Ducks let the Panthers get away in the second period in 4-1 loss

Shorthanded was the early theme for the Ducks as they began the latest chapter of their season. Then Jaromir Jagr turned it into The Old Man and the Steal.

Playing without veteran center Antoine Vermette and boosted by Andrew Cogliano’s third shorthanded goal this season, the Ducks appeared ready for victory in their first home game this month.

But the 45-year-old Jagr’s brilliant play highlighted a three-goal second period by the Florida Panthers and the Ducks lost, 4-1, on Friday at Honda Center.

Jagr stole the puck from defenseman Josh Manson behind the net, made several dekes on goalie John Gibson and easily scored the go-ahead goal. The turn-back-time play was further proof that Jagr, who was in his first NHL season when Manson was born in 1991, is a marvel of the sports world.

“He showed what kind of player he is on that goal.” Cogliano said of Jagr. “A lot of guys would have made a shot or rushed themselves, but he made a good play. You give him an opportunity in front of the net like that, he’s going to make you pay … that’s why he’s up in the top five [in scoring].”

It was the Ducks’ first game since Vermette was suspended 10 games for abuse of an official, pending his appeal and a hearing with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that is expected sometime in the coming days.

Vermette is a key faceoff center, but that was the least of the Ducks’ problems in a second period that saw goals by Jagr, Colton Sceviour and Aaron Ekblad in a span of six minutes.

Sceviour wristed the puck from above the hash marks and Gibson appeared to track it late. Jagr followed with the 760th goal of his career and 1,901st point, and the Panthers weren’t done.

Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen returned from a knee injury, and his interference penalty facilitated Ekblad’s power-play goal that put Florida up, 3-1.

“I think we started very well and I think played how we wanted to play, but then we made a couple of little mistakes” Vatanen said. “We pushed hard in the third and created some chacnes, but we just couldn’t get the puck in the net.”

Ekblad beat Gibson and it became clear that Gibson was not as his best. Gibson played arguably the best game of his young career in an exhaustive win Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild. He might have been given Friday off, but backup goalie Jonathan Bernier was ill, Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said before the game.

But Gibson’s defense didn’t help him. It allowed open looks to Florida and disconnected on passes. However, the Ducks’ offense perked early. Vatanen hit the post in the first period and Cogliano beat Panthers goalie James Reimer on a breakaway 2:45 into the second period for a 1-0 lead, with Ondrej Kase serving a tripping penalty.

With Vatanen’s return, defenseman Shea Theodore was reassigned as the Ducks stick with defenseman Brandon Montour, who continues to impress in his debut NHL season. Montour, 22, played in his sixth straight game and was partnered with Cam Fowler, in addition to his role on the second-unit power play unit.

Carlyle earlier said that Montour is “not intimidated by any situation he’s been presented with” and likes his hunger.

“He’s one of the guys that goes after it versus sitting back and waiting for things to happen,” Carlyle said. “We stated before that we’d rather have to tame people than try to lift them up.”

sports@latimes.com