goaltending - Grade C+

Jacob Markstrom was off to a solid start in his return to the Panthers before an injury in mid-October caused him to miss about two weeks of action. Markstom had a tough outing in Boston and has lost four out of his last six starts. For the season, Markstrom has a 4-3-1 record with a 2.57 GAA and .886 SV%.

Backup Akira Schmid has filled in admirably when called upon, putting up nearly identical numbers to Markstrom. Both netminders have appeared in nine games, with Schmid holding a 5-3-1 record along with a 3.00 GAA and .886 SV%. The Panthers will need to improve their play in their own zone to give their goaltenders more support, in clearance and simply moving bodies out of the way in front of the crease.