Cat Scratch

Please Check Out The Hockey Writers

2009-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have decided to shut this one down and concentrate soley on my Hockey Writers responsibility. I am the Panthers' correspondant there and will be frequently submitting articles, so please come on over and check it out. It really is turning into an outstanding site. Because of the time it has taken me to actually compose my thoughts into a coherent article instead of just my rambling thoughts, along with plain laziness, I am not going to post anymore on Cat Scratch. Had we made the playoffs last year, I would have continued, of course (hockey players aren't superstitious or anything...). So again, please check out the Hockey Writers and I hope to see some of your comments there! Thanks for taking the time to check my blog out last season, hope you enjoyed.

Noteworthy News From the Past Week(s)

2009-09-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Some news has surfaced that may be of note to a few of you, and the other two people probably won't care. But I'm still going to tell you anyways, because I can. As the Panthers' "Amazing Journey" wraps up it's North American portion of the tour tonight, the Cats have proclaimed Bryan McCabe team captain. The Panthers went through all of last season sans captain, so McCabe will be the first Panther to wear the "C" since Olli Jokinen. Stephen Weiss and Cory Stillman will be the assistants. A perfectly good choice, in my opinion. He's been a captain before, and has been an assistant captain on every team he's played for. The added weight of wearing the "C" shouldn't bother him.

The Panthers are 3-3-0 this preseason. They opened with 2 wins against the Ottawa Senators, then lost 3 straight to Jacques Martin and his Montreal Canadians, Jokinen, Bouwmeester, and the Calgary Flames, and the Edmonton Oilers... who have no Panther ties that I am aware of. The Panthers played in Dallas last night, and despite dressing the minimum 5 NHL players, the AHL heavy Cats beat up on the Dallas Stars. Those Stars will be in south Florida tonight for the Panthers lone preseason home contest. I haven't checked, but I think good seats are still available...

One last note of interest; ESPN.com came out with their preseason power poll, and the Panthers are sitting at a somewhat surprising 8th in the east. While it's far from earth shattering, it is nice to see Florida get a little respect from a major media outlet.

The Panthers head to Finland on Friday for a couple exhibition games against SM-Liiga teams before opening the regular season with the Chicago Blackhawks on October 2nd. Until then...

2 Short Weeks Away...

2009-09-17T07:10:00.001-07:00

The Florida Panthers now have 2 preseason games behind them, and they are 2-0-0! Unfortunately, the real games don't start until October 2nd.

For those interested, I have a full season preview now up on the Hockey Writers. To be honest, I'm not sure how much of my immediate, post-game reactionary blogs I'll get to on this site, but will certainly have weekly recaps or items of note on the Hockey Writers. We shall see.

As for the Panthers, they are slowly but surely instilling confidence and optimism in this fan. Their defencemen are now a respectable bunch, top to bottom. Dennis Seidenberg is the latest addition and will join Keith Ballard, Bryan Allen, Bryan McCabe, Jordan Leopold, and Ville Koistinen. That's not a bad list...

The offense might take some time to come together, but there is potential. Obviously Horton, Weiss, and Booth will be leaned on strongly to provide the biggest punch. But a Stillman, Reinprecht, Frolik line generates interest. Maybe a Dvorak, Campbell, Olesz line can be this year's CPR line, the COD line, if you will. Throw in Matthias\Repik, Kreps, Tarnasky for some size and toughness, and who knows? (I have heard Nasty Nick may be out up to 6 weeks with a broken bone in his face, but haven't seen anything for sure.)

In any case, there are a lot of unknowns going into the season. Enough unknown that I can and will hope for the best, at least until I am proven wrong yet again.

Finally September!

2009-09-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Now now, don't pout. Even though it appears as though all that waiting will be for nothing, the season is approaching none-the-less. Summer has come and gone, and barring some minor miracles, we know the players who will be fighting it out for ice time come October. Training camp officially opens up in just a couple short weeks (although informal practices have been going on down at Incredible Ice). While we know that the David Booths and Nathan Hortons will be there, it will be interesting to see which of the rookies will do enough this pre-season to warrant a starting spot come October 2, and there will be starting spots available.

Defensively, this team will need rookies to have an immediate impact. It looks as though the top 4 is set, with Brian McCabe and Keith Ballard returning from last season, Bryan Allen returning from his injury-cancelled season, and Jordan Leopold coming down south from the Great White North. The final pairing should be an interesting fight between "veteran" Ville Koistinen, 2009 draft pick Dmitri Kulikov, and NHL rookies-to-be Keaton Ellerby, Jason Garrison, and Clay Wilson. Knowing Pete DeBoer like I do, which is to say like any fan "knows" a coach, I'd expect everyone to enter camp on September 13 with a clean slate, and the better performers will see the ice in October. Should anyone slip, someone will be fighting to take their place. And on the optimistic note I try to keep here, competition only leads to better performance, so our defense might not be as bad as initially feared.

On the scoring front... do I really want to get into this? Maybe I should just put it like this. If a bunch of "ifs" come true, we could do OK this year... IF our draft picks finally mature into polished NHL scorers, we could survive. The “Sunshine Express” line should be reunited, with Stephen Weiss (2001 first round), Nathan Horton (2003, 1st round), and David Booth (2004, 2nd round). Throw in 2004 first round pick Rostislav Olesz, who has yet to score more than 14 goals in a season, and you have an amazing amount of untapped potential. Beyond that top line, the Cats will be hoping for more from sophomore Michael Frolik (21 G, 21 A in his rookie year) and then a return to Y2K for Cory Stillman, Radek Dvorak, and Steven Reinprecht. IF pretty much everyone on our top 2 lines has a career year, we could be OK. More rookies will be counted on this season on the offense, including Shawn Matthias and Michael Repik, both of whom saw NHL action last season. As of now, however, the top 2 forward lines should look SOMETHING like this... again, just speculation; Booth-Weiss-Horton, Frolik-Reinprecht-Stillman. Beyond that, I must admit, there are players on the Panthers' roster I do not know too much about. We know Olesz, Greg Campbell, and Kamil Kreps bring to that table. But what about Evgeni Dadonov, recently smuggled, err... transplated from Russia? Jamie Johnson, who put up solid numbers in the AHL two seasons ago, but spent last season in Finland? Graham Mink, who put up 87 goals in 200 games over the last 3 seasons, but is past his 30th birthday? And what of Shawn Matthias and Michael Repik? Both saw time with the big club last year, is this the year that they break through and become an everyday member of the Panthers? (See, I knew I shouldn't have even started on the offense...)

Cutting this short, there are so many questions, so many holes, so much potential... it's hard to see this being a competitive team this season, but for now, there is hope. The same hope that all 32 teams are holding on to. Training camp opens in 2 weeks... should be fun.

(and I didn't even get into Tomas Vokoun vs. Scott Clemmensen)

Still Here, Still Waiting...

2009-07-17T11:49:00.001-07:00

Have no fear, I'm still around. It's been a couple weeks since my last post, and that's mainly because nothing has really happened. Yes, there was that odd Drew Rosenhaus shtick. We were able to sign Leopold, which was nice. The schedule came out yesterday, which isn't really newsworthy beyond the fact that I find out when I make my trips to Tampa (once in the first week of the season, October 12th. Then in January, and then the final road game of the season, which will hopefully have some sort of meaning). For a full report of the past weeks since my last post, check out my Hockey Writers article here.

For now, though, we are patiently waiting a confirmation of a leaked rumor yesterday that had Alex Tanguay coming to the Panthers. Normally, rumors with so few facts behind them would go unnoticed, but then I came across this from ESPN.com's rumor page; "The Panthers denied signing Alex Tanguay yesterday, but what about today? The Sun-Sentinel reported that the internet rumors of a Tanguay signing were false. But HockeyBuzz.com spoke to three teams, not including the Panthers, that were interested in Tanguay, and all three said they're no longer pursuing him. That leaves the Panthers, who have shown significant interest and might lock up the winger today."

Certainly worth paying attention to. Tanguay managed 41 points in just 50 games last season, and if the Panthers can get him to come down from his 2008-2009 salary, he would be a much needed breath of hope to the Cats. Imagining a top 2 lines consisting of Weiss\Horton\Booth and Reinprecht\Tanguay\Frolik puts just a touch of optimism back into my outlook. We'll see...

The defence could still use a touch up, as well though, and there aren't many tangible options left. As of now, it looks like this in my mind; Ballard\Leopold, Allen\McCabe, ???\???. There will probably be 3 or 4 guys fighting for that bottom pairing. Ville Koistinen is the only one with NHL blue line experience. I know the organization is hoping for BIG things from Keaton Ellerby, so as of now, he's probably the best option for the last spot. Jason Garrison and 2009 draft choice Dmitri Kulikov will be pushing for ice time, should Koistinen or Ellerby fall off. But wouldn't one more, bona fide NHL defenceman make you breath just a little easier?

A Look Back

2009-07-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

The past few days have taken quite a toll on this Panther fan. I've waited a couple days since the first day of the "free agent frenzy" came to close, hoping and praying that there would be some good news developments to get excited about. I'm still waiting, although I feel much better today than I did 24 hours ago.

First, the moves the Panthers did make were all solid. GM-for-now Randy Sexton has done everything that could be expected of him. Re-signed David Booth to a 6-year deal. Re-signed Radek Dvorak for 2 more years. Almost instant reaction by losing backup netminder Craig Anderson by signing Scott Clemmensen. Signing much needed defense in Ville Koistinen and Jordan Leopold, who Sexton claimed to have very little hope of signing just 24 hours before the deal was announced. In fact, Leopold's signing might have been one of the most impressive moves by any GM. Trading Bouwmeester's rights for a 3rd round pick and Leopold, after Bo and his agent publicly announced they were waiting until free agency regardless, is incredible. Everything he did needs to be commended. Imagine trying to convince a player to come to the Panthers, a team that has missed the playoffs for 8 straight seasons. A team that's ownership is in flux and has no full-time general manager. Dreams of signing a Gaborik or Hossa were just that, dreams. What Sexton was able to accomplish was superb. Kudos.

But then there's that painful nuisance... reality. The Washington Capitals, who have dominated the division in recent history, got better by adding perpetual 25 goal scorer Mike Knuble. Tampa Bay now has a vastly improved defense after drafting Victor Hedman, then adding Mattias Ohlund and Matt Walker. Even the Thrashers look better, after signing Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina. All this happening while Florida took a step back, losing Jay Bouwmeester, Karlis Skrastins, and Richard Zednik. As it stands now, the Panthers defence is made up of Keith Ballard, Bryan McCabe, and Jordan Leopold. After that, you have Brian Allen, who missed virtually the entire '08-'09 season. Rounding out the top 6 could be rookies Keaton Ellerby or Jason Garrison. Or free agent signing Ville Koistinen, who despite an impressive Finnish Elite League resume, played only half a season in his first 2 NHL years, and some of those games were as a 4th line winger. For a team who's greatest depth just 3 months ago was defence, it now looks like it could be its greatest weakness. Throw in an offense who will be led by the still-waiting-to-breakout-line of Weiss, Booth, and Horton, and it could be a long year.

There are still free agents out there who could provide an instant boost to my morale. Randy Sexton claims to still be pulling some strings. Steve Reinprecht was a nice addition, and he could be just enough to show the kids-no-more what it means, exactly, to work and earn goals. Booth grew into that last season. Horton showed flashes late in the season he may still have another level. Michael Frolik had a nice rookie season and could be a 25-30 goal scorer. Keaton Ellerby could prove to be the monster on the blue line that the scouts think he will be. There is just so much uncertainty and so many unfilled expectations on this team that it is hard to feel optimistic. I'm praying I am wrong. I do believe there is a strong core. Pete DeBoer showed he might just be the guy that can get these guys to overachieve. I just have that sinking, stomach enveloping feeling that this team is still a couple pieces away from being competitive next season.

The best news of the last week is that we only turned the calendar to July. October's season opening trip to Finland is still a few months away. Months that could see the Panthers fit the puzzle together. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm not quite ready to exhale just yet...

...And They're Off!

2009-07-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

8:28 pm - So it looks as though Florida might be done, at least for tonight. This from Steve Gorten's blog regarding signing a top tier scoring forward. "Sexton said, "I'm not sure you ever have enough scoring, but we're real comfortable with our top three lines. Our top six of Booth, Weiss, Frolik, Stillman, Reinprecht, Horton, we think those guys can score. ...We're very comfortable offensively with those top six. I don't know that you can ever have enough, but I don't think it is the issue it was last year, at least in some people's minds."

So I guess we're going to count on a bunch of 20-25 goal scorers to have career years... again... next season. One would have thought that saving $9 million by not re-signing Jay Bouwmeester and Nick Boynton, there would have been room to sign a top tier guy. But we did sign David Booth long term. Found a quick, and possibly better, replacement for Craig Anderson. Signed a kid in Koistinen that is supposedly an offensive defenseman (who played half a season in his first 2 years in the NHL...). And... oh yea, Dvorak resigned. So I guess it's not an awful day. Then again, we have 4, FOUR, signed defensemen for next season, including Koistinen. Karlis Skrastins remains unsigned. Jordan Leopold remains unsigned. Get those 2 on the roster, and I'll feel a lot better about getting no help for our forwards. Until then... it could be a giant step back from the progress made last season.
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5:43 pm - Apologies, I had to make an unexpected return trip to work and apparently missed out on some happenings. First, a replacement for Craig Anderson has been signed; Scott Clemmensen, who made a name for himself last season when Martin Brodeur went down for a lengthy stretch. Clemmensen will reportedly make $1.2 mil for the next 3 years as a Panther. While I have no doubt Clemmy(?) will serve his purpose, the money makes me nervous. We now have nearly $7.5 million in our two netminders. Only one can play at a time... Add to the fact that Clemmensen will no doubt be given a chance to earn the #1 spot, as Anderson was last season. "Play the winning hand," I believe is how Pete DeBoer phrased it. So what happens if Clemmensen continues where he left off last season? We have a $6 million man as a backup, with a no-trade clause? Yikes... Add to the fact that we drafted Swedish phenom Jakob Markstrom last summer, and he is expected to be in the Panthers' fold next season, and it's a scary situation. Although to be fair, not quite as scary as having a backup with zero experience, so I guess I'm happy with the lesser of the two evils. Kudos to Randy Sexton for getting one of the more sought after UFA goalies.

Also, Florida has signed Ville Koistinen, who played parts of the last 2 seasons in Nashville. Koistinen is...well...a defenceman, which brings Florida's tally up to 4 signed d-men for next season. Double yikes. Koistinen played just 38 games last season, and 48 his rookie year in '07-'08. I can only hope that he is being brought in as insurance, in case Jordan Leopold, Karlis Skrastins, and\or Steve Eminger do not return next season. Or if Keaton Ellerby and\or Jason Garrison are not quite ready come October.

More as it occurs...
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1:49 pm - hearing reports now that Craig Anderson has signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Should that be true, the Cats are suddenly in the market for a #2 goalie. The Avs have 2 guys who were starters at some points, Peter Budaj and Andrew Raycroft. Does Sexton try to snag one of them for backup duty? Or do we just sit on our hands and do our anti-injury dance for Vokoun, hope that he stays healthy, use one of our AHL guys next season, and hope last summer's first draft pick, Jakob Markstrom, is ready for NHL duty next season? I would have to think that Sexton will be making phone calls this afternoon... nothing against Chris Beckford-Tseu or Tyler Plante...
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1:39 pm - via Panthers twitter page: BREAKING NEWS: The Panthers have signed David Booth to a 6-yr contract extension. Booth led the team with 31 goals last season. More to come...

It seemed just a matter of time before this was announced, probably just hashing out the final money figure and length of contract. Booth had a breakout year last season and Florida looks like they are expecting more of the same from Booth. More 30 goal seasons and a couple playoff appearances and Booth could become the Panther.
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12:46 pm - The Panthers have resigned Radek Dvorak to a 3 year deal, according to TSN. Does this mean Ville Peltonen is out? Dvorak was the younger of the two, and most productive. A good sign by Sexton.
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12:01 pm - Happy Canada Day! Oh yea, and the "free agent frenzy" is officially underway. Any rumors or actual news that is relevant and\or interesting will be talked about here as soon as I hear about it. Stay tuned...

Free Agency Just Hours Away

2009-06-30T14:41:00.001-07:00

The countdown is on for Free Agency 2009, and the Panthers may actually be an active participant this year. According to GM-for-now Randy Sexton, it will depend on what they can get accomplished with current players before the market opens. With Jay Bouwmeester's rights shipped to Calgary, Richard Zednik having already packed his bags for Russia, and Nick Boynton, Brett Mclean, Anthony Stewart, and Jassen Cullimore basically being told they aren't being welcomed back, that leaves Radek Dvorak, Ville Peltonen, Karlis Skrastins, Jordan Leopold, Steve Eminger, and Craig Anderson to deal with. All could be\would be unrestricted free agents tomorrow.

Of those UFA's who were Panthers last year, I could see bringing back Dvorak OR Pelts, but not both. They are both in their mid-30's, and bring the same characteristics. Last year showed that you can have a roster full of good heart\good character players, but if they aren't putting the puck in the net, someone who can needs to be found.

Skrastins would be a nice hold over, but not for the $2.4 mil a year he was making. Leopold and Eminger are younger and cheaper, and personally, I think Skrastins benefited enormously by playing with Bouwmeester. Besides, Keaton Ellerby and Jason Garrison are just waiting for a chance to prove they can play at the NHL level.

As for Craig Anderson... this is the most interesting case for Sexton. Andy feels he is good enough to be a starter. Agreed. He's going to want a raise. Fair enough. The only problem with that is that our current #1, Tomas Vokoun, is the highest paid player on the roster. Spending almost $9 mil on goaltending alone (considering only one can play at a time...) seems ludicrous. So, can Sexton convince Mr. Anderson to ride the pine another year for a minimal raise? The Panthers drafted Swedish phenom Jakob Markstrom last summer for a reason. But Markstrom is still at least a season away, and it would be folly to simply hire a mediocre to poor backup as a holdover. One twist of the knee to Vokoun, and ________ would be our starter. Andy is a solid backup, and if we can keep him for one more year (again, for the right price) then kudos. If not... it wouldn't be a bad thing to go after a castoff starter\backup from the UFA market. A few that pop into mind...Peter Budaj, Brian Boucher\Antero Niitymaki, Martin Biron, Yann Denis all performed well in stints last year. If any of these could be signed for backup money, it would be a nice move.

Of the big names that are out there, there are a couple that make actually make it into the Panthers' locker room. If Randy Sexton wants to make a big splash and gain some big browine points, maybe he'll take a look at these;

Mike Cammilleri - A center (check #1-obvious need), and while he will probably make around $4 mil next season, he provides an instant and clear cut #1 center\scorer. If the Flames are able to sign that Bouwmeester kid, they will have to dump salary somewhere.

Brian Gionta - It's been a few years since he nearly eclipsed the 50 goal plateau, but he has made it known he's looking to become the focal point of a team's offense, and he would certainly be that in south Florida. Again, at around $4 mil, the price could be right.

Mike Knuble - Like Calgary, the Flyers are in salary cap hell. A victim of roster cuts could be Knuble. As close to a sure-thing 20 goal\50 point guy, I think he could also slide in very comfortably to Pete DeBoer's high tempo, aggressive offense.

Be sure to stay locked in tomorrow through the day for any moves the Panthers do make. For a full list of free agents, check out ESPN.com's FA tracker. Until something happens...

Happy Pre-Free-Agency-Eve-Day?

2009-06-29T15:23:00.001-07:00

With the hockey world awaiting Free Agency Day, the Florida Panthers extended qualifying offers to only two of their pending free agents today, David Booth and prospect David Brine. Players of note left on the outs include Steve Eminger, Anthony Stewart, and Brett McLean.

Eminger, who was acquired at the trade deadline in March, may still be playing for Florida next season, if the price is right. In fact, the whole tone of the official release on the Panthers' site seemed to be all about the benjamins, so to speak.

So heading into the day before free agents are able to sign, here's what's on the table.
UFA
Karlis Skrastins
Radek Dvorak
Ville Peltonen
Jordan Leopold
Craig Anderson

As Mr. Sexton said, if the price is right, they could all be wearing Florida jerseys next season. The goaltending situation is probably the most vital. Obviously, Tomas Vokoun makes the big bucks and is the starter. The question is, how willing is Craig Anderson to ride the pine, even if he does get a nice raise?

It also appears as though the organization has finally given up hope that Anthony Stewart and Brett McLean will magically turn into productive NHLers. Quality checking liners that they were, they just never turned the corner. Roster spots open for Matthias\Repik? Or is this an indication that Randy Sexton isn't done filling his resume?

Heads up, tomorrow I'll hopefully get a wish list of available free agents hitting the market, I'm just sick and too lazy to go through it now... But there are obvious needs the Panthers will (hopefully) address come Wednesday... Until then...

Bye, Bye Bouwmeester!

2009-06-27T08:23:00.001-07:00

Everyone knew this day was coming, we just weren't sure how exactly it would go down. Jay Bouwmeester (or more specifically, his rights) were traded to the Calgary Flames early this morning in exchange for the Flames 3rd round pick (67th overall) and free agent defenceman Jordan Leopold.

When the Panthers failed to, or chose not to trade Bo in March, everyone knew the reality. The Cats were hoping Bouwmeester would push them forward into the postseason before packing his bags for free agency. The playoff push came up short, and that sinking feeling that we would not only miss the playoffs, but lose Bouwmeester for nothing started creeping in. The only hope was to trade his rights at the draft. Because let's face it, something is better than nothing. Now J. Bo gets reunited with Olli Jokinen and will create quite the pairing with Dion Phaneuf (they were #1-#2 in ice time last season). I can only imagine that the BAC faithful will be nothing but polite to Olli and Jay if\when they return to south Florida with the Flames next season...

Jordan Leopold will become a free agent on July 1st, so there is no guarantee that he will be a Panther next season. However, one would assume Florida knew this risk and had talks with Leopold to gain some insight into his frame of mind before pulling the string on the deal. He's a solid defenceman in his own right, and could fit in well with the Panthers, should he decide to sign. A top 4 of Brian McCabe, Bryan Allen, Keith Ballard, and Leopold is not too shabby. Throw in Karlis Skrastins and Steve Eminger, and it's a solid top 6. If Keaton Ellerby, Jason Garrison, or Dmitri Kulikov mature in time... Bouwmeester might not be missed too badly.
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Not to be overlooked, the draft continues on. The Panthers chose center Drew Shore with their 2nd round pick (44th overall). Filling a need in center, Shore was ranked as a late 1st-early 2nd rounder by most analysts. He has "potential" written all over him, but will need a few years to grow into an NHLer. He is expected to play for the University of Denver in the fall.

With their earlier acquired 3rd round (67th overall) pick, the Cats selected Josh Birkholz. The gritty winger has no problems playing a physical game, but will also spend the next year or two in the college ranks. He has commited to the University of Minnesota.

The Panthers don't pick again until the 5th round (#135).

Good News Morning!

2009-06-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

I wake up to find that Jay Bouwmeester has been traded to Calgary for Jordon Leopold and a 3rd round draft pick. Something is definitely better than nothing! More coming as it unfolds...

Meet the Newest Panther

2009-06-26T18:45:00.001-07:00

Here's a few links to some scouting sites regarding Dmitri Kulikov;

The Hockey Writers

My NHL Draft

Russian Prospects.com

Basically, Kulikov looks like a solid puck-moving defenceman who can provide an offensive threat. Depending on what happens over the next few days, Kulikov could have a chance to crack the Panthers roster as soon as next season. With only 3 defencemen from last season signed (Bryan Allen, Brian McCabe, and Keith Ballard), the Panthers added some much needed depth to their blue line. With Keaton Ellerby and Jason Garrison hoping to get a chance with the big club, Kulikov could push them for ice time. And there's nothing wrong with a little competition pushing the youngsters to be just a little better...

It's the 2009 NHL Entry Draft!

2009-06-26T16:59:00.001-07:00

10:14 pm - Looks like the Panthers are done for tonight. I must say I'm pretty happy to have Kulikov fall into the Panthers' lap. A top 10 talent and hopefully will turn into a top 4 blue liner for the Cats in the not-too-distant future. Bouwmeester is a Panther for at least one more night, hopefully Sexton can work some kind of magic to get something in return for J. Bo, but that might be hoping for too much. Until tomorrow...

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9:08 pm - ...and the Panthers pick Dmitri Kulikov! (after some impressive French by Randy Sexton) Kulikov was a top 10 talent that fell into the Panthers' lap. Quick enough to launch an offensive attack, he's a solid pick up for the Cats, who added some much needed depth to the blue line. A question TSN brought up about his contract status with the Russian KHL, but hopefully that is much ado about nothing and Kulikov is contributing to the Panthers sooner rather than later.

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9:05 pm - Panthers are on the clock. John Moore is available and the logical pick...

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9:01 pm - TSN's Darren Dregger blogs that the Canadiens and Panthers were conversing, although it doesn't look like Florida is trading their pick. Montreal holds the 18th pick in the 1st round, just fy. And no news on Bouwmeester... yet...

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8:56 pm - Garth Snow pulls the first surprise of the draft, trading picks 16, 77, and 182 to Minnesota for the 12th pick, which is used to take Calvin de Haan, who was a bit further down the ranking sheet of most of those who are in the know. Was Snow really worried someone was going to pick up de Haan before the 16th pick? Oh well... Panthers are on deck, waiting for the Sabres now...

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8:35 pm - The Oilers finish up the top 10 by picking Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson. Few surprises in the first hour or so of the draft. 2 of my preview's 6 guys to watch for the Panthers have been drafted. John Moore would be my prediction right now, with 3 more picks to come before the Panthers hit the podium.

1. John Tavares (NYI)
2. Victor Hedman (TBL)
3. Matt Duchene (COL)
4. Evander Kane (ATL)
5. Brayden Schenn (LAK)
6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson (PHX)
7. Nazem Kadri (TOR)
8. Scott Glennie (DAL)
9. Jared Cowen (OTT)
10. Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson (EDM)

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8:08 pm - no love for Brian Burke or the Leafs in Montreal... big surprise... take Kadri, the first of my 6 to watch! 5 left on my list, hopefully Florida is able to snag one of them sometime tonight. Still no word on J Bo.

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7:46 pm - Pretty quiet through the first 5 picks. Pronger got traded to the Flyers, so take Philly off the Bouwmeester list. George Richards latest update is intriguing though... "Just heard a rumor that Jay has been dealt...haven't been able to confirm and have no other details...am working on it..."

Hmmmm.... stay tuned... Coyotes are up next with pick #6...

An Hour To Go...

2009-06-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

...and all quiet in Montreal. It looks as though Jay Bouwmeester might not be willing to sign a deal before July 1st after all, so any draft day dealing rumors are moot.

The question is; if he wants to play in Calgary, or Vancouver, or Toronto... and said team is offering a deal today, would Jay still wait? Obviously, he has earned the right to become an unrestricted free agent and can sign where he wants, when he wants. But if the team he wants is asking for him today, what difference will a few days make? Unless he just wants to see how high he can drive the price...?

Hopefully the Panthers can manipulate the situation so they can get SOMETHING in return, but they knew that this was the risk when they failed to trade him in March. Or rather, Jacques Martin knew the risk... but it's not his problem anymore, is it. Such is life in Pantherland. Stay tuned...

UPDATE 6:41 - Heading home from work now... hopefully I don't miss anything and get home before the 14th pick...

First Rumor of the Day...

2009-06-26T12:14:00.001-07:00

Well we all know that Jay Bouwmeester is coveted by all, but reportedly 5 teams have shown interest (Flames, Canucks, Flyers, Oilers, Maple Leafs, reportedly...). Well, just read a rumor that the Flames may have acted first.

Jay Bouwmeester's rights to Calgary in exchange for Mike Cammilleri's rights and a mid-round pick. But I wouldn't be too excited about that yet, I have little to zero faith in the source, but still... it doesn't hurt to dream, right? That's what blogs are for anyways. Unsubstantiated rumors and wish lists. Stay tuned...

UPDATE 4:03 - Apparently there might have been some more substance to that earlier rumor than I gave credit to. George Richards from the Miami Herald's latest blog cites another source saying Bo to Calgary. The San Jose Sharks are apparently another team entering the Bouwmeester mix. Read his whole post here...

Draft Day!

2009-06-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

The NHL Draft is tonight, and dealings are expected to be going on all day today. I'll be doing my best to stay caught up during my work day and update here as news happens. Most notably, of course, is the Jay Bouwmeester situation. Up to 5 teams are rumored to be in talks with the Panthers regarding J. Bo, including the Flyers, Canucks, and Oilers.

As of now, the Panthers have the 14th pick in tonight's first round, which gets underway around 7:00 on Versus.

Stay tuned...

Draft Preview!

2009-06-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

The 2009 NHL draft is now just 2 short days away, and the Florida Panthers will be looking for not just a new addition to their slowly improving farm system, but maybe, just maybe, find that coal mine that will become a diamond before our eyes. (OK, I know I probably stretched that one, too bad)

The Panthers currently, and I stress currently, hold the 14th, 44th, 135th, and 165th picks. Their 3rd, 4th, and 7th round picks have all been traded away prior. Now what picks Florida will actually make remains to be seen, as there is that Bouwmeester character still on Florida's roster. The likelihood is that he, or rather "negotiating rights," will be traded away before Friday, and draft pick or picks might be coming back, but until that happens, we'll just focus on what we know.

Florida's "needs" are not hard to figure out. They need a top line scorer and depth on the blueline. I don't pretend to have any inside sources or inside information, so this is just a look at who might be available by the time the 14th pick rolls around (because let's be honest, will you still be watching by pick 44?)

DEFENSEMEN

Should the Panthers look to add a defender, Jared Cowen might warrant a look. While he has top 10 talent, a knee injury in February cut his last season short, and added some questions as to the durability of the 18 year old. Should he still be available at #14, the Panthers would have to take a long look. He stands an impressive 6'5", 218 lbs, so physicality shouldn't be a problem. This could be a guy worth moving up for.

Another defender who could slip out of the top 10 and into the Panthers' lap is Swedish-born David Rundbland. Think mini Jay Bo (and by mini, I mean only 6'2", 200 lbs). While he's a bit smaller than Cowen, Rundbland is a more fluid skater and more offensive minded. Given a year in Rochester (perhaps filling in for the could-be promoted Keaton Ellerby?), his defensive play should mature and he could be a steal at #14.

And then there's the USHL defenseman of the year, John Moore. A bit slighter frame than Rundbland and Cowen, Moore looks like he might need the most time to develop out of these 3. His skating is his strongest attribute, but at only 190 lbs, he might be a few years away from being able to handle the bigger, stronger, faster NHL forwards.

FORWARDS

If the Cats are hoping to find a pure scorer in the uncertainty of the draft, a good candidate for the #14 pick might be London, Ontario native Nazem Kadri. He's listed as a center, which is obviously a shortage in Pantherland. A couple of seasons in Rochester to allow him to fill out might be all that's needed for Kadri to become an elite playmaker in the NHL. Lightning quickness and great vision are reasons to watch him come draft day.

The antithesis of Kadri might be Carter Ashton. While Kadri stands at a dainty 5'11", 175 lbs, Ashton is a brute at 6'4", 212 lbs. He might not be as flashy a scorer, but his strength and grind is more than enough for him to be a bona fide scorer in the NHL, once his talent catches up with his body.

A final forward to look at is Jeremy Morin. He is a pure scorer with an attitude. He was the top threat for the US U18 Development team and if he decides to become a complete player, he would be a nice pickup. Questions about his defensive ability are his biggest downside, but he could easily round out into a top line scorer.

Of course, there are certainly other options that are available or could come available depending on what happens in the next 48 hours. For a full list of draft prospects, please visit our friend and fellow Hockey Writer Chris Ralph's extensive preview. If the Panthers are able to snag one of these six, it'd be a nice step in getting this team back into the postseason. Stay tuned...

And the Breaking News Is...

2009-06-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

A trade! The Panthers have sent prospect Stefan Meyer to Phoenix in exchange for Steve Reinprecht, who has signed a 3 year deal.

Here's the good, albeit brieff stuff on the newest Panther; he is a center, which was a clear need for Florida last season. He has a Stanley Cup ring, and experience is never a bad thing to have. He will be another veteran presence in a still young locker room.

Now, for my Negative Nancy, my Panther Pessimism, to come out. He's never eclipsed the 20 goal mark. He has just 1, 50+ point season, and that came in '02-'03. He's played in fewer then 70 games in 7 of his 10 seasons. He has 2nd\3rd liner written all over him.

Yes, it is clear we needed a center. But that doesn't mean just go find a guy with "C" in the position column and call him up. Character guys can only get you so far, as we saw last year. While Stefan Meyer doesn't appear to be anything more then a career AHL'er and probably isn't a prospect that will pan out, it just feels like a lateral move. No financial terms were released, as usual, but you have to think a veteran guy like Reinprecht is going to use up a small chunk of the salary cap, a chunk that could have been used elsewhere on a guy who can actually provide a bona fide scoring threat. To look on the bright side, though, he is a good character guy, a true center who will probably let Horton back to his natural wing position, and hopefully Reinprecht will be able to contribute in other areas. Faceoffs, leadership, PK, etc...

It's also interesting to think that this move was made by an "interim GM" of sorts. I'm sure Randy Sexton is doing what he can to prove that he not only wants the full time gig, but deserves it. Giving up a guy who probably wouldn't make it out of Florida's farm system for a player of Reinprecht's caliber is a good move, no matter which way you shake the stick. Was it the best move? Will it make the product on the ice better? Only time will tell...

Breaking News?

2009-06-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

According to the Florida Panther's official site, facebook, and twitter page, "breaking news" is coming, hopefully within the hour. What could be so big that it has to be announced in 3 different venues? A new GM? A Jay Bouwmeester deal? Some overhyped, new marketing ploy? My guess is on the latter, but who knows. Bill Torrey gave an interview the other day and said the GM search would probably take them past the draft, so it'd be quite a surprise if they found their GM already. I can't imagine any progress being made with J-Bo that isn't all over the rumor pages. Sooo in the end, this is probably just some trumped up ad campaign, but stay tuned.

2009 NHL Draft Preview

2009-06-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

A quick reference to my other online home. One of the Hockey Writers is doing an outstanding, in depth preview of the upcoming NHL entry draft, and I encourage you all to head over and check it out by clicking here.

And as always, be sure to head over to THW for Florida Panthers articles that you won't find here! Well, you'll find bits and pieces of them here, but I gotta save the good stuff for the big site.

We're Back!

2009-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Back and hopefully better then ever. Apologies for not being more frequent with my posts as of late, but now that the season is officially over, (congratulations the Penguins and all that) I'm hoping to get this going again heading into the draft, free agency, and of course, next season.

So where do the Panthers sit now? Let's start at the top. General Manager Jacques Martin is now the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. The Panthers' GM search has been underway for a week or so now, being led by Mr. Bill Torrey and Assistant GM Randy Sexton. On the list of potentials include former Panthers' coach Doug McLean, former Panthers' broadcaster Denis Potvin, and former Panthers GM Rick Dudley, as well as TV analyst Pierre McGuire and ex-Wild GM Doug Risebrough.

Personally, I think it's time for new blood. We know what the past holds. 1 successful season, 9 years since our last playoff game. Nostalgia aside, this is a pretty weak list. Doug McLean led us to the finals as a head coach... a mere 13 years ago. Since then, he was the head of the Columbus Wild from day 1 of the franchise in '98 until he was fired in 2007 after 9 years and zero winning seasons. Yes, they were an expansion team, but they didn't exactly make progress in their first decade under McLean's leadership.

Denis Potvin we all know and love. He lost his TV gig a couple of months ago now, and probably knows the Panthers better than anyone, being with the organization since its inception. We all feel bad for Potvin, but as far as being a GM, that's as far as his experience goes to my knowledge. What Potvin actually knows about being a GM, I don't know, and I'm not sure why his name is on a list of potential candidates, other then Panther fans feel bad for him.

Pierre McGuire is an interesting option, simply because he's been in television the last 12 years or so. (See Barry Melrose). And how much McGuire actually knows about the Panthers and their needs is yet to be seen.

Then there's Rick Dudley, GM of the Panthers from 2002-2004. Remember that 2003 draft? Nathan Horton over Eric Staal? Anthony Stewart in the first round? Now to be fair, Dudley may have been a victim of the whole Mike Keenan debacle, as Keenan was promoted to the GM position upon Dudley's firing. And Dudley has been an assistant GM in Chicago, who you may remember just made it to the Western Conference Finals after a lengthy run of terrible hockey. But do we really want to give this guy another shot?

Now all that being said, the Panthers' front office cannot simply make this hire based on fond memories of years gone by.

Doug Risebrough has GM experience. He has success on his resume. He has built a playoff team from the ground up before. The Wild were division champs just 2 seasons ago. And maybe most importantly, the Panther fans don't have pre-existing memories of the guy. You have to inject this team with a winning mindset. Pete DeBoer was a good start last season, and was almost enough on its own to get the Panthers into the playoffs. Now let's get a guy up in the office who knows how to win.

There will be more to come as the rumors continue around the vacant GM position, as well as the upcoming draft. Thanks for checking back, as always!

Free Agency and the Florida Panthers; It's Not Just About J-Bo

2009-05-28T12:23:00.001-07:00

Head over to the Hockey Writers for my piece about our free agents. Yes, I am too lazy to copy and paste. It's summer. Give me a break. Just click the link.

Yormark Blogs

2009-05-08T13:40:00.001-07:00

On the Florida Panthers' official site, team President Michael Yormark has come forward to explain the decision to let Denis Potvin go. Please click here to read his full post. I will do my best to pull out a few excerpts that caught my eye.

"As we move forward with our new multi-year agreement with FOX Sports Florida, we will have much more control and input as it relates to production and advertising sales. This was very important to us when we restructured our partnership early this year."

Makes sense. This is, after all, a business. Advertising sales are a giant part of business. If this was a business decision, fine. It sucks, but we are going through hard times, and it's naive to think anyone is immune. But wait...

"Furthermore, due to our arrangement with FOX Sports Florida, this was not a financial decision. Again, it was a decision based on what we believe is best for our fans."

Huh? Production and ad sales were a big part of this decision, yet it was not a financial decision. His words. Now I'm not a business mogul. I don't have any experience running a multi-million dollar, professional franchise. But I did take economics in high school. And I'm pretty sure ad sales are a financial aspect of business. If I'm wrong, please correct me. And as for a decision that's best for the fans... the 50+ comments on George Richards' blogs by fans seem to disagree. The 104 votes against the decision as opposed to the 13 for it on a fellow blog, Litter Box Cats, also leans the other way. If it's a business decision, fine. Just don't try to hide behind the "It's best for our fans" line. It's embarrassing.

Mr. Yormarck goes on to speak highly of how Billy Lindsay and Steve Goldstein will work together. "I promise you, you will be amazed at how powerful they are together! I've seen them do a game together and they are awesome!!!!" says Mr. President. Wow! A whole game together! Swing and a miss. This is nothing against Goldie or Bill. Lindsay scored possibly the most famous goal in Panthers' history. Goldstein has been with the organization for years, going back to doing the in-house, between period hi-lights. But to think that this is a move that will better the on-air presentation is asinine. Forgetting Denis Potvin's hall of fame playing career, he has been on the Panthers' broadcast team for almost 16 years. To question Potvin's dedication to the team and organization is border line offensive. Because he returns home to Canada and doesn't live in south Florida during the summer months, he isn't as devoted? Not buying it. He has been here since day 1 and sat beside a handful of play by play guys. He's always come back because I believe he truly loves this team. This past season, you could here the pain in his voice as the Panthers struggled down the stretch. He has been as much a part of this organization as anyone, and is obviously one of the, if not the longest tenured man in the franchise.

I think it is clear to anyone that this was a financial decision. Potvin was let go because he isn't around 365 days a year to help sell the Panthers' brand. Ad sales and production are important to any business, I have no qualms with that. It's the assertion that this decision was based not on money, but "for the fans." The fans clearly are not in favor of this decision. I don't know what fans Mr. Yormarck has talked to, if any. It's using the fans, myself as a fan, as a scape goat for making an unpopular business decision that makes my stomach turn. I have no doubts in the skills or abilities of Billy and Goldie. I look forward to listening to them next season and I wish Denis Potvin the best. He was the one constant this team had since the beginning. Owners, players, and presidents have come and gone. Potvin stayed. Now, who knows. I continue to hope for the best. It's just not easy when you feel like you're being lied to by the man that runs your team.

More On Potvin

2009-05-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

Big kudos to my favorite source of inside information, George Richards, for posting his conversation On Frozen Pond. Please check out his blog for full comments.

It boils down to this; Team prez Michael Yormark says it was not a financial decision to let Potvin go. "The reality, based on financial relationship with Fox is there really is no difference whether we have three, five, one or 10 in the booth. It's not a financial decision." He goes on to say that he makes decisions that are in the best interest of the franchise, and this is one of them.
Really, Mr. President? I'm not an accountant. I don't pretend to understand all that goes into a franchise. But wouldn't the number of broadcasters affect the number of dollars needed to pay them? How is letting a broadcaster go bettering the franchise? Because he disagreed with people? He voiced his own opinion? "Something in the right
direction for the franchise" smells a lot like "guy who will do what I tell him to."

It seems like the main reason Potvin is moving on is that he does not live in south Florida during the offseason, and Yormark wants to use his on-air talent in his ad campaigns and team summer events. Potvin, who lives in Canada during the summer, wouldn't be available for team or charity outings. I guess Yormark just thinks that's more important then I do. And in the end, it's his team.

I am sure that Denis Potvin will be able to find work somewhere. He has been the Panthers TV color man for almost 16 years, and was a hall of fame player before that. Whether it's behind a desk at a national studio (TSN, CBC) or with another team, I wish him the best of luck. He'll be missed.

Denis Potvin Out

2009-05-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

This from the Florida Panthers home page; "Sunrise Sports & Entertainment and the Florida Panthers announced today the restructuring of the hockey club’s broadcast teams on FOX Sports Florida and Sports Talk 790 the Ticket for the 2009-10 NHL season. Steve Goldstein, Billy Lindsay and Randy Moller will return to the broadcast booth in 09-10, while Denis Potvin will not be retained. Goldstein will continue to handle television play-by-play duties with Lindsay joining him as color analyst, while Moller will call Panthers radio broadcasts on 790 The Ticket."

It's a sad day for this Panther fan. Denis Potvin has been the TV voice of the Florida Panthers since day 1. On the surface, this move looks like it's strictly financial. Potvin is the longest tenured broadcaster on staff, and a hall of fame player to boot. Clearly, he'd be the highest paid guy on the air. And this is nothing against Billy Lindsay. He's a franchise icon (as far as Panther icons go) and did a fine job on radio. But with no one being brought in to assist Mr. Moller on the radio side, it appears to be all about the money. I can't begin to imagine trying to do hockey play by play on the radio by yourself. Baseball, sure. It's a slow game, time to catch your breath, tell a story, you're on your own. Football, maybe. But hockey is too fast and there's not a lot of time between breaks in play. Good luck Randy.

As far as Potvin goes, I'm interested to hear his side. If it is just a business decision, it sucks. Times are what they are, though, and tough decisions have to be made. It sure would have been nice to see him go out after just one more playoff series... More details as they surface.

Panther(s) Find Net Against France

2009-05-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of Panther players were finally able to get in the goal column at the IIHF World Championships. Keith "Kevin" Ballard found a way to get a wrist shot through a crowd, surprising the French netminder for his first tally in the tournament. Earlier today, Karlis Skrastins showed off his offensive skills, making a nifty deke around the same French goalie for his first.

Nice to see our boys get on the score sheet. Big showdown later this afternoon, if you're sick of that whole Ovechkin vs. Crosby thing, between USA and Russia. Both are fighting for the top spot in the group.

Richard Zednik Named Masterton Finalist, Headed to Russia

2009-04-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

As written on the Hockey Writers, an excellent source of all things hockey, including my own Panthers contributions, like this one!

Florida Panthers’ forward Richard Zednik has been named a finalist for the Masterton Trophy. The award is handed out by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association to the player who “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.”

Zednik, as we all remember all too vividly, nearly lost his life on the ice last season after having his carotid artery cut by Olli Jokinen’s skate during a February 28 game in Buffalo last season. He returned this year to score 17 goals, including the 200th of his career, along with 16 assists while playing in 70 games. After the injury, hockey became secondary. No one would have questioned Zednik had he decided not to return to the ice. But he came back and was a veteran voice in a young Florida Panthers locker room, and helped lead his team in a playoff push that came up 1 point short.

On the same day that Zednik was named a finalist, CBC is reporting that he has signed a 2-year
deal with Russian Superleague team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. This is just the first move of what could be an interesting offseason for the Florida Panthers. Most notably, Jay Bouwmeester hits the open market, as well as highly regarded backup netminder, Craig Anderson. Other UFAs include Radek Dvorak, Ville Peltonen, Jassen Cullimore, and Nick Boynton.

As far as the Masterton trophy goes, other finalists include Steve Sullivan, who got back on the ice in January after he fragmented a spinal disc nearly 2 years ago. After missing over 140 games, Sullivan played in every game except one after his return, scoring 11 times and adding 21 assists for an impressiev 32 points in 41 games. The 3rd finalist is Chris Chelios, who played in his 25th season this year. Only 2 others have ever played as long in the NHL (Gordie Howe and Mark Messier). Despite playing in only 28 games this season, he played a leadership role behind the scenes all season.

The Bill Masterton award is named after the Minnesota North Stars rookie who lost his life after sustaining an on-ice head injury in 1968. It will be given out June 18 at the NHL Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas.

Cats at the World Championship Update

2009-04-30T11:05:00.001-07:00

The preliminary round of the IIHF World Championships wrapped up yesterday, and a handful of Panther players have advanced to the qualifying round, avoiding relegation.

Keith Ballard and Team USA were able to win group C, posting a 2-0-1 record. The Americans looked like they were on their way to a flawless first round before the Swedes mounted an impressive 3-goal comeback en route to an overtime win. Ballard has been relatively quiet, posting just 1 assist and 4 shots on goal in the first 3 games.

Meanwhile, aslo in group C, the Latvians finished 3rd. Karlis Skrastins, who captains Latvia, has been a solid presence on the blue line. Also with just a lone assist, he is a +2 while leading his team in ice time. He was also "player of the game" in the Latvian win over Austria. "Latvia did an unbelievable job tonight," said Brückler (Austrian head coach). "Their captain (Skrastins) blocked a shot that would have gone into the net, and that shows the heart they had." Skrastins blocking shots? Who woulda thought... Panthers prospect Janis Sprukts has also been kept in check, registering just 1 assist.

The only other Panther representative plays for the 2nd place finisher in group D, the Czech Republic. Rostislav Olesz has been given limited ice time, and... surprise... has just 1 assist.

Not much other offseason news has surfaced. Anderson and Vokoun are still Panthers, although it seems one or the other could be headed elsewhere this summer. Anderson is an unrestricted free agent sure to get a substantial raise. Vokoun already has an immense salary. It seems unlikely the Cats can hold onto both. Andy appears ready and willing, and maybe most importantly, wants to be a starting goaltender somewhere. The Philadelphia Flyers have already expressed interest. Stay tuned...

Panthers Go Global

2009-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

A brief spring update on a few players heading off to the IIHF World Hockey Championships.

Suiting up for the United States, Keith Ballard.

Fresh off a solid rookie campaign, Michael Frolik will join Rostislav Olesz on the Czech Republic squad.

Karlis Skrastins and prospect Janis Sprukts will play for Latvia.

The games kick off this Friday from Switzerland. For all information regarding the tournament, check out the IIHF site here. Best of luck to the boys, and most of all, come back healthy!

Florida Panthers: A Year In Review

2009-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

The 2008-2009 Florida Panthers season ended 1 point short of a postseason berth. While missing the playoffs for an 8th straight season is clearly a disappointment, the overall picture is much cloudier. No one expected much heading into this season. A month in, and the Panthers were 30th in a 30 team league, meeting many expectations. December ended with a dismal 4 game losing streak. Then the calendar turned to 2009, and the Panthers made their run. Only 2 regulation losses in January, winners of 5 of the first 6 games in February. The Cats climbed as high as 5th in the eastern conference. Talk of the playoffs gained momentum and validity. The trade deadline passed and Jay Bouwmeester was still a Panther. This was the team that was going to finally break through. And then the post-trade deadline pressure came, and Florida slowly crumbled. The Cats lost 5 of the first 6 after the deadline. 3rd period leads, that once were so secure, evaporated. At one point, the Panthers were 24-1-1 when leading after two periods. In March, Florida lost four times after they took a lead to the final 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Montreal, New York, and Buffalo all made runs. Slowly, the Panthers slipped to 9th and out of the playoffs. Florida ended the year tied with Montreal for 8th, but the head to head tie breaker ensured that the Panthers would miss the playoffs for the 8th straight season.

Was this a disappointing season? Can you call a year in which you do not qualify for the postseason a success? It all depends on your point of view. There is no doubt that this team took giant strides this year. A rookie head coach, a core of players whose average age was around 24, no one on the roster you knew going into the year would be your top point getter. Expectations were justifiably low. But once we got to February and March, the expectations changed. David Booth emerged as a serious scoring threat. All four lines were contributing. The defense had solidified. This had become a team that could skate and did skate with any team in the league. In the end, youth and inexperience may have gotten the better of Florida. The majority of core players have been with the organization for their whole career, and never had the chance to play in high pressure, playoff style games. Down the stretch, the Panthers let the chance slip away. But there is no doubt, valuable experience was gained, and Panther fans can honestly, finally say the future looks brighter then the past.

So naturally, the next step is to look for reasons why the Panthers came up short, again. A slow start to the year, 7-11-1. A 3-8 record in shootouts. One more shootout goal, one more shootout stop, Florida gets that extra point it needed. That losing streak to close December, in which the Panthers lost twice to Tampa and once to the Islanders. Those blown 3rd period leads in March. There is no doubt, the Panthers were agonizingly close to the postseason this year. A bounce here, a shootout goal there, and we're talking about Florida fighting for home ice instead of next year. Unfortunately, we are left with this; the Panthers now own the longest playoff drought in the NHL, and the 2nd longest in league history.

Now, what does this team have to look forward to? The top season this offseason is clearly Jay Bouwmeester. He has yet to rule out a return to Florida next season, although it is hard to imagine a scenario in which he comes back. Other unrestricted free agents include backup goalie Craig Anderson, who filled in superbly this season. Also, Radek Dvorak, Ville Peltonen, Richard Zednik, Karlis Skrastins, Nick Boynton, and Jassen Cullimore. Nick Boynton has already stated that he expects to be playing elsewhere next year. Boynton and head coach Pete DeBoer butted heads late in the season, which resulted in Boynton being a healthy scratch for a number of games. Ville Peltonen and Radek Dvorak were vital cogs on what was Florida's most consistent line. But Peltonen will be 36 next season, Dvorak 32. How many more goals are left in their legs? The obvious, glaring issue that Florida had all year was consistent scoring. Whether or not the Cats can wait and see if Pelts and D-Vo are going to be able to produce next year is just one of many questions that general manager Jacques Martin will have to answer.

This season was fun, there is no doubt there. To see this team grow under a new coach all year was remarkable. Young players grew up. David Booth had a very nice breakout year, joining a very short list of Panthers to break the 30 goal mark (Booth finished 31). Stephen Weiss led the team in points with 61 (14 G, 47 A) and plus minus, at +19. Michael Frolik had a great rookie campaign, finishing the year with 21 goals and 24 assists. There is no question that there is now a solid foundation in south Florida. With a couple of smart moves this offseason, there is little doubt that these Panthers will soon be fighting for division titles, and not just to qualify for the playoffs.

And from a personal standpoint, thank you to everyone who has read or followed this blog. I started it out as a way to voice my thoughts on the Panthers with anyone who would listen, a channel to get my feelings out. Living in Orlando, with little to no one to talk hockey about (let alone Panthers hockey), I thought I'd give it a try. I didn't really think I'd stick with it through the whole season, yet here I am. Never, ever did I expect to get over 1,600 unique visitors, or to get invites to join other blogs. It has been a pleasure, and I'll be in and out with thoughts and updates on anything that happens through the summer, and hopefully we'll be back, better then ever, in just 6 short months. Until next time...

Panthers End Season With Win

2009-04-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

It was a meaningless night, in terms of future games. But the 7-4 win against the Washington Capitals may have (hopefully) been a sign of future seasons to come. David Booth tallied 5 points on the night, including 2 goals, making him the 6th Panther to hit the 30 goal mark. Steve Eminger scored his first goal as a Panther. He could very well be a big part of future seasons, should Jay Bouwmeester leave (like we all know he will).

While the win was nice, it did get the Panthers to 93 points and a tie with Montreal. Should the Rangers lose tomorrow, and Florida will end the season with the same amount of points as the 7th and 8th place teams, yet no more hockey will be played this season in the Sunshine State. Agonizingly close. Why couldn't they just use goals for as the first tie breaker? (Florida 234, NYR 206) Or goals against? (Florida 231, Montreal 247) Or goal differential? (Florida +3, Montreal +2, NY -9) Or road wins? (Florida 19, Montreal 17, NY 16) In reality, the first tie breaker is wins, and Montreal and Florida both end the season with 41. The head to head comes next, and the Habs took 3 of 4 from the Cats this year, therefore sending the Panthers to an early tee time.

There will be a full season recap on Cat Scratch in the days to come, as well as full offseason news. But for now, enjoy your Easter, enjoy the Masters, enjoy your summer. See you in October.

Because Everyone Gets 82 Games...

2009-04-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

There's a Panthers game tonight, but it's going to be hard to muster the will to watch. It's meaningless. Yes, the Panthers can reach 93 points, which would be the 2nd best point total in franchise history. But that's not much consolation for a team that was as high as 5th in the conference and trying to end the NHL's longest postseason drought. There are so many different directions to point your finger while trying to find reason for the season ending tonight (I'm sure I'll get to it in my season recap, probably Monday or so). And in the end, it doesn't really matter who or what you blame, because the offseason begins tomorrow. And it should be an interesting summer (I hope).

Washington is locked into the 2nd seed, so there's nothing on the line for them, either. Tomas Vokoun is in net tonight against the Caps. I'll be interested to see the crowd tonight, and how they greet the Cats as they take the ice. One thing you cannot say about this team is that they quit. There is plenty of heart on this team, they never stopped skating. They just didn't have the talent to get to the finish line. Puck drops at 7:00.

Cue Helga...

2009-04-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

8 straight seasons without a playoff game. And just to rub it in, Boston beat Montreal in OT. Goodnight. More to come eventually... I guess.

Quick and Simple...

2009-04-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Florida makes the playoffs IF:
The Panthers go 2-0-0, the Rangers OR Montreal go 0-2-0.
The Panthers go 2-0-0, the Rangers go 0-0-2.
The Panthers go 1-0-1, the Rangers go 0-2-0.

That's it. Pretty straightfoward. If Florida loses in regulation tonight, it's over. If Montreal AND the Rangers win tonight, it's over.

Tomas Vokoun is in net. If the Panthers don't find a way to score, it won't really matter who's in goal. Less then a week ago, the Panthers could only manage 1 goal against Johan Hedberg. If the Cats can't do any better tonight, it's game over. Puck drops at 7:00.

That Should Just About Wrap It Up...

2009-04-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Florida Panthers still have two games left to play, but after tonight, those game's are now literally "must wins." The Panthers suffered a devastating, 2-1 defeat tonight in Philadelphia. With the New York Rangers beating Montreal, Florida now has to win both of it's remaining games, and hope the Rangers or Canadiens lose both of theirs. Otherwise, it's another season that ends after 82 games.

The game itself was one of the toughest to swallow this season. The Panthers scored first, a perfect tic-tac-toe that resulted in Brett McLean finishing in the 2nd period. Unfortunately, the Flyers woke up after that. An unlucky bounce off of Joffrey Lupul's skate tied it. No kicking motion, but instead a "redirection." Perfectly legal, perfectly unfortunate. The game winner, on the other hand, was not so clear. The play started after blindingly obvious cross check was not called on Scott Hartnell, resulting in a turnover in the Panthers corner. Jeff Carter picked up the puck, turned, and beat an ill prepared Tomas Vokoun. As ugly as the non-call was, Vokoun was just as bad. This was the type of goal that got Vokoun benched two weeks ago. It was terrible. Granted, the shot never should have come. The Panthers should have had a face off in the Flyers' zone and a power play, but that was not the case. Game, set, season. A valiant press in the final minutes came up short, and the Panthers' now need a giant helping hand if they hope to end their 7-season postseason drought.

It's going to be awfully hard to get past this one. Florida was ready. They were on an even playing field with the Flyers all night. The Cats showed the desperation you would expect from a team in their position. To lose not just the game, but probably the postseason, on a play like that... it's painful. They limited one of the league's top offenses to few pure chances. The Cats were able to set up and work their offense numerous times. They backchecked hard. They forechecked tenaciously. But, as has been the case many times this season, all the effort and heart in the world can do no good if you don't have the talent to put the puck in the net. Brutal.

So here's what's left. 2 games for Florida, 2 games for Montreal, 2 games for the Rangers. Florida has to win their final 2, in Atlanta Thursday, then home against the Capitals Saturday. If that happens, and clearly a big if, either the Habs or Rangers will have to lose both of their remaining games. New York has a home and home against the Flyers. Montreal is in Boston Thursday, then home against the Penguins Saturday. Is it possible that NYR or MTL lose both? Of course it is. Could Florida win both of it's remaining games? Sure. But one more win for the Rangers and Canadiens, and that would ensure the Panthers watch the playoffs for the 8th straight season from home. It would take a small miracle for the Cats to get in, but let's not write any obituaries until the body is in the ground...

Biggest Game of the Year; Part 14

2009-04-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about this one that isn't blatantly obvious. 3 games to go. Tied for the 8th and final playoff spot. Panthers are in Philly. Rangers are hosting Montreal.

The biggest key to the Panthers win over Pittsburgh last time out was energy. The Cats were horribly out shot in the first period, and were fortunate to have a lead. The biggest change in the game came via Keith Ballard's hit on Malkin, and the following fight. From that point forward, Florida was jumping at chances, hitting bodies, and playing with an energy that needs to be there from the opening drop of the puck tonight. There simply isn't the luxury of having a bad first period and being able to climb back. This needs to be a physical, spirited game for the Panthers to feel like they are in it. Once the pace slows down, Florida seems like it almost gets bored, then lazy. Not tonight.

No local TV, so get those dishes pointed, or hit the bar. Center Ice will have it. FSN-FL decided the Marlins game 2 of 162 is more important than the Panthers game 80 of 82... just don't get it. Anyways, puck drops at 7:00.

Panthers Win!

2009-04-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Awesome. Great. Super. Got that all out of your system? Good, because the Panthers big 4-2 over the Penguins is so 2 hours ago. Hopefully, the Panthers can enjoy tonight, and forget about it tomorrow.

It's now a best of 3 game season between the Panthers and the New York Rangers. Both sit with 89 points and 3 games remaining. Let the playoffs begin.

Today's game against the Penguins was good on so many levels. Scoring from unusual suspects (Olesz and Peltonen) as well as the top guys (Booth and McCabe). A power play goal. A 3rd period lead held. The Penguins 2nd goal three weeks ago was a sign of an impending collapse. Today, it seemed to give the Panthers one more rush of energy.

There were negatives, as there usually are. The Cats gave up 43 shots. But after being outshot 19-7 in the 1st period, the Panthers gave up only 24 in the final 2 periods. Tomas Vokoun looked a little rusty, to be sure. The 2nd goal wasn't a good one to give up, but today, his teammates played well enough (and scored enough) to back T Vo up. Malkin and Crosby were relatively maintained, and no one controlled them more so then Keith Ballard, who delivered a beautiful hip check to Evgeni Malkin and then fought Sydney Crosby. That got the crowd going, the Panthers fed off the energy, and never looked back.

Take the positives from today's game and remember them. You can't afford to get too high after a win like today. There are still 3 games left. There is zero margin for error. The Panthers' can't afford to worry about what the Rangers are doing. They can only control their own game, the next one coming on Tuesday in Philadelphia. As big as today's win was, the next game is just that much more important. Until next time...

It's Kinda Obvious...

2009-04-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Gonna keep it simple and brief. The Panthers are 2 points behind the Rangers for the final playoff spot. Florida welcomes the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins to south Florida this evening. The Cats will have to play their best 60 minute game of the season if they hope to keep their playoff dreams alive. It's the biggest game of the year. No more excuses. No time left to try and figure it out. Win or pack your things.

Puck drops at 5:00.

Devastated

2009-04-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

Pete DeBoer could only watch as his Panthers wasted what could be the last chance they had to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2000. It was heart breaking. It was agonizing. It was horribly frustrating. It was a 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers that may prove to be the final blow to the Panthers’ playoff hopes.

Last night’s loss was not about a lack of effort. It was not about being outplayed or outworked. It was simply an inability to put the puck in the net. Throw in a couple complete and total defensive breakdowns, and that’s all Atlanta needed to put this game away. Twice, Rich Peverley was able to walk through the slot. And twice, Peverley beat Craig Anderson high. Tack on an unfortunate bounce and an empty net goal, and the Panthers’ final four games may have lost all meaning.

Florida had it’s chances. The Panthers managed 36 shots on goal, but only once were able to beat Johan Hedberg. It was a loss that cannot be blamed on lack of effort, and those are the hardest to take. When you play bad and make mistakes, you know what to fix. When you play well enough to win, yet cannot get the puck in the net, you do not know where to go. Last night, Florida simply did not have enough desperation to beat Atlanta.

People around the hockey world have pointed to the Panthers’ lack of experience as the reason for the fall from playoff positioning. Yes and no. The main core of this team has little to no postseason playing time. Mainly because they have been with this franchise since they were drafted. Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton, David Booth, and Jay Bouwmeester are vital components of this team’s success. They also combine for zero playoff games. But there is experience in the locker room. Cory Stillman owns two Stanley Cup rings, Jassen Cullimore has one. Radek Dvorak has played in two Cup finals. There are leaders on this team. Unfortunately, there are too many “character” players and not enough top line finishers for the Panthers to make a consistent run. David Booth has had a nice, breakout year (27 G, 26 A). Michael Frolik has had a successful rookie season (20 G, 21 A). But last offseason, Florida chose to address it’s pitiful defense. That has paid off, but at the cost of the offense. Maybe next season, the Cats can finally put the two together.

Yes, there is still a possibility of making the playoffs. Should the Rangers lose this afternoon against the Bruins, Florida is still just 2 points out with 4 to play. And Montreal is only 3 points ahead, but has a game in hand. The reality is that Florida would almost certainly need to finish ahead of the Rangers or Canadiens, as the first tie breaker, wins, would likely not go the Panthers’ way. (Florida has 38 W’s, Montreal and New York have 40). So, with 4 games remaining for both the Panthers and Rangers, Florida would have to be 3 points better in those 4 games. The Panthers remaining games? Pittsburgh, @ Philadelphia, @ Atlanta, Washington. Not very hopeful, even though the Rangers’ final four are @Boston, Montreal, and home and home with the Flyers.

I’ll refrain from writing any obituaries until it’s official, but tonight has drained all but the very lost drop of hope from my soul. I am really not looking forward to watching another postseason with no horse in the race. I am trying to push inevitable reality away as long as possible. Maybe tonight will bring another glimmer of light. Go Bruins

The Door's Open...

2009-04-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Florida Panthers finally got some help last night, as the New York Rangers fell to the Carolina Hurricanes, meaning a win tonight over the Thrashers, and Florida is tied with NYR for the 8th and final playoff spot. Unfortunately for the Cats, both New York and Montreal, who is now 3 points up on Florida in 7th, have 2 more wins then the Panthers. This means that will more then likely have to finish with more points, with wins being the first tie breaker. The 2nd tie breaker, you ask? If Florida ends up with the same amount of wins as MTL or NYR, it comes to head to head, which would put Florida in over the Rangers, but not the Canadiens. With just 5 games left for Panthers, it's imperative that Florida earn points against the teams lower then them in the standings.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. There are still those 5 games remaining on the schedule, none more important then the one they are playing tonight. The Atlanta Thrashers come to south Florida, fresh off of an OT win over the Buffalo Sabres that ended their realistic playoff hopes. There is no doubt that the Thrashers would enjoy putting another team out of playoff contention tonight. Atlanta has also won 4 of its last 5.

There really isn't much left to say. Florida knows what it has to do. They know the standings. They know what works and what doesn't. Play their style for 60 minutes, and they have a good chance at winning. Come out slow, play without desperation, play tight and nervous, and the postseason could get out of reach. Simple.

Atlanta's #1 goaltender is on the shelf, so it's Johan Hedberg in net for ATL tonight. It's another chance for the Panthers to keep it's offense going against a backup in net. Craig Anderson will get the start for Florida, hoping to earn a 4th straight win. No local TV tonight, so head to the BAC or your local NHL Center Ice carrying pub. Puck drops at 7:30.

Little Help, Please?

2009-04-01T06:55:00.001-07:00

The Florida Panthers are doing their part. Last night, the Cats earned their 3rd straight win via a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The 2 points kept pace with the 7th seed New York Rangers, who won Monday night, and the 8th seed Montreal Canadiens, who also won last night.

While last night's game wasn't the best the Panthers have played, they were able to capitalize on their chances, and Craig Anderson stood tall yet again. Special teams were the difference. The Panthers' penalty kill was 2 for 2, while the power play continued to produce. Florida got 2 more goals on the man advantage last night, giving them 6 PPG in the last 3 games. The key for the power play is to get the puck to the net as quickly as possible. Pass quick, shoot quick, score. When the defensemen hold the puck too long, the penalty killers are able to reset and get in lanes. Recently, it's been catch and shoot from the blue line. Keep it up.

Another big reason for the Panthers success is that they continue to get production from all 4 lines. Last night, all 5 goals were scored by a different skater. Florida now has 11 different players with 30+ points, as well as 11 different players to hit the 10+ goal mark. When the Cats click, there is no "top line." Instead, there are 4 very balanced, equally dangerous lines that make it hard to match up against.

Craig Anderson made 30 more saves last night in the win. And as long as he keeps winning, he will continue to get the starts. Whether that's "fair" to Tomas Vokoun doesn't really matter at this point. Obviously, you can't blame the entire slump the Panthers went through in mid-March on Vokoun. He was getting very little scoring help. But he gave up too many weak, untimely goals, and Anderson got the chance. He's made the most of it, and will be in net in the Panthers' next game, Friday night against the Thrashers.

Speaking of next game, how on earth can 2 of the final 5 games of the season not be televised locally? That's like not broadcasting the final series of the Marlins' season when they're a half game out of the playoffs. I cannot begin to imagine what programming genius at FS-FL decided a college baseball game is more important. Simply unbelievable. The Thrashers home network is broadcasting it, and they've been out of the playoff race since November. Thank God for NHL Center Ice...

Anyways, off my high horse. The Canadiens remain 1 point up on the Panthers, while the Rangers sit 2 points up. Both MTL and NYR play Thursday night, so Florida will know the situation when they take the ice Friday. Should both win Thursday, the Cats' game Friday becomes a must-win to keep pace. Should the Habs or Blue Shirts drop, Florida will have a chance to catch and\or pass. Enjoy tonight, get some rest, then get your scoreboard watching glasses ready for Thursday.

Down the Stretch They Come

2009-03-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Florida Panthers kick off a 3-game home stand tonight against the Ottawa Senators. With just 6 games remaining, Florida trails 8th seed Montreal by just 1 point for the final playoff spot. The Canadiens also have a game in hand.

Despite losing a tough game to open the Panthers' recent 3-game road trip, Florida fought back and won the final 2 games of the roadie, earning 4 crucial points to keep pace with the pack. A 4-2 win over the Flyers, followed by a 6-3 win in Dallas helped keep the hope alive.

Tonight, a red-hot Senators team visits the Bank Atlantic Center. The playoffs are realistically out of reach for the Sens, and that has the team playing some loose hockey lately. Ottawa has won 10 of it's last 13 games. And with "the Big 3" (Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza), Ottawa still presents plenty of danger for the Panthers. Florida will need to play that same desperation, all-out, playoff style of hockey that was present in the last 2 games. There isn't time to have a slow start or a weak period.

Craig Anderson is in net for the Panthers'. His play backstopped the last 2 Panther wins. Let's hope the winning ways continue. In other action, Montreal hosts the Chicago Blackhawks. Both pucks drop at 7:30.

All Andy... All the Time (Until He Loses)

2009-03-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks, as always, to George Richards, for the latest update. According to Pete DeBoer, Craig Anderson is the Panthers' goalie until he loses. That's his decision, and he's sticking to it... for now. Yes, Anderson was the winning netminder in the Cats last two games. Yes, Tomas Vokoun has given up some soft goals in recent games. But to put it so bluntly, "win and you keep your job," it begs questioning. Playing the hot goaltender has been DeBoer's mantra from day one, and PDeB is riding it to the end. Hopefully the Panthers will continue their solid play, regardless of who is in net.

And, as promised, an article about Steve Ott's hit on Greg Campbell.

Tonight, the 7th seed New York Rangers, who sit just 2 points ahead of the Panthers, play host to the New Jersey Devils. Needless to say, should the Devils prevail, Florida would have a chance to tie the NYR tomorrow night. Montreal is off tonight, and they, too, play tomorrow. Scoreboard watching is good and fun, but it's pointless if Florida doesn't continue to win. Until tomorrow...

Pushing Forward

2009-03-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Florida Panthers capped off a quick 3-game road trip with a well earned victory over the Dallas Stars. Despite sleepwalking through the first period, Florida trailed just 1-0 going to the 2nd. The Cats were outshot 15-5 in the opening frame. One can only imagine what head coach Pete DeBoer said between periods... because for the rest of the game, the Panthers appeared more energetic and more desperate then the Stars. The end result was a 6-3 win and 2 more important points.

After the first 20 minutes, I was already writing the Panthers' obituary. Too many young players, not enough talent, not enough experience in playoff-type situations. It's easy to get up and ready for the high intensity nights like the Flyers game Thursday. Bringing that same intensity to a non-conference game, against a team who is playing out the string... well that's not as easy to get up for. And the excuses were waiting for Florida tonight; the last game of a 3-games in 4-nights road trip, a physical win that last time out that gives you that good feeling... The Panthers didn't show anything that would lead you to believe that they were fighting for the playoff lives.

Which is why the response in the 2nd and 3rd periods inspire that much more hope. Cory Stillman is on a very short list of Panthers with solid playoff experience, and he is starting to show it. He got his 3rd goal in the last 4 games tonight to tie it at 1. But it wasn't enough, because just minutes later Dallas retook the lead. Again, Florida fought back. This time, Stephen Weiss got the goal on a nifty move opened Marty Turco's legs like a can opener. It was also Weiss' 3rd point in the last 2 games. And then, with just seconds remaining in the 2nd period, Nathan Horton chipped in an impossible angle rebound to give the Panthers the lead heading to the 3rd period. Kamil Kreps kept it going for the Cats early in the 3rd, beating Turco short side on a nice individual move of his own that extended the lead to 2. Then Dallas scored to make it 4-3, and all the thoughts and fears of the last few 3rd period leads the Florida has wasted came flooding in. Luckily, and impressively, the Panthers showed no signs of letting it get to them. Jay Bouwmeester found a hole in Turco's shield to regain the 2 goal lead, and then Radek Dvorak iced it with the empty netter.

To me, this is a sign of a team growing at the right time, if not a little late. The leaders, the Weisses and Hortons and Bouwmeesters have been missing for long periods of time this season. Seeing them come through in the cluth instills a bit of confidence. Then throw in a Brett McLean goal here, a Kamil Kreps goal there, and you have the team that looked so strong through early 2009. Your top line guys have to produce for you. When you add in 3rd and 4th line scoring, you get a dangerous team that is incredibly hard to play against. Back it up with strong defense and solid goaltending, and you get a team that is incredibly hard to beat. No "top line" to match your best defenders up against, no weak defensive pair to get your scorers on the ice against... Thursday in Philly and the last 2 periods tonight in Big D, that's what we got from the Panthers.

And don't think I overlooked Craig Anderson. The situation he was put in was not an easy one, by any stretch of the imagination. All he did was put up back-to-back solid performances in the most crucial of times. While he doesn't always look like the calm, collected Tomas Vokoun, he gets in the way of the puck, and that's all that really matters. Swimming through the crease on your stomach throwing appendages back towards the puck doesn't look pretty, but if the puck stays away from the twine, who cares.

Just 2 games ago, the Panthers blew a 2-goal, 3rd period lead in Buffalo. That loss seemed to be the first nail in the coffin. It was the 4th time the Panthers lost a 3rd period lead in 8 games. There were 2 tough road games coming up. There was no confidence in starting goalie Tomas Vokoun. The young Panthers looked down and out. Now, here we are. The Panthers won those 2 road games and are just 1 point behind the Montreal Canadiens for the 8th spot, and 2 points behind the Rangers for 7th. The Cats next 3 games are at home, and the first 2 have to be looked at as "must wins." Ottawa and Atlanta come to south Florida. Both teams are out of the race and playing for pride. The Panthers have to want it more, need it more. 4 of the Cats' final 6 are at home. Florida looks to have its confidence back. The goals are starting to come. The bounces have turned in Florida's favor. Got all those good feelings out of your system yet? Good, because that was last week. Now, it's just a 6 game season and you have to find your intensity and desperation all over again. Should be a fun finish.

P.S. Don't think I missed the hit on Greg Campbell... check out the Hockey Writers tomorrow for my thoughts...

Decision: It's Andy

2009-03-28T12:22:00.001-07:00

Craig Anderson will be back in net tonight for the Panthers. It's a sign of the times for Florida. Coach Pete DeBoer doesn't have the luxury of giving his guys a game or two to find their groove again. There are only 14 points left on the table, and the Cats will need every one they can grab. That means going with the guy who can get the win. Last time out, Andy got that win. So he'll get another chance tonight. No time for second guessing.

75 Down, 7 To Go...

2009-03-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

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.

End Of Season Put On Hold...

2009-03-26T20:52:00.001-07:00

Disaster avoided. Hope maintained. Inevitable delayed? The Panthers fought their way to a 4-2 win tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. It wasn't easy. It wasn't pretty. But boy, was it huge. The Flyers came back from 1-0 and 2-1 defecits to keep the Panthers on edge until David Booth's empty netter sealed the deal.

Cory Stillman started the scoring, (on the powerplay!) skillfully deflecting a Jay Bouwmeester shot past Martin Biron. Jeff Carter answered for the Flyers, beating Craig Anderson on a 2 on 1. Just 23 seconds later, Keith Ballard and Radek Dvorak found a 2 on 1 of their own, and Dvorak was able to slam home an easy rebound. But with just 3 seconds left in the 2nd period, Jeff Carter found Scott Hartnell open in the slot, and the man of the night scored to send it to the 3rd period tied at 2. The 3rd period belonged to the Cats. Brett McLean scored the game winner on a rebound, and David Booth capped the night off.

Enough cannot be said about Craig Anderson's play tonight. Just days ago, coach Pete DeBoer told his goaltenders that it would be Tomas Vokoun in net for the rest of the season. Then last night happened, and DeBoer had a change of mind. Or rather, Vokoun forced PDeB to change his mind. In came Anderson for his first start since March 1st. 40 saves later, and Andy came away with the W. Many of those saves were not easy, either. Stops came at key times. Rebounds were controlled. Calmness maintained. Thank you, Mr. Anderson.

Unfortunately, despite Montreal's attempts to lose tonight to the Lightning, the Habs were able to take 2 points and keep their 2 point cushion over Florida. It hurts, but the Panthers put themselves in this position, needing help from other teams, but that's the way it is. Both teams are off until Saturday. Montreal has played 1 fewer game than Florida.

A solid game from the Panthers tonight, fighting through the same kind of battles that has derailed this team over the past few weeks. It's a good night, but there's no time to dance. The Cats are still in 9th, still 2 points back, and still have 7 games to go. If Florida doesn't win their own games, Montreal's actions won't matter anyway.

Desperation Leading To Panic...

2009-03-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Panthers have no time to lick their wounds after last night's atrocity. Hopefully, they have put it behind them, because tonight, they face one of the eastern conference's toughest teams in the Philadelphia Flyers.

One would expect to see a pissed off Panthers team tonight. You would think that being 2 points out of a playoff spot with 8 games remaining, you might get Florida's best effort. You would think that. God only knows what we'll get. Florida has been fighting for their playoff lives for a couple weeks now, and only last night, after blowing a 3rd period lead for the 4th time in 8 games, did we see any fight in this team. Too bad it came after the game was decided. Too bad it came after the Panthers hit their lowest point of the season. At this point, I can only hope that the Cats will bring that kind of fight and passion to the rest of their games.

As for the Flyers, they are in a playoff battle of their own, although theirs is a much nicer position to be in. The Flyers are trying to fend off the Hurricanes (remember a couple weeks ago, when the 'Canes were the 9th seed, and the Panthers were 5th? Those were the days...) and the Penguins for that 4th seed and home ice for the first round. The Flyers lead 5th seed Carolina by a point, 6th seed Pittsburgh by 2. Philly has won 3 straight, including an impressive 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils in their last game on Monday.

Puck drops at 7:00.

The White Towel Is In Hand...

2009-03-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

...but I'm not waving yet. Call me naive. Call me an idiot. I can't deny it. But I'm trying. Tonight's collapse against the Buffalo Sabres may very well prove to be the beginning of the end for the Panthers, but I'm not ready to pack it in yet. My brain is calling me a moron, telling me this team has already made tee times for April 12. My heart says the Cats are just 2 points out still, with 8 games left, and still playing well.

"Playing well." The excuse of the runner up. The reasoning of those who couldn't cut it. "It's not devastating because we played well and we played hard," said Pete DeBoer, after the loss to Buffalo. Guess what. Here's a quote following the loss to Carolina on Monday. "We played hard, we played well." Brett McLean after the Buffalo loss; "We're playing the right way. We're still in it..." David Booth after the Carolina loss; "“That’s the type of hockey we have to play the rest of the way." Well, that's the type of hockey Florida has been playing for the past 9 games, in which they've won just twice. Maybe it's the inexperience talking. Maybe they just don't know any better.

But is this really the wrong attitude to have? Optimism in the face of defeat? A month ago, sure. Find the bright spots in tough losses. Look at the positives when things don't go your way. But not now. Not with 8 games left. This loss was devastating. This loss should have ended the way it did, with a full line brawl. Unfortunately, the Panthers also should have been playing with that kind of passion since February.

There was plenty of blame to go around tonight. Tomas Vokoun was at the top of the head coach's list. Pete DeBoer did everything short of accusing Vokoun of not shooting the puck more. "The goalie's got to close the door when you're in that situation. You know what? He didn't." Think Vokoun will get a shot at redemption tomorrow night in Philly? The blame game can also be played with the forwards. There were ample opportunites for the Panthers to put this game out of reach early. Stephen Weiss, especially, had numerous chances, and each time the puck seemed to hit Mikael Tellqvist's jersey logo. Simply put, the scorers aren't scoring, and the goaltender isn't stopping rubber. It's tough to win games like that.

Now I will try to do what I do best. Find a positive. Here's a couple, although they are admittedly very hard bright spots to find in a room that is approaching black hole darkness. The Panthers are still just two points behind 8th seed Montreal. Florida got two goals from the 4th line tonight, so if the top line guys can pick it up over the next few weeks, there could yet be some hope left. There has seemed to be a "get everything to the net, anyway possible" mindset over the last couple games. Full brawls, such as the one that ended tonight's game, have a way of bringing teams together for one final push. There is no time left for improvement or chemistry to form. You're either good enough right now, or you're watching the playoffs from the couch.

Changing Things Up

2009-03-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to George Richards from the Miami Herald, we now know the lines for tonight's clash. In an attempt to mix things up in the hopes of creating some sort of offense, coach Pete DeBoer is trying some new lines. Olesz-Weiss-Booth; Stillman-Horton-Zednik; CPR; Frolik-Kreps-McLean.

On paper, I like the looks of this. Olesz, Weiss, and Booth is a high speed three-way. Nothing but speed and grit on that line. Stillman with Horts and Zed adds a bit of toughness to the individual talent that Horton and Zednik can bring. CPR has been solid all season long, no reason to mess with them. And dropping Frolik to the "4th line" adds a scoring touch to the physical play of Kreps and McLean. A bit of mix and match offense. All 4 lines can score. All 4 has at least 1 player with 12 goals or more. Looks good on paper... we can only wait and see if it produces on the ice.

At this time in the season, with just 9 games to play, one would hope that lines and chemistry wouldn't be a problem. Yet, the Panthers have struggled to score over the past couple weeks, and incidentally, have struggled to win. What they've been doing hasn't worked. Hopefully tonight's lineup creates that spark that carries this team deep into April\May hockey.

On The Road Again...

2009-03-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

After a disappointing, 5-game home stand that saw the Panthers claim just 4 of a possible 10 points, the Cats head out on a 3-game, 4-day road trip that could help decide their season. Florida is in Buffalo tonight, against a Sabres team that is fighting to stay in the playoff picture.

The Sabres are currently 7 points behind 8th seed Montreal, 5 points back of Florida. A loss to the Panthers tonight, and Buffalo is probably down and out. And last night, the Panthers got no help from the Atlanta Thrashers, who got lit up by the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal is now 2 points ahead of the Cats in 8th place. There should be two desparate teams on the ice tonight, both fighting for their playoff lives.

Puck drops at 7:00.

Good Effort, But...

2009-03-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Carolina Hurricanes took 2 important points from the Florida Panthers last night. Was the loss deserved for the Panthers? Probably not. Did Carolina do enough to earn a win? Maybe. But this time of year, that doesn't really matter. Florida was unable to finish their scoring chances, and therefore have to settle for the single point.

Any points at all were in doubt until the final minutes of a tightly contested, ugly game. The Hurricanes' game plan from the opening faceoff was to neutralize Florida's speed, and they did so all night long. The result was a game fought in the trenches. The Panthers cycled the puck effectively enough, but the 'Canes kept the play on the perimeter much of the night. Florida had very few, if any, odd man rushes. It was a well played road game for Carolina, and a frustratingly solid effort from the Cats.

Should Carolina's 2nd goal have counted? Doubtful. Not only did it look like the 'Canes had about 12 guys on the ice, but the play looked suspiciously offsides as well. On the other hand, Florida got caught on a bad change of their own, and gave up a 3 on 2, that Carolina finished. But Florida got a break of their own, and were given a 5 on 3 power play with just under 5 minutes left in the game, and they were able to capitalize on that. The point earned tonight put the Panthers into a tie for the 8th and final playoff spot with Montreal. The Canadiens have played 1 fewer game, which they will make up tomorrow night.

There is no questioning Florida's effort tonight. From the first drop of the puck to Ray Whitney's game ender, the Panthers were gutting it out. If they play the remaining 9 games like they did tonight, there might still be hope in south Florida. I'm not sure whether to be excited that the Cats were able to fight through and earn a point when they were down, or to be frustrated because they just weren't good enough to get the full 2 points. Regardless, the Panthers start a vital 3-game road trip Wednesday night in Buffalo. 9 games left. Buckle up...

Hurricanes @ Panthers; the New Season

2009-03-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's game 1 of the playoff push tonight for the Panthers. It's a chance to make the postseason. It is within reach. A 10 game season starts tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.

And wouldn't you know it... it's not televised. Well, unless you forked over the $99 for NHL Center Ice (I did). How this is possible, I'm not sure. I know it has something to do with the Versus network and some NHL exclusivity rule, but I just don't get it. Early season games, sure. Pre-All Star game, ok. But during the last couple weeks of the season, where every game can affect the playoff standings? Oh well.

As for the 'Canes, they've been playing some solid hockey lately. Thanks to a 7-1-2 record over their last 10, Carolina finds itself in the 6th seed. They're 1 point behind Pittsburgh, 1 point ahead of the Rangers. Think this game is only meaningful for the Cats? Carolina's going to bring it tonight. They know Florida's fading. Nothing would make them happier then to put the first nail in the coffin.

For Florida, they are 5 points behind these Hurricanes. A win tonight would be a large one for obvious reasons. Confidence heading out on a quick but crucial road trip will be key. 2 points tonight to get them into that 8th spot would be nice.

No word on whether or not Nathan Horton will return tonight. He's been skating the past couple days, testing his repaired finger. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think the Panthers could use his stick on the ice tonight. As much as I've ragged on Horton this season, there's no question he has been able to score of late, and nothing is needed more then goals right now.

The post-regular, pre-post season starts tonight. Puck drops at 7:30. Get a ticket, head to the game. Find a bar with Center Ice. Tune in to Randy Moller. Just do something. It's gonna be a good one (I hope...)

UPDATE A few lineup changes tonight. Nathan Horton will indeed be back, as will Nick Boynton. Steve Eminger, Anthony Stewart, and Nick Tarnasky will watch this game from the press box. Personally, I don't know that Eminger has done anything to warrant his being benched, but then again, he hasn't done anything to show he should stay in the lineup. It's a move that's probably being made just to change things up. What Florida's been doing lately hasn't worked, so let's mix it up. I hope\expect to see Boynton come out flying.

My Heart Can't Take Much More Of This

2009-03-21T19:47:00.001-07:00

On a night the Panthers had a chance to jump back into the top 8, Columbus ripped the rug out from under Florida's collective feet. While the Cats held onto a 1-0 lead for most of this game, that nagging feeling started creeping into the back of my mind... "We aren't going to win this game 1-0."

How right I was. With just 2:46 left in the game, Raffi "I don't sing for kids" Torres tied it up with a nifty one-timer off an even niftier saucer pass from some guy named Huselius (remember him?). Ok, fine. We'll go to OT, take the point, and pray for it to end before the shootout. Oops... Just over a minute later, with just over a minute left in the game, Torres did it again. This time, a wrist shot that never left the ice found its way between Tomas Vokoun's pads. An empty net goal later and my heart burn returned.

Florida played well tonight, no doubt. Not great, but they controlled play for good portions of time. They had plenty of time in the attacking zone, even if they didn't always get shots through. The stats say that Florida managed just 23 SOG, but they had plenty of chances. I'm not sure of the exact number of shots that missed the net or were blocked, but it's safe to say there was a plethora of them. When you face a top level netminder like Steve Mason (9 shutouts this season), you're going to squeeze the stick a little harder. You're going to try to pick out the perfect play. In reality, it's the ugly goals that get past the #1 'tenders more often then not. Rusty Olesz's goal is a perfect example. Nick Tarnasky simply threw the puck towards the front of the net, it bounced around, and Olesz was able to poke it past. The 4th line tonight had as many, if not more, scoring chances then the top lines. Why? They aren't looking to make a pretty pass (Zednik, Weiss, Dvorak... I'm talking to you). When the "talent" on this team enters the zone, they look for the neat drop pass, they look for the tic-tac-toe. When Nasty Nick gets the puck in the offensive zone, it's full steam ahead and bulldoze the puck into the net. Guess which way has been working best lately... Shoot it, shoot it again, and then shoot some more. To steal a line from my favorite movie, "You don't have enough talent to win on talent alone."

And as for the GWG... As cool and calm as Vokoun looked most of the night, that's one he needs to stop. Yes, it was a quick shot. Yes, Keith Ballard was kind of screening him. But Vokoun was ready, square to the shooter, and in position to make that save. You can't let pucks through your legs like that. Not in a game like this, at a time like that.

The only good news one could take out of tonight is that 8th seed Montreal lost again. It looks like it will be a 2-team race for the 8th and final spot. Florida, who's now lost 5 of their last 6, are trying to out-slump the Canadiens, losers of 6 in a row. The Rangers, Penguins, and Hurricanes have all found their winning ways and are starting to pull ahead. The 10th seed Sabres don't look like they have a late push in them. It will probably be between Montreal and Florida. Both teams have 10 games left. Next for Florida, Monday night against the Hurricanes. Until then.

Panthers Recap + Game Night!

2009-03-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Apologies. Computer still giving me issues. Have to keep it brief...

Panthers earned a big 2 points Thursday night with a 3-1 win over the Leafs. Stephen Weiss, Ville Peltonen, and Richard Zednik scored the goals. More scoring from these forwards will be needed if the Cats hope to make the playoffs.

Tonight, Florida welcomes Columbus. The Blue Jackets are in a playoff race of their own, so there should be a tough fight tonight for the 2 points up for grabs. The Jackets are 6th in the west. Florida is 9th in the east.

Again, I hopefully will be able to get back to my normal routine here in the next couple days. I know I am an important part to your daily web browsing, and during this playoff push, I'll do my best to be there for you...

Puck drops at 7:00.

Game Night

2009-03-19T09:11:00.001-07:00

Stealing some computer time before work... let's keep it simple. With Carolina's win last night, Florida is now 3 points behind the 'Canes and Montreal Canadians for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Panthers have lost 4 straight. Lose tonight, and forget it.

There was no excuse for the pathetic effort Tuesday night. That being said, there is no excuse to come out flat tonight. You know the standings. You know what you have to do. You're playing a team that is just playing out the schedule. Lose tonight, and you can start making tee times.

Simple as that. Puck drops at 7:30.

Panthers 0 - Capitals 3

2009-03-17T20:32:00.001-07:00

Awful. Embarrassing. Incredible. Amazing. Ridiculous.

Did I miss anything? I mean for @#$%'s sake. Losers of their last 3, you would think Florida would come out with a strong, aggressive, hard fight, right? Forget it. I'm going to do my best to forget about this one as soon as possible.

Zero @#$%ing shots in the 3rd period. ZERO. ZERO. You have to be kidding me. A desperation game. Out of the playoffs by a single point, the 8th place team has the night off. Every other team is playing, and you have to assume most of them will win. What do the Panthers do? Squadoosh. Nothing. Washington could have pulled their goalie the entire 3rd period and still posted a shutout. Unbelievable.

Can you think of a time when you thought, just maybe, the Panthers might have scored? Not me. Their best "chance" tonight came when Karlis Skrastins, the most defensive of defensemen on the roster, had a semi-breakaway. Other then that, I could have played in Washington's net and earned my first NHL shutout. Unreal.

Now to be fair, the Capitals need to be given credit. They gave a fairly lackluster effort last time out against Atlanta, a 5-1 Caps loss. Tonight, they played one of their best games in a long time. Who cares. Florida could have been playing Washington Community College, it wouldn't have mattered. What playoff race? You mean this wasn't a pre-season game in Saskatchewan?

Let's include some good news in this post, shall we? Congratulations to Martin Brodeur, who broke Patrick Roy's record tonight for most wins by a goaltender. Oh, and Carolina didn't play tonight, so Florida still trails the 8th seed by just a point. Buffalo also lost, so the Cats are still in 9th. Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils host Carolina tomorrow, so us Panthers fans are hoping (praying) that the Devils can keep the 'Canes from earning any points.

Florida's next game comes Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. God willing, Florida may realize they are actually in a fight for a playoff spot. All this "no reason for panic yet" talk needs to hit the shelf. It's panic time. It's all or nothing time. It's desperation time. It's ridiculous. I need a drink.

Game Night!

2009-03-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

It's put up or shut up time for the Panthers, who sit in 9th place in the east, 1 spot and 1 point out of the playoffs. Florida has lost it's last 3 games, and while they were able to get a point in 2 of those losses, they need to start winning if they hope to get themselves back in the top 8.

Tonight, the Washington Capitals visit south Florida. The Caps played last night, a 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. Washington had a chance to vault themselves into 2nd place last night, as they trail the New Jersey Devils by a single point. Starting goaltender Jose Theodore was pulled last night, so it's anyone's guess who will be in the crease for the Caps tonight. Normally, goalies don't start in back to back nights. But with Theodore getting an early shower, the Caps coach may want to give his #1 a chance to get his confidence back.

It's a full night in the NHL. Florida will be trying to keep pace with the pack, as all teams involved (except Carolina) are in the ice. The Rangers (+2 on Florida) are in Montreal (also +2). Florida just hoping for a regulation end to that one. Buffalo (-2) is in Ottawa. Go Sens Go. The Penguins (+4) host the Thrashers, who are on a 6-game winning streak. Let's hope the ATL makes it 7.

With just 13 games remaning, the Panthers need a full 60 minute effort tonight. Florida has to start stringing some W's together. Bryan McCabe should be back on the ice tonight, wearing the full bird cage to protect his recently repaired mug. With 7 solid defensemen now on the roster, it'll be a tough choice for Pete DeBoer on who sits out. Puck drops at 7:30.

UPDATE Nick Boynton and Anthony Stewart are the healthy scratches tonight. My thoughts? Steve Eminger better start contributing... Boynton was playing well while McCabe was out.

Techinal Difficulties...

2009-03-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Apologies for not getting a post up after last night's game, but my laptop has decided to crap out on me. I'm not sure how much updating I'll get to do over the next week or so, as my computer will be shipped off to the HP Technical Repair services, and will be relying on limited access to my wife's laptop and work computers.

Maybe it's for the best. Florida lost a 3-1, 3rd period lead for the 2nd time in 3 games last night. While Florida continues to pick up 1 point at a time, it's getting close to panic mode. The Panthers are now in 9th place in the east, 1 point behind 8th seed Carolina. Luckily (I guess), there won't be any movement in the standings before Florida plays next. Today was no fun for Panther fans anyways. Both the Rangers and Penguins earned 2 points, distancing themselves from Florida. It's hard to feel positive about the Panthers' postseason chances, but there are still plenty of games to play, plenty of points to be had. But the teams Florida is chasing are playing good hockey, while the Panthers picked a bad time to slump. Hopefully Tuesday will start a hot streak. Until next time... (whenever that may be)

Game Night!

2009-03-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Let's keep it simple today. The Panthers are playing the Lightning. Florida is in desperate need of points. Tampa is a cellar dweller. Florida needs to win tonight. For one reason, to gain confidence. For another, to keep pace with the rest of the pack. For a 3rd, it's freaking Tampa.

Interesting development, Rusty Olesz will be back on the ice tonight. Hopefully he'll be able to contribute right away, but I don't expect to see him get much ice time. Michael Repik was returned to AHL Rochester. Too bad. I liked the 4 minutes he showed against Buffalo. Brian McCabe is still out.

Other action to be concerned with; Rangers @ Flyers. Senators @ Penguins. Thrashers @ Sabres. Devils @ Canadians. Hurricanes @ Capitals.

Puck drops at 7:00.

Panthers 1 - Sabres 3

2009-03-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Don't look now, Panther fans, but once again, we are on the outside looking in. After tonight's loss to Buffalo, along with other NHL action, Florida now sits 9th in the east.

And wouldn't you know it, Florida finds themselves outside of the playoff picture the night after one of their better efforts in recent memory. Just to show you what a crazy, mixed up world we live in; Florida earned a point in a shoot out loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, being outshot 50-21. Tonight, the Cats lost 3-1, yet looked faster, quicker, and stronger then they have in weeks. Florida held Buffalo to just 23 shots. Their reward? 0 points and 9th place.

Let's be honest. There will be games where you get a win but didn't deserve it, there will be nights when you deserved the W, but lose. Sure, Tomas Vokoun probably should have stopped that 2nd goal. But he had no right making that save on Vanek later in the 2nd period. And yea, that 3rd, coffin sealing goal in the 3rd was incredibly unlucky. But Florida had a 5 on 3 for over a minute early in the 3rd and didn't score. The power play actually looked OK tonight, controlled the puck, had a few chances, just nothing to show for it. Them's the breaks, kid.

Speaking of kids... Michael Repik may just play himself into a roster spot. He was flying, shooting first, asking questions later. He scored the lone Panthers goal. He threw his body around. I think I like him on our team. And to be fair, everyone looked 2 steps quicker tonight then on Tuesday. Zednik was all over the ice. The CPR line probably should have had a couple goals tonight. It was a solid effort, just a bad result. It happens.

Florida played well enough to win tonight. If they play more games like this one down the stretch, they should be OK. Then again, they did lose tonight... so who knows. The only thing I know for sure is that there are 14 games left for the Panthers to claim a spot in the postseason. The biggest of those 14 is the next one. The Cats return home for a 5-game homestand, starting with a
"must, must, must win" Saturday night against the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning.

Game Night!

2009-03-12T08:46:00.001-07:00

It's hockey night! Coming to live and not on TV from Buffalo, NY! Well, not on TV for Panthers fans living in south Florida. How a game as important as this is left off the air befuddles me. It's not even a home game that local fans can attend if they want to watch. It's at these few times that I feel lucky to not live in the Panthers viewing territory and have Center Ice.

With all that being said, tonight is indeed another big game. Let's face it, every game is big when you are in the 8th and final playoff spot, leading 9th place by a point, trailing the 6th and 7th seeds by a point. Everybody is in action tonight, as well. Pittsburgh is in Columbus, go Blue Jackets. Montreal is hosting the Islanders, go Isles. The Rangers are in Nashville, come on Preds! And Carolina is in Dallas, go Stars go. Not getting 2 points tonight from the Sabres could very well be a 4 point loss.

According to George Stewart of the Herald, Michael Repik was recalled and will be on the 4th line with Brett McLean and either Tarnasky or Anthony Stewart. Hm. That means Kamil Kreps is now centering the Zednik\Booth line. Hm. As of now, I'm not a big fan of that move. I haven't really seen Kreps do anything worthwhile this season to make me think he can be productive with our 2 best scorers. Yes, Kreps scored a goal last game. Only his 4th. But hey, Pete DeBoer has seemed like he knows what he's doing. Let's hope it pays off.

For those that haven't yet heard or noticed, tonight marks the return of Richard Zednik to the site of his near fatal accident last year. It's the first time he's played in Buffalo since Olli Jokinen's skate cut his throat. Jokinen is gone. Playoff hockey is near. While I imagine it would be near impossible to not think about it, hopefully Zednik just continues his immensely successful return season and keeps on putting pucks in the net.

Puck drops at 7:00. For those that can't watch on TV, why not give world-famous Randy Moller a listen?

Panthers 3 - Penguins 4 (SO)

2009-03-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling you get when you get a birthday check from your grandparents? It's usually a lot more money then anyone else gave you. You didn't really do anything to deserve it, and you feel kind of guilty for taking it. But you know you need it and certainly aren't giving it back.

That's kind of how I felt last night after stealing a point in a shootout loss to the Penguins. The Panthers didn't derseve a point. They didn't deserve to be on the same ice as the Pens. Out shot 50-21. Fifty shots against. 5-0. Twenty-one for. Ugly. Now the Panthers are not strangers to giving up high shot totals, but usually they do a good job of keeping the shots from long range and clearing rebounds. Not tonight. It looked like the Penguins had a 45 minute power play (they actually had 6 PP's. If you're looking for something positive other then Vokoun's play, it was the penalty killers going 6 for 6 against a very potent Pittsburgh power play). There were brief stretches of pressure for the Cats, and they somehow scored 3 goals on 7 shots in the 2nd period. But Vokoun earned them the point. And in the end, that's all that really matters.

Faceoffs are another area that Florida is really hurting. Pittsburgh won 36 faceoffs, compared with just 27 for Florida. That's not an awful disparity, but it's the important ones the Florida seems to lose most often. Losing an offensive zone draw and allowing an easy clear. Losing the defensive zone faceoff and letting Pittsburgh set up right away. Only Stephen Weiss had a winning percentage in the circle. There was a reason Jacques Martin was looking for a center at the trade deadline...

One last thing before I start remembering the positives. It looked to me that Pittsburgh was simply walking across the blue line every time they controlled the puck. No backcheck pressure from the forwards, no high pressure from the defense. The Penguins rarely had to dump and chase, Florida just let them in the zone. On the other side, Florida couldn't get into the Pens zone to save their life. Save for an end to end rush from Keith Ballard or a rare turnover by Pittsburgh, Florida never seemed to set up their offense. Passes were being caught by players standing still. Movement off the puck was non-existant. Give credit to Pittsburgh, but Florida made it so much easier then it should have been in a "playoff-type" game.

Oh wait, one more thing. Florida still hasn't figure out that whole shoot out thing...

Almost forgot. Florida did get a point last night, a very important point. It was also nice seeing Nick Boynton make the most of his opportunity, getting a goal and an assist. Also nice to see Kamil Kreps step up and add his 4th goal of the year. The Panthers are now tied with Carolina for 7th\8th in the east. Pittsburgh moves ahead into 6th all by their lonesome. Montreal, overtime winners last night, is back in solo 5th. The NY Rangers are a point behind the Florida\Carolina spot. The Cats' next opponent, Buffalo, is 4 points back in 10th. Florida has to, has to, come out firing on all cylinders if they hope to get a W against a desperate Sabres team that is struggling to stay in the playoff picture.

The Panthers, like myself, have to focus on the positives, put this game behind them, and focus on getting the next 2 points tomorrow. Until then...

Game Night!

2009-03-10T11:50:00.001-07:00

Another colossal, gigantic, enormous game with playoff standings at stake tonight as the Florida Panthers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins. How important is it, you might ask? Florida and Pittsburgh are tied with 76 points in 7th\8th spot. Also at 76 points are the New York Rangers.

Bad news struck the Panthers locker room yesterday. For my full report, click here. The bottom line is Brian McCabe and Nathan Horton are out tonight. McCabe had surgery to repair a broken orbital bone in his right eye, Horts is out after surgery on his finger. New guy Steve Eminger will be asked to fill in for McCabe. Anyone else will be asked to step up with Horton out (Weiss, McLean, Stewart, Peltonen...).

The Penguins have won 6 straight, including a win over the Panthers less then a week ago. Florida played well for 2 periods against the Pens, then hit the wall. The Panthers know what they have to do to earn W's. Hopefully they'll actually do it tonight. Tomas Vokoun is between the pipes for the Cats. Puck drops at 7:30.

Scoreboard Day

2009-03-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

This scoreboard watching thing isn't going so well. Teams in playoff races are desperate. Desperate teams are winning. Yesterday was painfully no different. Pittsburgh won. The Rangers won. Montreal won. If the Devil was playing, he probably would have won too.

Florida is now in the same spot they were in pre-Blues win. 1 point behind 5th seed Montreal, tied with the Rangers and Penguins. And tonight it's just going to get worse. The New York Rangers play Carolina. Argh. No matter who wins, Florida loses. All Panthers fans can do is hope it ends in regulation.

One more bad note to pass along. Nathan Horton suffered a broken finger in the game Saturday and will be out an unknown amount of time. Horton has been playing well, his line has been awesome. It hurts, no question. But it gives someone else a chance to step up (cough...McLean...cough...Weiss...cough cough).

Florida has 2 huge road games coming up. First in Pittsburgh tomorrow night, then in Buffalo on Thursday. Needless to say, the Panthers could distance themselves or find themselves on the outside looking in Friday morning. Should be fun.

Panthers 5 - Blues 3

2009-03-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

Gonna be a quick one tonight, I'm headin' out for some celebratory drinks after David Booth's awesome night (and a friend of my wife's birthday). A hat trick for Booth and a huge win for the Panthers.

Nathan Horton also got back on the score sheet tonight. It was a solid game all around for the Booth, Horton, and Richard Zednik line. Horton may have played his best game of the year. He was looking to shoot every chance he got, something Stephen Weiss could take notice of. Maybe I just have selective vision, but Horton was firing on all cylinders, while Weiss was looking for the pass as soon as the puck was on his stick in the offensive zone.

I'm not trying to be a Debby Downer, I promise. It was a solid game. Florida seemed to fall asleep for the first 10 minutes of the 3rd period, allowing St. Louis to get a sniff of tying this game, but a beautiful effort by Richard Zednik, finished by an easy one timer for Booth's trick, and this one was wrapped. In other action, Buffalo lost, but the 'Canes continued their hot play, beating the Lightning by a gazillion. But Florida is, for the moment, alone in 5th place. Go figure. I said I'd keep this short, so I'm cutting myself off now and heading downtown. Until next time...

Game Night!

2009-03-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

3:01 Update: Thanks to George Richards, I can now tell you who's in and out tonight. Steve Eminger gets the call on the blue line, so Nick Boynton is sitting again. Anthony Stewart is the unlucky forward, and Nick Tarnasky gets a shot back in the line up. From the 1 game I saw of Eminger, he belongs in our defense. He jumped up a few times in the rush, had a couple good shots, skated well. Why not? To me, it's closer to Boynton and Jassen Cullimore fighting for the 6th D-man spot.
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Every game from here on out will be more important then the last, so I'll fore go all the "must-win" stuff and "crucial 2 points" talk. Every win will be big, every loss will hurt. With just 17 games remaining, the Panthers are one of five teams separated by 2 points. Enough said.

Tonight's opponent, the St. Louis Blues, are in a desperate situation of their own. They are just 4 points out of the final playoff spot, but no fewer then 7 teams are fighting it out. These are the tightest playoff races I can remember. The difference between 5th and 10th place in the east is 2 points. The margin between 6th and 12th in the west is just 4 points. Unreal. It should make for playoff intense hockey the rest of the way. The Blues managed to beat Tampa Bay last night, in OT, so they should be feeling good about themselves. Florida, on the other hand, lost a stinker to Pittsburgh on Thursday, so they should be brewing.

Last night's action was not friendly to Florida fans. Buffalo and Carolina both won, big. They now trail the 6th-8th pack by just 1 point. The Sabres and 'Canes go again tonight, so it's possible they could jump the 3-way tie for 8th and create their own 2-way tie, unless Florida can get a win. The 2 teams FLA is tied with, Pitt and the NYR, are off. It won't be easy for the Panthers. St. Louis is 8-3-3 since Feb. 3, and has the NHL's best record over the previous 20 games. Florida is going to have to play a full 60 minutes tonight to skate away with the W.

Tomas Vokoun starts tonight in what will be his 500th career game. Puck drops at 7:00 from a hopefully raucous BAC.

Panthers 1 - Penguins 4

2009-03-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

For a brief moment, the Panthers looked like they had finally taken control of this game. 24 seconds later, though, it was all Pittsburgh, all the time.

After a scoreless first period in which both teams had chances, the Panthers finally broke the tie at the 17:49 mark of the 2nd period. Radek Dvorak was able to chip the puck off the post and off Penguins' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury into the net. Shortly after, Sidney Crosby split the Panthers' defense and ripped a wrister past Vokoun to send the game to the final stanza tied at 1.

The third period saw total domination by the Pens. 3 goals later and it was over. There were a couple Vokoun probably would like back, but once again was forced to face over 40 shots in the game. He made 43 saves and still lost, and a painful loss it was. Pittsburgh's win over Florida, coupled with the Rangers win on Long Island, means there's a 3-way tie for the final playoff spot. All 3 teams have 74 points, 1 point behind Montreal, 3 points ahead of Buffalo and Carolina.

Far too often tonight, the Panthers chose a tough pass instead of a shot. Stephen Weiss, in particular, comes to mind. It's hard to second guess the team's leading scorer, but more then a couple instances come to mind when he tried to feather a pass through defensemen's sticks and legs, rather then just wristing one on net and crashing. Being outshot 47-32 is becoming the norm. While most shots are long range, and most second chances are being eliminated, it's still far too easy for opponents to set up and fire away. That needs to change if this team still plans on making the playoffs.

The Panthers power play is awful. Yes, they had a surprising game in Washington on the PP, but other than that game, just dreadful. Dumping it in on the man advantage is great, if you can beat the D to the puck and gain control. Far too often, it results in an easy clear for the opposition. Tonight, and in most previous games, Florida rarely sets up. Often it's a quick, rushed shot, an easy save, and a quick clear. Again, something that needs fixing if Florida hopes to extend their season. Patience, quick puck movement are the answer,which was the reason for success in Washington. Lots of quick passes, waiting for their shot.

Bascially, 5-on-5, dump the puck, bang the defenseman, control the puck, throw it at the net and crash in after it. On the PP, enter the zone, set the screen, move the puck, find your shot, get it on net.

The good news is that of the 17 games the Panthers have left on the schedule, 10 are at home, and 13 are against teams below or even with them in the standings. The playoffs are still in sight. Tonight's game hurts, no doubt, but it's no reason to panic. Florida has bounced back after a loss well, and hopefully Saturday will be no different. It was great to see a nearly full house tonight, and an actual hockey atmosphere in the building. The Panthers welcome the St. Louis Blues to the BAC Saturday, hopefully the home crowd will be treated to a better effort and result. Until then...

Game Night!

2009-03-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Post-Trade deadline edition; Now that the chaos that is trade day has passed, we know that Jay Bouwmeester will be a Panther for the rest of the season. I have mixed feelings about that, but in the end, I think I'm leaning towards happy. It'll be great for our postseason chances, but long term, you have to wonder what will happen.

Anyways, the Panthers actually play some hockey on the ice tonight, and it's a big one. The 8th seed Pittsburgh Penguins come to town, as Florida returns home after their tough 5-game road trip. Some new faces should be on the ice for Pittsburgh. Veteran over-the-hiller Bill Guerin was acquired by the Pens yesterday, along with forward Craig Adams from Chicago. Pittsburgh is hoping Guerin and Adams can add some toughness to their lineup, something that's been lacking this season.

Standings-wise, tonight's game is another crucial contest as far as the playoff race is concerned. Here's what we're looking at...

5. Montreal Canadians 75 points
6. Florida Panthers 74
7. New York Rangers 72
8. Pittsburgh Penguins 72
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9. Buffalo Sabres 71
10. Carolina Hurricanes 71

Tonight, the Panthers and Penguins meet. Only the Rangers are in action as well, playing the Islanders, so the Panthers have a chance to jump Montreal, or end up tied with the Penguins. Pittsburgh is hoping Sydney Crosby returns from a groin injury that's kept him out the previous 4 games (which Pitt has won). The Panthers are hoping for David Booth to come back from an upper body injury he sustained in Washington on Sunday. Let's pack the BAC tonight and welcome back Jay Bo. Should be a good one. Puck drops at 7:30.

Deadline Day: Live Blog

2009-03-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

3:51 p.m.

Well, it looks as though Jay Bouwmeester will indeed remain in Sunrise, FL for the duration of the season. Florida did make one move today, though. It's not the Chris Neil trade, as was earlier rumored. The Panthers picked up Steve Eminger from Tampa Bay in exchange for Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick. Eminger has 4 G and 21 A for Tampa this year, and might be a sign of things to come with Nick Boynton. Welch has shown signs of potential for the Panthers, but in the end, he wasn't enough.

As for Bouwmeester, Florida "got their guy" by not trading Jay-Bo. The team's chemistry doesn't change, the makeup of this team isn't affected. In fact, one could argue that the Panthers, as a team, might feel that they came out a better team then they were at the start of the day. Keith Ballard sent a text to TSN analyst Darren Pang shortly after the 3:00 deadline passed; "Perfect." What this means for Florida in the long term is unknown. Bouwmeester has shown no signs of planning on signing with Florida, so you would have to expect him to pack his bags as a UFA on July 1st. But for the next 2 months, Jay is a Panther, and expect him to do nothing less then his best, hopefully pushing Florida deep into the postseason. The home stretch kicks off tomorrow night with a crucial game against the Penguins.

3:05 p.m.

The deadline has passed, and it looks like Bouwmeester is staying in south Florida for a few more months. Huge boost to the team. I can't imagine the positive vibes in the locker room, knowing they still have their guy. They didn't make a move and probably improved their team because of it. I'm heading home from work now, so anything that breaks over the next half hour, I'll get to later. Thanks for tuning in.

2:42 p.m.

Only 18 minutes to go and still no further word on a Chris Neil deal. Personally, I don't see a reason to make a move for Neil, unless it's for a low draft pick. Neil isn't a scorer (2 G, 4 A in 44 games), he isn't a center, he hasn't played in a month due to a calf injury. He's another Wade Belak. High energy, very physical, hands of stone, skates of lead. Still waiting to get further info...

2:27 p.m.

The Florida Panthers may have finally made a move. Ottawa's Chris Neil is rumored to be headed for south Florida. I'm still trying to find out for who. It's not Jay-Bo, but who....? Working on it...

2:11 p.m.

Apparently the price tag for Guerin was a draft pick, either a 5th or 3rd, depending on post season play. For a pick, Guerin could have fit in well in Florida. Gritty, tough guy, never afraid to muck out the ugly goals, and more importantly, a veteran center... Oh well. I guess JM has his mind on other things...

2:05 p.m.

Another aging vet has escaped the cellar and gone to a potential playoff team. Bill Guerin has gone from the Islanders to the Penguins. No word yet on what Pittsburgh sent back, but this adds a little size and grit to the Penguins scoring lines. Guerin is a guy who's been there and done that, probably a few times, and should help Pittsburgh make a push for the postseason. I can only imagine how excited he is to get off Long Island...

1:33 p.m.

Mark Recchi has escaped from Tampa Bay, heading to from bottom to top as the Boston Bruins exchanged 2 prospects for Recchi. Boston and Calgary have been the busiest two teams today, both looking to shore up their roster for a deep run. Recchi adds instant veteran leadership and Stanley Cup experience to the Bruins.

I've also heard unconfirmed reports that Toronto has dealt forward Dominic Moore to Chicago. Chicago is another team in the west that are trying to keep pace with the Flames, Sharks, and Red Wings. Panthers' fans remember the shut out that the Blackhawks dealt to the Cats not too long ago. They look good and could also be a contender in the west, although the top 3 teams will be hard to beat.

12:40 p.m.

Looks like Olli Jokinen and Mike Keenan will be reunited. The Flames picked up Olli for a couple youngsters and a draft pick. Calgary is looking pretty good to make a run in the west. Jokinen, Camilleri, and Iginla is a scary thought, and adding Leopold on the blue line makes the Flames a serious contender, no doubts. Olli will finally get a shot at the postseason. If he's able to mesh in this locker room (which has been a problem with Olli on previous teams), this team goes deep.

Boston acquired Steve Montador from Anaheim for Petteri Nokalainen. A move for Boston that adds another solid defender to their roster. They have been struggling the last couple games, but once the postseason hits, they will be a favorite in the east.

12:09 p.m.

Now we're cookin'! The Sabres picked up a goaltender to try to bridge the gap created by the injury to Ryan Miller. Mikael Tellqvist from Phoenix heads to Buffalo for a 4th round pick. The Sabres also signed Tim Connolly to an extension. Buffalo's had a good day, so far. It's just going to force Florida to keep playing well to stay ahead of the Sabres.

11:44 a.m.

Another small deal involving no one Florida is concerned with. Jordan Leopold is sent from Colorado to Calgary in exchange for 2 prospect defensemen and a draft pick. A solid defenseman heading to Calgary to bolster their blue line, they're looking for a deep run. The Flames are currently 3rd in the west.

11:33 a.m.

Slow start to the day, just the 1 deal to speak of. Things could pick up as the 3:00 p.m. ET deadline gets closer. On a personal note, I'm a little bit disappointed at the complete lack of attention today is getting from ESPN. Now, I didn't expect much, ESPN and the NHL aren't exactly closest of pals, but it's just a blip on the ESPN.com main page, I haven't seen any mention of it on the ESPN morning programming (Mike & Mike, First Take...). The only hockey related mention on television came when the return of Sean Avery to the Rangers was briefly discussed on First Take. Maybe deals being done will garner interest... but it's doubtful. I know the worldwide leader loves Manny, but don't you think "A-Rod Had Hip Stiffness Last Year" is a headline that could be pushed down a bit?

10:13 a.m.

A couple players thought to be trade bait might be off the market after all. Ottawa defenseman Filip Kuba just reached a new deal with the Senators, and Blues veteran Keith Tkachuk looks like he's sticking it out in St. Louis. The Blues are 4 points out of the playoffs in the western conference, but there are a multitude of teams jockeying for the final spot.

9:58 a.m.

First deal of the day, not involving the Panthers or any team the Panthers are interested in. Ottawa acquired G Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd round pick from Columbus in exchange for F Antoine Vermette. Looks like the Blue Jackets are going to ride rookie goalie Steve Mason all the way, and got a decent forward to boot. Vermette has just 9 goals and 19 assists this season, but is one of the better faceoff guys in the league.

9:16 a.m.

Off and running, perusing the rumor mills. No news yet, but be assured, if and when news breaks, I'll let you know what I think. Obviously, all the attention will be on Jay Bouwmeester. Most of the talk has been involving the Philadelphia Flyers. They have reportedly offered Joffrey Lupol and James vanRiemsdyk for J-Bo. I don't like this deal for a number of reasons. Lupol is a winger, something the Panthers aren't exactly in need of. They do need scoring, but preferably from the center position. Lupol's contract is awfuly pricey, on top of that. Also, vanRiemsdyk is a prospect. A young, talented prospect, to be sure, but Florida isn't looking to build it's future. The Cats want to win now. That deal probably, hopefully, won't be done. If the Flyers throw in a solid defenseman like Braydon Coburn or Matt Carle, it might be worth considering. But it looks like GM Martin doesn't see something that is an obvious, immediate upgrade yet. Bouwmeester could still be a Panther by days end. Stay tuned...

Panthers 4 - Thrashers 3

2009-03-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

The Panthers got the job done, beating the lowly Thrashers tonight, 4-3. It wasn't pretty. I wasn't a great game, by Florida standards. After the last 4 games against some of the league's best, tonight's game was hard to watch, at times. The skill level difference was painfully clear between the last 4 opponents and Atlanta. But the end result is what the Cats needed.

After yet another early goal against, the Panthers decided to participate the rest of the way and Florida controlled play for most of the night. I don't know what it is about this team, but I think every game on this recently completed road trip, the Panthers allowed the opposition to get on the board in the first couple minutes. Luckily for Florida, they were usually able to answer back.

Heading out on this trip, 3-2-0 would have been pretty lofty expectations. But that's what Florida did. On the biggest, toughest road trip of the yea, against Boston, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, and Atlanta, the Panthers were above .500 and played some confidence inspiring hockey. Tonight was no different. Aggressive, first on the puck, quick shots, all add up to scoring chances and the win. It was all about second chances for the Cats. Thrashers netminder Kari Lehtonen was leaving rebounds all over the rink, and Florida capitalized. Good game, great trip.

Tomorrow is the trade deadline. A mere 18+ hours away. I'll be online all day, to be sure, and updating as the day goes on. After you hear everyone else's opinion on moves that are or are not made, be sure to come back here and get one more. It should be an interesting day...

Pre-game Afternoon Update

2009-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Tomas Vokoun should make his return tonight against the Thrashers. Craig Anderson has started the previous 4 games.

Cory Stillman should also be in the lineup tonight.

Defenseman Keaton Ellerby has been called up from AHL Rochester. While conspiracy theorists might see this as reason to believe Jay Bouwmeester has been traded, it is actually just an emergency call-up in case Jassen Cullimore needs to be with his wife, who is expecting to give birth soon. Congratulations to the Cullimores.

24 hours til the trade deadline... I don't remember a time when the trade deadline meant so much to the Panthers. I, for one, am waiting anxiously.

Game Night!

2009-03-03T06:40:00.001-08:00

On trade deadline eve, the Florida Panthers play the final game of their 5-game road trip as they visit the ATL to take on the Thrashers. Despite their 2nd to worst standing in the eastern conference, the Thrashers have been playing better of late and are coming off of a 5-3 win over Carolina. Florida is also coming from a division win, a 6-2 beating of Washington.

Atlanta has one of the best goal scorers in the league, Ilya Kovalchuk. 13 goals and 8 assists in his last 10 games. The Panthers will have to contain him as much as possible to have a chance tonight.

Florida will be without David Booth tonight, though Cory Stillman and Tomas Vokoun should hopefully return. Booth suffered an upper body injury in the Washington game. His absence means Anthony Stewart, Brett McLean, and Nick Tarnasky should all be dressed tonight, along with Noah Welch. Lots of high energy guys going. The 4th line has been getting chances and playing with an edge the last week or so, hopefully it's just a matter of time before they start putting pucks in the net.

Standings-wise, Florida sits in 6th, tied with the Rangers, 3 points behind Montreal, and 2 points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who find themselves in the top 8 for the first time in months. Carolina and Buffalo are 1 point behind the Pens. Games to watch tonight; Carolina @ Washington. Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay. The most important game though is ours, of course. Puck drops at 7:00.

Panthers 6 - Capitals 2

2009-03-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Who were those men in white jerseys? And why don't they show up more often?

The Panthers found their A-game today and took it to the division leading Capitals. I'm still a bit under the weather, so I'm gonna try to keep it brief.

3 for 3 on the power play in the first period. Where did that come from? This team's PP over the last couple weeks was horrendous. Today, there was movement, quick passes, quick shots, less thinking and more doing. How this team can completely turn things around overnight astounds me. This wasn't the first time.

Something I did notice. It looked like the Capitals were keeping their wingers closer to our point men when the Panthers were in the attacking zone, which led to more room in the middle of the zone. In past games, all the defenders were collapsing around the net, not allowing any passes or chances to come from the slot. Today, there were ample opportunities in the high percentage areas, and finally, Florida capitalized on them.

Huge plus that Craig Anderson was able to come in, during one of the toughest weeks of the season, and post a 2-1-0 record. He wasn't always at his best, but knowing you have a backup that can fill in is a huge boost of confidence. That said, I hope Vokoun gets healthy soon.

On the negative, someone has to figure out how to get this team fired up before the puck drops. 3 or 4 games in a row now, the opposition has jumped out to a very early 1-0 lead. It's fine and dandy that Florida has shown no problems coming back, but it's driving me crazy.

Somehow, some way, the Panthers managed to go 4-4-0 against the best in the league. 2 games against the #1 Bruins, #2 Capitals, #3 Devils, and the #6 Rangers each. Florida had a couple of horrible outings (6-1 and 7-2 losses), but each time bounced back the next game and got a solid W. The danger now is looking back and saying, "We did it." You have to continue to look forward. The next 5 games are just as important, if not more so, then the last 5. Atlanta has been playing well lately. 2 games against a Pittsburgh team that will be desperate to get 2 points against a team they are chasing. St. Louis is in a playoff chase of their own. And then a crucial road meeting with Buffalo. Time to dig in.

March 4th is just around the corner. Who will be here March 5th? Bouwmeester? Ballard? A new scoring threat? Pressure is growing...

Game Day!

2009-03-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

The Panthers will hope to rebound after yesterday's awful performance. They'll have to do it against another of the league's best, though. The Washington Capitals currently sit 2nd in the east and are coming off of a hard fought, OT win over Boston yesterday.

That may be good news for the Panthers, as a let down is bound to happen for the Caps. Both teams played yesterday afternoon, so it's unknown at this point who will be in net for either team.

If Florida hopes to avoid a 2nd straight loss, they will have to find a way to get shots through. The Cats have struggled to find good scoring opportunities over the last week or so. You know Washington is going to get chances. Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nik Backstrom all know how to create goals. Florida will have to find itself defensively to create quick rushes and try to keep pace with the Caps. Hopefully this one is a little more fun to watch. Puck drops at 3:00.

Panthers 2 - Devils 7

2009-02-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Sigh. Where to begin. Why don't I just start from the end... since that was the best part of today's game. I tried to imagine all the reasons why the Panthers would put out such a stinker. They've been on the road awhile now. They just won a big game Thursday, so a letdown was expected. One of the locker room fav's was unexpectedly sent home, the team wasn't ready. The Devils were just that much better...

The truth of it is, the better teams in the league have the defense to shut down the Panthers' aggressive offense. Watching the Boston games, the New Jersey game, even the Rangers game to an extent, the top tier teams with the better defenses have figured out how to slow down the Panthers. Here's what one, moderately hockey-savy fan sees happening...

First; the neutral zone. The Panthers love to dump and chase, forcing the other team's defense into quick decisions and creating turnovers. But once the Panthers dump the puck, there has usually been a man on a man, hat on hat, at the blue line, slowing down the forecheck. The best way to stop a fast team is to never allow them to get to full speed.

Second, move the puck. The Bruins and Devils have quicker, smarter defensemen and are moving the puck before the forecheckers are on them. They got support from a forward, creating options for the puck handling D-man.

Third, if Florida gets possession in the attacking zone, the defense has kept the puck to the outside and behind the net. Florida is great at cycling the puck, but that's all they've been able to do lately. The opposition is bringing their wingers closer to the net, meaning there is little to no room in front of the goal. Around and around the Florida forwards go, good time in the attacking zone, and rarely have they gotten a quality shot off. Despite earning a 2-1 win, they were outshot in New York 41-22. They were dominated in New Jersey 46-17. 46-17. Unsettling numbers for a team hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. Even worse might be the timing the Cats' offense has chosen to hit the snooze button. What had become an exciting, high scoring team through January has hit a wall. During this 8 game stretch against some of the Eastern conference's best, Florida has scored just 15 goals. 15 goals in 8 games. Less then 2 goals a game. Somehow, someway, Florida has won 4 of those last 8.

On the plus side, if you can find a plus side, the Panthers don't face Boston or New Jersey for the rest of the regular season. Incredibly enough, even more good news came from around the league. The woeful Islanders and Thrashers were able to beat the Sabres and Hurricanes, respectively, to keep the Panthers in the 7th seed. The Rangers and Canadians were able to win today, extending their lead in the 5th and 6th spots, but one can't be too greedy. Especially after the Panthers' performance today. And there is no time to lick wounds, the Cats head to D.C. to take on yet another top team in the Capitals. Florida can't afford to look forward to an easing of the schedule after tomorrow's game. They need to bounce back, again, and gain 2 important points, as well as a much needed boost of confidence.

Game Day!

2009-02-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Matinee edition! The Panthers visit the beautiful shores of Jersey to take on the New Jersey Devils this afternoon. Florida is in the midst of a 5 game road trip, which they have started 1-1-0. After an important, come from behind win against the Rangers on Thursday, Florida will look to win consecutive games for the first time since February 12-13th. It would be a great win over the Devils, who welcomed back Martin Brodeur in their last game, an easy win over Colorado. Brodeur will be tending the net for the Devils this afternoon.

Florida's offense has been in a bit of a funk lately. In the Panthers' last 7 games, they have scored more then 2 goals just once. Thanks to outstanding goaltending, Florida has still managed to go 4-3-0 in those 7 games. They'll need to find some offense over the weekend if they hope to keep pace in the playoff race.

An interesting development over the last couple days; Nick Boynton has been sent home due to "disciplanary actions." No further words on what actually happened, but it leads to speculation that Boynton may be on the trade block. Noah Welch will be asked to step up for the next 3 games. He's played well enough in the few chances he's gotten, so there isn't too much fear of a dropoff here.

Tomas Vokoun is still suffering from his illness\infection, so Craig Anderson may get his 3rd straight start today. Puck drops at 1:00 from the Rock.

12:07 UPDATE; Further info on the Nick Boynton situation... Apparently Boynton was benched during the final period of the Rangers game and not given enough information as to why. Boynton was understandably upset and may have overreacted, getting into a heated discussion with Pete DeBoer. DeBoer and Jacques Martin agreed that his actions warrented punishment, and he was sent home. Boynton is in the final year of his contract, which has led to thoughts of a possible trade upcoming, but with the Panthers already possibly losing one top D-man (J-Bo), I find it hard to believe they'd be willing to trade away 2 of their top 6 blueliners. But then again, who really knows...

Panthers 2 - Rangers 1

2009-02-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the lateness of these post-game thoughts. I'll just attribute it to technical difficulties...

I'm not sure words can explain how giant of a win that was last night for the Panthers. Trailing 1-0 going into the 3rd period, Florida came out and dominated the final period. David Booth and Nathan Horton scored just a minute apart to claim the 2 points for the good guys. Great to see those 2 get back on the score sheet. There has been somewhat of an offensive drought lately, and the top line scorers need to get back on track.

Craig Anderson redeemed himself. After a poor outing in Boston two nights ago, Andy was called on again after Vokoun was not able to recover from his illness(es) in time. 40 saves and a W later, Andy appears to have his confidence back, and also a little bit of mine. Having a backup that you can put in the net with no fear of a letdown is huge, especially in these playoff push times.

The 5 on 3 penalty kill early in the 3rd period was huge. If you don't think that was the first step in winning this game... A 2-0 lead early in the period like that is devastating. A big PK is what they got, and the confidence gained took them to the finish line.

With last night's action, the race for the playoffs is now tighter then ever. The Panthers and Rangers are tied for 6th in the east, one point behind 5th seed Montreal. The Sabres and 'Canes are now tied for the 8th and final spot, after skating to a Carolina shoot out victory last night. So the difference between the 5th seed and being out of the playoffs is 2 points. 1 game.

The Panthers now head across the river and take on the New Jersey Devils tomorrow afternoon. Martin Brodeur made his return last night, and only posted a shut out. It's another "bring-your-A-game-or-don't-bother-showing-up" kind of matchup. New Jersey leads the Atlantic division and is 3rd in the east. Until tomorrow...

Game Night!

2009-02-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

Gonna keep this one brief, as I'm home sick fighting off a touch of the flu (thanks a lot, Vokoun).

The Panthers visit the most famous arena in the world, allegedly, to take on the New York Rangers in a pivotal, vital, crucial, basically important game. The Rangers have a brand new head coach, John Tortorella, who Panther fans know well from his days in Tampa. The Torts-led Rangers lost in a shootout in their first game under the new head coach. Tortorella will be making his home debut tonight.

The Panthers will be trying to put their last game behind them, as well, a 6-1 stinker in Boston. Despite that loss, the Panthers are still in the 7th seed. The playoff picture could change drastically after tonight's action. Besides the Panthers\Rangers tilt, a #6 vs. #7 matchup, the Sabres and Hurricanes meet in Raleigh, a #8 vs. #9.

Vokoun should be back in the net tonight, but is a game time decision. Apparently, he also has an ear infection along with the flu bug. The Rangers will certainly be bringing their A game, trying to impress the home crowd with their new coach. Hopefully the Panthers are ready. Puck drops at 7:00.

Panthers 1 - Bruins 6

2009-02-24T18:49:00.001-08:00

Ouch. I guess what they say about payback is true after all...

Not much positive to take away from tonight's game. Boston dominated from the first drop of the puck to the final horn, skating away with a 6-1 win. Craig Anderson got the start in goal for the Cats, but never really showed up.

Yes, Anderson was starting his first game since February 3rd.

Yes, the first goal was a near breakaway. As Jay Bouwmeester went to gather a pass off the boards, the puck seemingly developed wings and fluttered over Jay's stick, right into the path of Patrice Bergeron. But Anderson was nowhere near making any attempt at a save. Despite Bergeron never really making a move, Andy went to the butterfly early, and the Bruin simply skated around and found the gaping corner.

Yes, the second goal was somewhat of a fluke, coming off a 3 on 1. Mark Stuart took the pass in the high slot, and whiffed on his shot. Yet Anderson was already sliding across the crease expecting a pass, so Stuart gathered himself in time to weakly poke the puck past Andy's split leg.

In Panthers' tradition, there was no quit in the boys early. Kamil Kreps found space and ripped a wrister past Tim Thomas to get the Panthers back within 1. That was the last time Florida looked like they were a part of this game.

The Bruins 3rd goal was bad. Somehow a pass from the corner found an unmarked Byron Bitz, who somehow redirected the past over Anderson and under the crossbar. Really Andy? The 4th goal was awful. An 80 foot, unscreened slap shot that Anderson kicked out straight to a waiting Bitz, who easily got his 2nd goal. The 5th was horrendous. This time, the 80 foot, unscreened slap shot beat Anderson cleanly. Game, set, match. To be honest, I turned it off at this point to focus on the Sabres and Hurricanes' games. Remember when there was a "goalie controversy" in South Florida? Everyone has bad nights. Moving on...

By the time the 3rd period started, it looked like Florida was already looking forward to the Ranger game on Thursday. Lots of coasting, lots of spectating, not a lot of "Panther hockey" going on. Give credit to the B's. They clogged the neutral zone, never allowing the Panthers' forecheckers to enter the zone with any kind of speed. Oh well. Lick your wounds, regroup, learn, and focus on the next one. No time to feel sorry for yourselves, a huge clash with the Rangers is waiting, and then a probable meeting with the returning Marty Brodeur and the Devils.

Despite the 6-1 score line, there is a bright spot tonight. Both the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes suffered defeats, so the Panthers remain locked up with the Sabres, and one point ahead of the 9th seed 'Canes, one point behind the NY Rangers.

The trade deadline continues to draw near... Do the Cats need to make a move? Where will Bouwmeester be on March 5th? The countdown continues...

Game Night!

2009-02-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Panthers kick off a vital 5-game road trip tonight in Boston. The Panthers and B's just played days ago, so I'll keep this preview brief. The standings haven't changed much since the Cats' last game. They are still tied with Buffalo, and both teams are still just 1 point above the Carolina Tropical Storms.

Boston is returning home after a 5-game roadie of their own, and will certainly be looking to get back to their winning ways. They went 1-1-3 on their road trip. The Bruins have enjoyed giant success in their own barn, posting a 19-4-4 home record. It will take another solid, 60 minute, team effort for the Panthers to get out of Beantown with 2 points.

Tomas Vokoun sat Monday's practice out with flu symptoms. Hopefully he will be cured before the puck drops tonight, otherwise it'll be Craig Anderson 'tween the pipes. Andy hasn't played since February 3rd. Puck drops at 7:00.

UPDATE (2:39); Craig Anderson gets the start tonight.

Panthers 2 - Bruins 0

2009-02-21T20:46:00.001-08:00

Have you ever noticed that you never see Tomas Vokoun and Clark Kent in the same room at the same time? A 41 save shutout for T-Vo against the NHL's best, including several jaw droppers. Can you become a Vezina finalist for just one outstanding month? Why not. He's got my vote. The game itself was outstanding. Even for a scoreless game through 2 periods, I was on edge all night. Great pace, great energy. For a good stretch, Florida was outplaying the Boston Bruins. They looked hungrier, more determined. There was an emotion on this team that has been unheard of, unimagined, for the Panthers in years. Had it not been for a number of post-clanging, the Panthers could have had this game in hand much earlier in the night. When Nathan Horton gets time to pick his spot, his wrist shot is nearly unstoppable. I just wish he would use it more often. He rang one of the post tonight that Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas is still looking for.

Radek Dvorak got both goals for the Cats, one short handed, and one on the back end of a superb pass from Greg Campbell. Have I mentioned how much I love this team? On any given night, if one line isn't getting the breaks, another steps up. If one guy is getting shut down, someone else gets it done. Tonight, it was Dvorak.

As solid as Vokoun was, the Panthers penalty kill should also get a nod of recognition. The B's went 0 for 6 on the PP, and Florida did a great job of keeping the play on the perimeter. The few chances the Bruins got, Vokoun was there.

Did I mention how great Vokoun was? On probably the best save of his night, he didn't even see it. "I didn't see it because I was facing the other way. I just knew that the guy was try and wrap it and I was just trying to at least put some part of my body in the way," Vokoun said. "Playing this game, you need, sometimes, really good fortune. That was definitely a lot of luck." Call it whatever you want, Tommy, that was amazing.

This morning, I called this game a "must win" for momentum and confidence's sake. As the day progressed, it became even more important for the Cats to get the W. Carolina won last night. Today, Pittsburgh and Buffalo won. Florida had to win to keep pace. They did. Buffalo and Florida are now tied with the woeful New York Rangers for 6th-8th place. Carolina is in 9th, 3 points back, Pittsburgh in 10th, 4 back. Florida still has a game in hand on all teams just mentioned.

So a great home stand, 3-2-0, against some of the best in the league. Now, let's try it on the road. Starting Tuesday, the Panthers will visit these same Bruins, then on to play the Rangers, Devils, Capitals, and Thrashers before finally returning home. If Florida can make it through this 5 game stretch without losing any ground... I'll stop there before I get my hopes too high.

Have I told you how awesome Tomas Vokoun is?

Game Night!

2009-02-21T06:57:00.001-08:00

The Panthers close out their 5-game homestand tonight, as they take on the league leading Boston Bruins. The good news for Florida is that Boston has just 1 win in its last 5 games. The bad news is that in both team's most recent games, Boston beat up on Carolina, 5-1, and Florida was crushed, 4-0. The Bruins lead the season series, 2-0-0.

For the second time this season, I'm stamping this game with the official Cat Scratch "must-win game" sticker. But why, you ask? You see the Panthers are tied for the final playoff spot with the Buffalo Sabres. The Carolina Hurricanes are gaining quickly, and now sit just 1 point back of Buffalo and Florida, so that is certainly pressing on the minds of the Panthers. But, most importantly, and why this is a vital game, Florida sets off on a 5 game road trip against 4 of the top teams in the league. With the recent memory of the Blackhawks beating, Florida has to, has to, put out a good showing against the Bruins to have some semblance of confidence heading out on the trip. Imagine having last the last 2 games, heading out on the road thinking, "Jeez, we just lost 2 in a row to teams like this. How are we gonna handle this on the road? Carolina's gaining, we're sinking. This isn't good." That just won't work, especially with such a young team that hasn't exactly had a lot of experience in high pressure situations. Now, picture this. A young team that went 3-2-0 against some of the best teams out there, most recently a win against the best of the best. Now, they head out on the road to take on the best in their barn. "We can do this. We beat Boston, New Jersey, New York. Why should a road game be any different?"

Tonight should be a good one. A sense of urgency starting to filter into the locker room, a packed house at the BAC tonight, an actual hockey atmosphere! I can't wait! Puck drops at 7:00.

Panthers 0 - Blackhawks 4

2009-02-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

For those of us who have not paid a lot of attention to the Chicago Blackhawks this season, welcome to your wake up call. 4-0 win over the Panthers. Florida kept it tight for the first 2 periods, trailing just 1-0 after 2, but the 'Hawks were clearly the better team. A game that got out of hand in the end, but was thoroughly exciting for the first 50 minutes. Two high paced, aggressive, offensively minded teams going at it. Chances for both sides. Good stuff.

-But... for the first time in awhile, a team looked faster and hungrier then the Panthers. The Blackhawks defense looked better then Florida's, and that's saying something. Quicker, more aggressive, Chicago took it to Florida from the drop of the puck. Florida prides itself on being the more aggressive, quicker, faster, harder working team. Tonight, they met their match. Florida never got their forecheck going. Chicago's speed wouldn't allow it. The Panthers got out of their system and started chasing, and never really got back to their style. Instead, it was Chicago who played Panthers' hockey and showed why they are one of the top teams in the league.

-It wasn't for lack of effort though. Florida had chances, but it was just one of those nights. Cristobal Huet was outstanding. On another night, Florida gets a couple bounces the other way, and it's a different game.

-A couple good quotes from DeBoer and Vokoun; ""I think we got the deserved result tonight," Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said. "I think they were the better team and that's a team that we have to bring our A-plus game against or they expose you, and they did tonight." And from T-Vo; "Obviously, you're going to play only good teams from now on," Vokoun said. "If you want to make playoffs, you've got to beat good teams too. So I don't care how good they are, I think we could have played better -- all of us. And we just didn't." So true. So true.

-The save on Nathan Horton was incredible. In one second, I'm yelling at Horton for trying the fancy pants, pretty, showy move and not shooting the puck! SHOOT IT!!!! Then I'm screaming "WOW!! HE PULLED IT OFF!! WHAT A GOAL!!" The next... silence. I couldn't believe it. That was the true end of this game.

-DeBoer pulled the goalie with 4+ minutes left down by 2. Within seconds, the Hawks get the put away empty netter. I'm not sure I understand this strategy, although I've seen it in a couple other games, too, so maybe it's the new thing. Personally, I hate it. Under 2 minutes, down by 2, sure. Take the chance. But asking your guys to score a goal before the other team gets a shot on net, with 4 minutes left... a little much for me. Oh well, if they scored, I'd be saying DeBoer is the smartest, guts filled SOB in the league.

-Kind of sort of good news from around the league tonight. Montreal and Buffalo lost, so the Panthers are in the same spot they were before tonight's game. But Carolina and Pittsburgh both won, so they are now 2 points closer to the pack. Florida will try to close out the homestand with a win Saturday when the league leading Bruins come down. From there, it's on the road for the most important road trip of the year. But first things first, Boston on Saturday.

Game Night!

2009-02-19T10:20:00.001-08:00

Another big hockey night in South Florida, as the Chicago Blackhawks come a-knockin'. The 'hawks sit 4th in the west, 2nd in their division behind those Detroit Red Wings. Unlike previous opponents who come to Sunrise via Tampa Bay, the Blackhawks were the victors against the Bolts, and are 7-3-0 in their previous 10 road games. What better time for another team to have a bit of a letdown game?

With last night's action around the NHL, the Panthers now find themselves back in a tie for 7th with the Sabres. The Rangers managed a win against the Islanders moving them 2 points ahead of Florida, and the Canadians got a point for a shoot out loss putting them 1 point up. Florida, Buffalo, Montreal, Carolina, and Pittsburgh are all in action tonight. Needless to say, 2 points would be a huge boost for the Cats.

Florida is also catching a bit of a break, as the 'hawks will be without their leading scorer Patrick Sharp, and starting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Granted, Chicago still has plenty of offensive power with youngsters Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. And their "backup" 'tender, Cristobal Huet, has plenty of experience and is a bona fide netminder. Florida will need another solid all around performance to take down the Blackhawks. Puck drops at 7:30.

The Jay Bouwmeester Article

2009-02-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

First, a personal note. This is my 100th post, and I'd like to thank everyone that's read and commented. I never really thought I'd stick this out, but I'm glad I have. It's led me other avenues and opportunities I would not have had otherwise. One of those being a contributor for The Hockey Writers. If you haven't yet, please head over and check out thehockeywriters.com. Good site, good features, good writers. The following article was originally posted there....

Jay Bouwmeester; 25 year old defenseman for the Florida Panthers. 6′4″, 212 lbs. Florida’s first round draft pick, 3rd overall, in the 2002 NHL draft. This season; 12 goals. 18 assists. +6.

So that’s what Florida Panthers general manager Jacques Martin has to deal with. The decision he has to make, however, is far more complex then simple stats. His team is on the verge of its first postseason appearance since 2000. Jay Bouwmeester has been an integral part of the Panthers’ success this season. He not only leads the Panthers, but the entire NHL in ice time. A solid defenseman, great 1 on 1 skill, and the speed to create counter attacks in the blink of an eye. So trading the Panthers lone All-Star might seem a bit odd. Unfortunately, it might be the only choice left.

Clearly, Jacques Martin would love to sign J-Bo long term. The latest reports have GM JM offering Bouwmeester $6.5 million a season. But Bouwmeester has continued to rebuke all offers from the Panthers. He would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, free to go wherever he wished, and all signs are pointing away from Florida. So with the fear of losing one of the league’s top defensemen and getting nothing in return, Martin is forced to consider a trade. The Panthers could dearly use a top line scorer. While the Panthers do get contributions from all four lines, they only have one player at the 20 goal mark, David Booth. There is no “go-to” guy. Booth is having a breakout year, no question. But other players that were being counted on to step up into the scoring role have come up short. Nathan Horton has 16 tallies on the year, on pace with his career numbers, but not what the Panthers were hoping for. Cory Stillman has just 11 marks, Richard Zednik also has 11, Radek Dvorak only 8. What has kept this team in the thick of the playoff race has been the balanced scoring and offense from the blue line. A bona fide scorer, a hard working, lunch pail carrying, get the puck in the net in any way possible kind of guy could go a long way for this team. What if Florida can attain a Milan Hedjuk? Jordan Staal? Scottie Upshall? All rumored to be on the Panthers’ radar. Someone that would provide an instant upgrade to the offense? It would obviously have to be something more then a 3rd line guy and a couple draft picks, but is it worth giving up Bouwmeester for the rest of the season?

The other option for the Panthers is to hold on to Bouwmeester, see how far this team can go this season, prove to the All-Star that this team has a bright future, with many more winning seasons to come, and hope, pray, that they can get him re-signed in the offseason. Clearly, this involves much more risk for Florida. Bouwmeester has been the consummate professional, deflecting all talk of his future with the “Anything is possible” answers, not committing to the Panthers, not talking about teams he would like to play for. If he walks, the Panthers will have lost its most important cog in the machine for nothing. But is that a risk worth taking if it means immediate success in the current season? Jacques Martin has kept relatively quiet regarding the situation, although it has become known that teams have begun pitching offers. Martin is listening. If the right deal comes along, he’ll pull the trigger. If he does not see anything he likes, Martin will hold on and do everything he can before July 1st to retain Bouwmeester’s services.

Martin will have a busy offseason, regardless. 5 other current starters for the Panthers will be UFA’s this offseason (Radek Dvorak, Ville Peltonen, Richard Zednik, Nick Boynton, Karlis Skratsins, and backup goalie Craig Anderson). Will Jay Bouwmeester be on that list? Or will he already be enjoying his summer elsewhere, looking forward to being a big fish in a big frozen pond. With only 15 shopping days left until Christmas, so to speak, all hockey eyes will be focused on Sunrise, FLA. And when was the last time you could say that?

Panthers 4 - Devils 0

2009-02-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

Bring them on! For one night, the Florida Panthers can say they are a serious contender in the eastern conference. They soundly beat the New Jersey Devils tonight, 4-0, the same Devils team that sits 2nd in the conference and just recently beat the top seeds in both the east and western conference. Florida out worked, out skated, and flat out out played the Devils tonight. Every line was aggressive. Every player pushed past their limits. 4 goals. 4 different scorers. A power play goal. A shut out. I am loving this team.

-The Booth, Zednik, and Horton line is awesome. Booth with the speed and energy that is impossible to match. Zednik with the vision and playmaking ability. Horton with the finishing touch. Yes, I am slowly, finally becoming a Horton fan.

-Karlis Skrastins might just be the best true defenseman on the team. It feels like he blocks 41 shots a game. His stick is always in the right place. On a team full of offensive, puck moving defensemen, Skrastins holds his own in his own zone (say that 3 times fast).
-If Richard Zednik is not the comeback player of the year, then the award needs to be discontinued. Granted, I'm biased. But he almost lost his life on the ice just over a year ago. And now he's leading this young team into places it hasn't been in nearly a decade. He stayed hot tonight, notching a crucial power play goal.

-What a great story Tomas Vokoun is becoming. Can you imagine that, at one point this season, there was a "goaltender controversy?" No disrespect to Craig Anderson, but Vokoun has been nearly unbeatable. His positioning is near flawless. He never makes a hi-light reel save, because he never has to. He makes the first stop, and either swallows the rebound, turns the puck to a safe area, or has great defensive coverage.

-Was it just me, or did it sound like there was an actual home crowd in the building tonight? With actual atmosphere?

-In other action tonight, the Hurricanes lost to the Bruins, so they are now 5 points behind the Panthers and Sabres. Speaking of the Sabres, they beat the Leafs to keep pace with the Cats. That means that there are 4 teams with 66 points, with the Rangers and Canadians joining club 66. Teams 5-8 in the standings are tied. The 4th seed Flyers are just 3 points up on the pack. And it will probably stay this tight for the rest of the year.

-For a young team, confidence is everything. And right now, these guys must be on cloud 9. 13-4-3 since January 1. Let me say that again. 13-4-3. No time to rest, however. The Chicago Blackhawks come to town Thursday. Chicago beat the Lightning tonight, so at least it won't be an angry team coming in from Tampa as has been the case lately. Until then...

Game Night!

2009-02-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

Here we are again. A chance to move up in the standings, playing against a top tier team. The New Jersey Devils, leaders of the Atlantic Division and 2nd in the conference, visit the BAC tonight. The Devils are riding a confidence high, after beating the top two teams in the league (San Jose and Boston) in their past 2 games. Florida, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing loss to Washington, but that was just their 3rd loss in their past 9 games.

The Panthers have another chance to jump into a tie for 4th with the Rangers and Canadians, both of which are idle tonight. The Cats are currently tied for 7th with the Sabres, who head just over the border to take on Toronto. A win tonight and the Panthers are back on the confidence bandwagon. They played the Capitals tight. They beat the Devils. This young team fees like it can do anything. A loss, and it's back to fighting it out with the 2nd tier teams, struggling to stay on top of the Carolinas and Buffalos and Pittsburghs. New Jersey has won 4 straight, 8-2-0 in their last 10. They are coming off of 2 big wins, why shouldn't they have a little let down tonight? Puck drops at 7:30.

Quick Hits

2009-02-16T19:45:00.001-08:00

A few quick thoughts before tomorrow night's showdown with the New Jersey Devils;

-I missed the game against Washington, so I didn't have any immediate post-game thoughts. From the numbers, it looks like it was a tight game, close til the end. Good showing from the Panthers, but they still haven't proven they can handle the top teams. That Ovechkin kid might have a future in the NHL...

-Despite the loss, Florida lost virtually no ground in the playoff race. Buffalo lost to Carolina, keeping them in a tie with the Cats in 7th\8th place. The Rangers continue to hit the tank. They have lost twice in consecutive days and stay just 2 points ahead of the Panthers. One can only assume that they are trying to get Tom Renney fired at this point...

-Panthers are slowly, quietly starting to get national attention. In the latest Sports Illustrated, the Cats were given these kudos; "Two reasons the Panthers are so enjoyable to watch: 1)coach Pete DeBoer's high-octane attack fluidly incorporates star defensemen Jay Bouwmeester, and 2) the underrated energy line of Gregory Campbell, Rade Dvorak, and Ville Peltonen. That threesome scores big goals, shuts down top lines and often changes a game's momentum..." Welcome to the party, SI!

-Jay Bouwmeester is still a Florida Panther, although it's beginning to look like that might not be the case for too much longer... Talks are heating up, teams are starting to put deals together, and GM Jacques Martin is listening to offers. Stay tuned for a full Jay Bouwmeester article coming soon.

-The high-flying, division leading Devils come to town tomorrow. Full report and the usual coming in the morning. Until then...

Game Night!

2009-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Panthers take on division leading Washington tonight in Sunrise. These two teams met just a short week ago in D.C., where the Capitals won 3-1. It's a different story in Florida, however. While Washington sports one of the best home records in the league, 22-4-1, they are just 13-12-4 away from the Phone Booth. Meanwhile, Florida has quietly been making the BAC a tough place to play as well. The Panthers' home record sits at 15-6-5. Not too shabby.

Just in case you want someone other then Alex Ovechkin to watch tonight, Caps' defenseman Mike Green has scored a goal in 8 straight games now, an NHL record for defensemen. Last night, the Caps blasted the Bolts in Tampa, 5-1. Maybe they got all the scoring out of their system last night and we can stop Green's streak tonight.

Standings-wise, this game means plenty for the Panthers, as most games from here on out will. The Cats are currently tied for 7th with the Buffalo Sabres, who take on the Carolina Hurricanes this afternoon. The 'Canes are 3 points behind Florida and Buffalo, so it would be an important 2 points for the Cats to stay ahead of the winner of the Buffalo\Carolina matchup. Just 2 points ahead of the Panthers sit the New York Rangers, who take on the Flyers today. A Rangers loss and a Panthers win and... well you get the picture.

It's the 2nd of 5 straight home games for the Cats tonight. Unfortunately, I, myself, will not be home to take this one in, as I have my own hockey game to attend to. So those of who attending the game or watching from home, give a little extra shout for me. Special afternoon matinee today, puck drops at 5:00.

Panthers 2 - Rangers 1 (SO)

2009-02-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

Florida Panthers fans, welcome to playoff style, high intensity hockey!

-One of my favorite games of the year. Physical, high speed, high stakes, fight filled, serious, meaningful hockey. Just imagine this game, in the postseason, no shootout, play until someone scores. Think it was intense tonight? Just imagine...

-Tomas Vokoun continues to be the savior in nets. He went through a cold stretch in late November\December, but since regaining the trust of Pete DeBoer in early January, he has responded with nothing but confidence inspiring goal tending.

-David Booth has my vote for MVP. Not only is he a leading goal scorer, he plays with a level of intensity and determination I haven't seen since Brian Skrudland and Scott Mellanby were on the ice together. I mean Booth is just awesome.

-Oh yea, Booth's linemate, Richard Zednik, is pretty good too. He scored the only goal in his shootout, and oddly enough it was his first attempt in a shootout this season. Something tells me he may be in the top 3 in any upcoming SOs.

-Karlis Skrastins is quickly becoming another personal favorite. He isn't the quickest or most offensively minded defenseman on the team, but he more then makes up for it in his own zone. He must have had at least 4 or 5 blocked shots tonight, and he just always seemed to be in the right place.

-This team is starting to excite me in ways that hasn't been done since... well I'll leave that one to the imagination. But thanks to tonight's win, the Panthers are now a full 5 points ahead of the 9th seeds, Carolina and Pittsburgh. 1 point behind the 6th seed Flyers, 2 points behind 5th and 4th seed Canadians and Rangers. Unfortunately, the schedule just gets harder from here. Division leading Washington comes to the BAC on Sunday. Hopefully the Panthers learned something from the 3-1 beating the Capitals gave the Cats last week in D.C. I, for one, can't wait. Until then...

Game Night!

2009-02-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

What, already? The Panthers return home tonight to face the New York Rangers. Florida, fresh off a dominating 5-0 win over division rival Carolina, look to continue their recent hot streak. New York will be looking to build on a win of their own, a shootout style victory over the Washington Ovechkins. But the Rangers have lost 5 straight road games, and have struggled to score all season.

I hate to keep bringing this up with so many games left, but the Panthers are now tied for the 7th seed, and play a team tonight just 3 points ahead of them. This will be the case for the next couple weeks, and is a giant opportunity for Florida to climb not just into the playoffs, but into a more desirable seed. It can start tonight against the 5th seed Rangers.

With Tomas Vokoun stopping 42 shots last night, one would think that Craig Anderson would get the start tonight, allowing T-Vo to rest. But coach DeBoer hasn't been one to stand on tradition, and is more likely to stick with the hot hand. It will take a solid defensive effort all around to frustrate the Rangers offense. In the eastern conference, only the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders have scored fewer goals then the Rangers this season.

Tonight kicks off an important 5 game homestand. The teams coming in will only get better, so it's important to maintain the confidence that has been built over the past few weeks. Florida is 6-2-0 since the All-Star break. Let's keep it going, boys! Puck drops at 7:30.

P.S. I'll be a little later then usual with my post-game, as I'll be attending another great Florida past time tonight... Jai Alai!

Panthers 5 - Hurricanes 0

2009-02-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Panthers crushed the Hurricanes, 5-0 tonight. Awesome. Here's what went through my head afterwards;

-The score would lead one to think the Panthers dominated from beginning to end. Not so fast, my friend. Tomas Vokoun got his shut out via 42 saves. 42 shots on goal from the 'Canes. Yes, a lot of shots were from bad angles, blue line wristers and the like. The Panthers did a great job of clearing any 2nd chances and rebounds. But 42 shots is 42 shots.

-Florida scored on 4 of their first 13 shots. It's nice to finally get a goalie on his off night. Far too often, it seems, the Panthers have run up against a hot 'tender and had to fight and scrape and grind out goals. Tonight, not so much. The 'Canes defense seemed disinterested at times. The Panthers took full advantage.

-The forwards finally scored! Zednik continued his hot streak, love seeing him get hot. Horton, Campbell, Frolik, and Stewart also chipping in.

-Speaking of which... It was great to see Anthony Stewart get on the score sheet. The 4th line as a whole has been excellent. This team can roll 4 lines, and each line has as much chance as the next to put one in the net. Balance = success.

-The power play continues to struggle. 0 for 5 tonight. Too many passes, not enough shots towards the net. It feels like the Panthers are trying for the pretty, tic tac toe goals. Granted, tonight it was 5-0 after 2 periods, so that's going to happen, but did you know that you don't score on 100% of the shots you don't take?

-Don't look now, but the Panthers are tied for the 7th seed. They are 3 points back of the 4th seed. At the same time, they are 3 points ahead of 9th, so no time to rest now...

-Big week ahead. 5 game homestand. Rangers, Capitals, Devils, Blackhawks, Bruins. Oh yeah, 5 game road trip after that... visiting the Bruins, Rangers, Devils, Capitals, and Thrashers. No better time to have their confidence at an all time high.

-Sellout crowd in Raleigh tonight. It is so much more fun to play in front of a
packed house, and the Panthers certainly enjoyed it tonight. Let's try to get a few more seats filled during this upcoming homestand. Until tomorrow...

Breaking News!

2009-02-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

It's first intermission time in Raleigh, NC. Impressive period from the Panthers. BUT; just happened to click on George Richard's blog and found some pretty big news.

Next season, the Panthers will open the season in Finland against the Chicago Blackhawks. Click here for Richard's full article.

Earlier this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Ottawa Senators opened the 2008-2009 season in Europe. It was pretty cool seeing the NHL product overseas and going up against some elite European teams. While the Panthers probably don't have the international following some other teams might, it will still be nice to see the Cats get some early season attention next year.

But for now, the Cats have a playoff spot to fight for. Back to the game!

Game Night!

2009-02-12T10:23:00.001-08:00

No questions about this one. Tonight's game might be the most important February contest the Panthers have played since pre-Y2K. The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are separated by a single point in the standings, Florida holding the 8th and final playoff spot. Both teams come into the game riding a high. Carolina is coming off a west coast road trip that saw them take 4 of a possible 6 points, with impressive wins over San Jose and Phoenix. Florida erased a 4-1, 3rd period deficit on Tuesday night against Toronto to claim an important 2 points in overtime.

Carolina has as strong, if not stronger then the Panthers, defensive core. In their last 8 games, the 'Canes are averaging under 2 goals against a game. Meanwhile, Florida's offense has caught a spark. The Cats' have won 10 of their last 16, scoring almost 5 goals a game in those 10 W's. Richard Zednik has finally found his groove, with 5 points (3G, 2A) in his last 3 games. The 3rd period of the Toronto game saw Pete DeBoer mix up his lines, and it worked to perfection. Florida scored 4 unanswered goals in the 3rd period and OT after the changes. It'll be interesting to see who skates with who tonight. Or is it whom...

There's nothing that can really be said about this that isn't obvious. These will be two teams fighting for playoff spots up until the end of the year. They only meet once more after tonight. Either Florida will gain an incredibly important confidence boost and 3 point lead over 9th place, or Carolina will jump the Cats into that 8th seed and keep that nagging doubt in the back of the young Panthers team mind. Let's face it, not many on the Panthers' roster has played a game as important as this in years. This is still a young core of players that need to prove they can handle pressure. It's a big one, no doubt. Puck drops at 7:00.

Panthers 5 - Leafs 4 (OT)

2009-02-10T19:03:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say after that one. Down 4-1 with about 12 minutes left, the Panthers were done. Finished. Kaput. I was getting ready to flip to the Florida\Kentucky rivalry basketball game. But for some reason, I kept it on the Panthers. I was amused that Horton scored an easy rebound goal to make it 4-2. I was almost angry that Peltonen scored to make it 4-3. Getting my hopes up for nothing, thanks a lot, Cats. All game, they couldn't get anything going. Now, they score twice to get back within a goal, but they surely couldn't come all the way back. Where was this effort the first 50 minutes? Then it was 4-4. Zednik fighting to a rebound and tying the game. Wow. So they come all the way back, just to let down and lose the points in the end, right? Thank you, Tomas Vokoun. Overtime, great. We'll go to a shoot out and lose the bonus point. Richard Zednik. No doubt. Game over. 2 points. 8th place.

"We want people in the seats, we want people here. We're going to do everything we possibly can to make sure these last 30 games are our best." -Pete DeBoer before tonight's game.

Well, Pete. I'm not sure what more you can do to get people in the seats. All season long, it's been a team that has refused to quit, no matter the score, no matter the time on the board. There was an atmosphere in the barn that leaked through my TV for the first time in years. It probably helped there were thousands of Leafs fans egging the home team faithful after it went to 4-1, but whatever. You want fans to show up, keep putting games like this together. Well, the last 10+ minutes anyways. We'll conveniently overlook that 2nd period. For now. Try coming back from 4-1 against the teams coming up on the schedule... well you'll be making tee times by mid-April, no doubt. But there is no question that Florida should come out of this game feeling good. 2 points is 2 points. They'll look at the tape of the first 2 periods, compare it with the final 5 minutes, see the difference, and learn from it. Hard work = offense. Tenacity = goals. Laziness = 4-1 deficits.

Unfortunately, there's not much time to soak up this win. The Panthers travel up to Carolina for a mammoth contest with the Hurricanes. Florida now holds a 1 point lead over the 'Canes in the standings. And with Buffalo, New York, and Montreal all idle tonight, Florida gained a giant 2 points in the standings.

Oh yea, did you know today was the 1 year anniversary of Richard Zednik's near-death experience...?

Game Night!

2009-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Florida Panthers will try to get back to their winning ways tonight, when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town. These two teams met just a short week ago. In Toronto, Florida was able to come back from a 2-goal, 3rd period deficit to earn an overtime win. The Cats also gained 2 points earlier in January, skating to a 4-2 win against the Leafs.

Toronto comes into tonight's game playing some of the best hockey they have all season. Winners in 3 of their last 5, the Leafs are coming off of an impressive 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadians. Jason Blake continues to lead the Leafs. He has 6 goals and 5 assists over his last 7 games. Florida will need to contain Blake if they hope to get a W tonight.

The Panthers' offense will also look to get back on track, and will have a good chance to do so tonight. Toronto's blue line is a bit beat up, and will be missing 3 of their top 6 d-men. Tomas Kaberle, Staffan Kromwall, and former Panther Mike Van Ryn are all out of action. Florida will need to be even more aggressive then usual, if possible, to force the more inexperienced Leafs defense into some turn overs.

A win tonight is key, not just for playoff points either. Florida sits 1 point behind 8th seed Carolina, but after tonight, the Cats hit one of the toughest stretches on the schedule of the year. Confidence needs to be high as Florida heads into the stretch, and after a pretty uninspiring effort in their last game, they need to get the full 2 points against the last team they will play that is below them in the standings for a few weeks.

Panthers Promise!

2009-02-09T12:53:00.001-08:00

Rookie coach Pete DeBoer is doing everything imaginable to get South Florida to take notice of his Florida Panthers. The latest attempt? "Panthers Promise." Fans who purchase a 4-game Panthers Promise ticket pack will be given priority access to playoff tickets. Should the Panthers not make the playoffs, those fans will receive free tickets to 4 games next season.

"I thought it was important to let fans know, to promise them, that our team will do everything possible to be successful on the ice over the next 31 games,” said DeBoer. “We’ve made no secret of our goal to make the playoffs this year, and we want fans to get excited and support us during the stretch run.”

This is a pretty big step for a team that has not seen playoff hockey since 2000. In fact, they still are on the outside looking in. The Panthers are 1 point behind 8th seed Carolina. But from the outset, Pete DeBoer has made this his team. Florida went from a boring, slow, trapping system under Jacques Martin that few people, in Florida or elsewhere, would be willing to pay good money to watch. Now, DeBoer has his one of the hardest working teams in the league; an aggressive, speed oriented, exciting brand of hockey that is slowly drawing the attention of hockey pundits everywhere. Over the past month, the Panthers have turned into a solid team, in every sense of the word. Only the Detroit Red Wings have more players at or above the 20 point plateau then Florida. The Panthers lead the league in defensive scoring contributions. Florida defensemen have scored 37 of the Cats 146 goals, a 25% clip. 9-3-3 in their last 15, Florida has reasserted themselves into the playoff picture.

It is no secret that the fan base in Sunrise is minimal, at best. Florida has had 24 home games so far this season, and rank 26th in the league in average attendance, with just under 15,000 tickets sold per game, but are dead last in percentage of seats filled. Even with $17 "total ticket" offers every game, which include 1 ticket, free parking, $5 gas card, and a Coke combo meal, people just are not coming to the Bank Atlantic Center for hockey. Granted, the Panthers have not been putting a product on the ice worth coming out for in past seasons, but this year has changed that. Pete DeBoer has changed that, and he is not content just changing the attitude on the ice. Now, he is going after the attitude in the stands, and keeping this latest promise to the fans could go a long way in creating an actual market for hockey in the sun of South Florida.

Panthers 1 - Capitals 3

2009-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

I liked doing my bullet point thoughts so much last time, I think I'll keep doing it.

-Florida lost, 3-1, to Washington. The 3rd goal was an empty netter, so Florida had a chance to steal at least a point up until the final minute, but no such luck.

-Tomas Vokoun was pulled with just under 2 minutes left (somewhere near the 1:56 mark I think). Florida was already on the PP, Washington could ice it at the empty net for free. For me, 6 on 4 just means an empty net for the other guys to take shots at with no fear of repercussions. At least wait until a minute left or so, right? I wasn't a big fan of DeBoer's decision to pull him so early, and it ended up costing the Panthers a legitimate shot at tying the game. Then again, he's an NHL coach, I'm not. Had they scored, I would have been praising his guts and wisdom to pull Vokoun that early.

-Special teams were the difference. Washington went 1 for 4 on the power play, but probably could have gone 4 for 4. Florida, on the other hand, went 0 for 4, despite having a 5 on 3 for a full minute AND a power play for the entire final 5 minutes of the game.

-Cats were outshot 39-21. By period; 15-7, 11-9, 13-5. In the final period, with Florida trailing by 1, with 5 consecutive minutes of power play time, only 5 shots got through. Maybe Florida thinks they're better then they are? They've been in 8th for more than 24 hours, maybe it got into their heads. It looked like there were far too many attempts at high skill, high risk, fancy, pretty, European style passes going on out there. Down by a goal, even on the power play, you have to get pucks to the net. This isn't a team with a lot of individual talent. "Ugly goals" will get this team far.

-As Florida begins to play tougher teams, they're going to have to get scoring from up front. Tonight's lone goal came from Keith Ballard, a defenseman. Goals from blue liners are supposed to be a bonus, a nice addition to a balanced team. Florida is unbalanced in the wrong way. The D-men are scoring much more then the forwards lately. The play behind the net and the cylcing system and the point shots are all working great, there just has to be that guy in front of the net who finishes the hard work. Horton, Peltonen, Zednik, Stillman, Weiss... they need to pick it up if this postseason dream is to continue. Frolik has become completely irrelevant since his All-Star weekend in Montreal.

-Cats get a couple days off before they host Toronto on Tuesday. I'm putting the first "must-win" stamp of the year on this one. It's the last time Florida will play a team below them in the standings for 3 full weeks (Carolina is in there, but they may or may not be below Florida when they meet). For confidence points alone, Florida must win Tuesday. Until next time...

Game Night!

2009-02-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

The division leading Washington Capitals host the Florida Panthers tonight. The Caps, led by some guy named Ovechkin, are a tough team to beat at home. They have lost just 5 games in their own barn. The good news is that one of those losses came to the Panthers back in December.

While Washington does have a 12 point lead in the division, Florida has chances to make it a race. For some reason, the Caps and Cats have avoided each other for the first 4 months of the season, playing only once so far. This means there are 5 more meetings between the two teams from now until the end of the year. While it would be a stretch to hope for a 5-0-0 mark for Florida, they can at least gain ground and keep the Caps within sight.

These two teams are playing an almost complete opposite style of hockey. Florida is one of just three teams in the east that does not have a 40 point scorer. Washington has Alex Ovechkin, who has 37 goals. What Florida does have is a roster full of guys who contribute. There are 11 Panthers who have 20+ points, and Richard Zednik needs just one more to make it 12. The Capitals have just 8 players at the 20 point mark. But when 4 of those 8 are above the 40 point plateau, it doesn't really matter. It will be up to Florida to shut down the top 2 lines and finish the chances they get. In any event, it should be another high paced, action packed game, as both teams love to use their speed. Puck drops at 7:00 from the Phone Booth in D.C.