Saturday, March 28, 2009

75 Down, 7 To Go...

The Florida Panthers conclude their quick road trip tonight in Dallas, where they will hope to take advantage of a struggling Stars squad. Dallas is 0-4-1 in their last 5 games. Florida, coming off of a 4-2 win in Philadelphia, needs every win it can get, as they are trying to chase down the Montreal Canadiens for the 8th and final playoff spot.

A decision on who will start in net for the Panthers has yet to be made. It's a tough call for head coach Pete DeBoer. After Tomas Vokoun struggled in his last few starts, DeBoer turned to Craig Anderson Thursday night. Andy was sensational, making 40 saves and getting the Panthers back in the win column. With just 7 games remaining, the Panthers can't afford to wait for a goaltender to find his stride again. Knowing Vokoun, he's chomping at the bit to get back in the net and prove he is still the #1 guy. But Anderson's performance may speak for itself.

In other action tonight, Montreal hosts 10th seed Buffalo. While it would be nice to see Buffalo fall out of the race for good, there's not enough time left for Montreal to pick up any more points. The Panthers need the Habs to lose as often as possible. Of course, if Florida doesn't win, then it doesn't really matter. It's a big night, no doubt. Puck drops at 8:00.

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