Well, depending on who you believe, the story Monday night was the Florida Panthers started uncharacteristically asleep in Game 1 or they played characteristically nasty and now have another city all upset.

Either way, they lost to Toronto, 5-3 , in a game that lit the next series and needs a translation. Or a ringside judge. Or maybe just a Game 2 to put it in perspective.

“You’re hopeful you don’t look that way again at the start,’’ Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

Toronto has played hockey since ice was invented, but hadn’t scored 33 seconds into a playoff game until Monday. Its top scorer, William Nylander, then scored his second goal later in the first period to make it 2-0. That was the cushion Toronto rode all night.

“It was the perfect storm of that’s not the way you want to start when everybody’s got lots of energy and jump,’’ Maurice said. “There’s some tension to it, too. That was our first period. We didn’t look like ourselves.”

So, the Panthers talked like they just need to bring their alarm clock Wednesday and all will be fine.

Toronto talked like it will bring pitchforks and burning torches.

Yes, in another Panthers series and another opponent is upset with the Panthers’ play. This is becoming a regular storyline.

Craig Berube’s last job Monday night, almost his duty as Toronto coach, was to set his side’s narrative on Panther center Sam Bennett’s (a) bump, (b) collision, (c) purposefully thrown elbow into Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz.

“Elbow to the head,’’ Berube said. “Clearly. Clear as day.”

Maurice stayed out of it as much as a coach can while expressing hope Stolarz, a former Panther, is healthy.

“The referee was standing right there when it happened,’’ Maurice said.

No penalty was called. That’s his point. But what happened after Bennett ran into Stolarz could go a long way toward deciding this series.

Stolarz stayed on the ice for a moment in the second period before continuing on. He’d already been hit in the mask by a shot puck, knocking the mask off his head. Now he skated to the bench several minutes after being hit by Bennett and began vomiting over the boards.

His night was done. Maybe his series, too? The latest Panthers controversy was just starting.

“Hopefully the league will handle it and protect our players,’’ Toronto forward Matthew Knies said.

The nasty offenses are piling up for the Panthers. Aaron Ekblad missed Monday night while serving a two-game suspension for a forearm to the head of Tampa Bay’s Brandon Kagel during that previous series. Another defenseman, Niko Mikkola, was ejected from a game that series for a hit. Matthew Tkachuk started a TV debate on whether he would be suspended for another hit.

Now, Bennett is the topic of consternation. Again. Last playoffs, it was his hit on Boston’s Brad Marchand that was Topic A of that series. It knocked Marchand out of a couple of games as the Panthers knocked Boston out.

Do you get the feeling the Panthers play on the edge of nasty and dirty?

It’s always something with them, for better or worse, depending on what side you sit. Marchand is on the Panthers’ side now.

“I love the guys in this room,’’ he has repeated since arriving. “They play how you should play.”

Toronto, like Tampa Bay, is upset and their goalie situation might be in trouble. Stolarz, the former Panther, started all seven Toronto playoff games so far. If he’s out that means Joseph Woll starts. Woll replace Stolarz and allowed three goals to the end.

Toronto will say they’ll be fine with Woll, but they want Bennett to be suspended. Say this beyond Bennett: The Panthers need to play more disciplined. They took five penalties in Game 1. Two of them came after they scored two quick goals in the third period to cut Toronto’s lead to 4-3.

That took away their momentum and, eventually, their comeback chance.

What did it all mean in Game 1?

Game 2 will help sort it out.