Off to a Decent Start

My creation and first posting is a little late, I realize that. 7 games into the season, the Panthers sit at a respectable 4-3. Coming off of an impressive 4-3 win at home againt the Western Conference best San Jose Sharks, the Panthers travel to St. Louis tonight to try to stretch the early season winning streak to 3. ("Ok, guys. We've won two games in a row. If we win tonight, it's called a winning streak. It has happened before...")

Quick thoughts on the first 7 games: Except for a 6-2 beating from the Minnesota Wild, the Panthers have looked good. Their other 2 losses were opening night in Carolina and in Montreal in a very even game against one of the favorites in the East. A good win in Ottawa and then in San Jose shows that this years Panthers may just have that extra edge that was lacking in the last few years. Special teams have not been kind to us so far. The power play is struggling, and the penalty kill has been ineffective, at best. The addition of Ballard and Boynton have been huge, as they have carried the puck with confidence and added to the offense. Cory Stillman was also a key acquisition. It's early on, I realize, but he looks like the kind of veteran leader we never really got in Olli. His 2 Cup rings probably helps...

Craig Anderson will get his 2nd start tonight. Stephen Weiss is out, sustaining a groin injury during pre-game warmups, so we'll see what kind of line change-ups that will force Coach DeBoer to make. Check back in post-game.

This was my first posting, so there were a few things to get caught up on. From now on, hopefully, they will be much more focused.