A Third Period Thrashing
“We had to play a big 20 minutes in the third” said Peter DeBoer in a post-match comment. And boy, did they ever! A goal every four minutes later and Panthers had given Atlanta a thrashing they won’t forget easily; 5-1 in the period and 8-4 overall. Key was once again the Peltonen – Campbell – Dvorak line that among themselves collected 8 points over the course of the game. Michael Frolik chipped in among others with the franchises mere second home penalty conversion ever and Florida has five straight games of four goals or more. Long last it seems the forwards are producing, not only in defense, but also in the offense.
The superlatives naturally hailed down upon the shiny Cats after the game, they now head for some well deserved game-day rest over the next five days. A finger of warning may be however be warranted. Over the course of 60 minutes it wasn’t a great game by the Floridians; despite what the scoreboard might indicate, it was a tight game before those last 20 minutes settled affairs on a rather explicit note. Atlanta were well in the game, despite going down somewhat unfortunately 1-3 in the first period, but came back fighting in the second tying the game at 3 – when that landslide third hit the Thrashers dead in the tracks.
It is in itself a good sign of course that Florida could again come out in a third period and run the opposing team ragged, especially considering the grueling schedule the Cats have been adhering to lately. They seem to have that mental and physical reserve which they can throw in to battle when needed the most.
What a difference that is from previous Panthers! And what hope that generates amongst us fans… We are only one point behind Carolina and Buffalo and even the Devils might be mastered if this rich vein of form continues.
That will probably be the difficult part, especially these next few games. A five day break is no doubt well deserved and pleasant for the players and their families, but last time the Panthers came back from a little holiday – following a similarly impressive winning streak – they lost the next four games against weak opposition. Hopefully that lesson has been fully digested and we’ll be the experience richer this time around. And with Philadelphia coming flying in to the Bank Atlantic Center next, there will be a stern opposition waiting the Cats for sure. Preparation is everything.
In today’s matinee game the Panthers showed a lax attitude for 40 minutes and while they could get away with that on this day, due to that immense third period showing, they can ill afford such luxuries against other teams. Somewhat surprisingly that is especially true for Florida against “weaker” teams, perhaps because there are no teams that bad that the Cats can walk all over them with a 90% attitude and effort. As already expressed here, lessons must be learned and this is an important one. If we can’t beat the teams below us in the table we won’t make the post-league contest this year either and that’s a fact. Common NHL knowledge is that clubs in or around the playoff race will only get tougher to beat as the season progresses and the battle intensifies.
In this context it was especially satisfying to see Coach DeBoer prowl the dressing room entering the third, and giving the players a reality check and wake up call. It worked as we all saw, but the players need to step up their games in these kinds of contests. In an 82 game league – consistency is key – to make the playoffs. And consistency personified amid the Panther ranks, is undeniably the Peltonen/Campbell/Dvorak line; hardly surprising then that they essentially won us this game and two very important points.
The game was designated “kids day” at the Bank Atlantic Center and the old-fashioned 8-4 scoreline is sure to attract and inspire a few new Panther cubs. Overall it had us all dancing like rats on the table, dreaming dreams of grandeur and reinforcing that sense of long lost hope – that once again is establishing brittle roots here in South Floridian soil. Now we need to pick up this winning streak, where we left off today, come Friday and spread those roots ever deeper in to the hearts and minds of the Floridian consciousness.
And suddenly five days seems like an eternity, doesn’t it?
