Mackie Samoskevich’s shooting luck gone cold: What can the Panthers winger do to turn things around?

Mackie Samoskevich came into this season looking to build off a solid rookie season with the Florida Panthers. Rather, the gifted young wide-man has struggled to find the back of the net. His shooting percentage has plummeted, and the puck is not finding its way into the net with the same regularity after a season where, albeit unremarkably, he generated steady offense.

Numbers-wise, yes, there is a drop in finishing, but the Panthers have faith in him. He is still creating chances, still showcasing his skating and creativity, but the finishing touch seems to be absent. Florida is in the middle of the schedule, but both the player and the club are searching for a way to avalanche out of it before the stretch run begins.

Why Mackie Samoskevich’s production has dipped

There are multiple reasons behind Samoskevich not lighting the lamp more often recently. The most concerning problem has been a precipitous drop in shooting quality. He finished last season with a healthy conversion rate, but this year, many of the same chances are being denied. Some of that can be chalked up to plain old puck luck, but confidence also has a lot to do with it when goal-scorers go on dry spells.

His role in the lineup has varied over the matches. Samoskevich has played all around the forward group, jumping with different linemates and with different amounts of ice time. When you do not have that kind of consistency, it can be hard for a young guy to get into a rhythm. He has had to play catch-up ever since, brief injury concerns earlier in the season having further interrupted his momentum.

Steps Mackie Samoskevich can take to rediscover scoring form

It will need a bit of patience as well as a few tweaks to get things turned around. The most obvious is shot selection. If Samoskevich wants to find higher-quality chances rather than more of them, he can do so by using his quick releases and attacking the middle of the ice. Over a larger sample size, more high-risk opportunities often translate into more success.

One of the others is to have him hang around the crease more. Most young wingers like to rip one from the outside, but the easiest way to snap a slump is to get dirty with some rebound and tip-ins. He needs to get to the front of the net more so he can have some easier chances and make defenders be aware of him.

It would also help if he had some stability in his position. Samoskevich would only benefit from developing chemistry with regular linemates to help him play instinctively rather than adapting to new combinations. Finally, maintaining confidence is essential. Every other NHL player endures scoring droughts, and the best way out, as new-to-the-NHL and struggling Winnipeg Jets rookie forward Nik Ehlers was repeatedly told across the line, was to keep skating hard, trust his skill set, and let the law of averages take over.


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