Roblogg’s Panthers Portal

After a miserable start to the season the Cats turned their season around with a marvelous winning spell in mid-November, but now—once again—the wheels are coming off. The Panthers are looking decidedly tame at the moment; winning only one game in the last ten.

Yes, you can blame injuries—to key players such as David Booth and Cory Stillman—but that excuse is starting to fall on deaf ears. All teams in the NHL are seeing their roster decimated by untimely injuries; Florida is merely one in a line of clubs feeling that pain.

The players called up from the AHL have done reasonably well, injecting some much needed energy and enthusiasm to the team. However, these players have not been able to contribute offensively to any great extent—only managing a handful of goals overall.

And of the regulars and veterans, very few have made any significant contributions offensively either. Only three forwards have any noteworthy numbers; Stephen Weiss (24 points), Nathan Horton (25), and Steven Reinprecht (23).

And of the defenders, only captain Bryan McCabe (15 points), Dennis Seidenberg (12), and rookie Dmitry Kulikov (12), have done well and contributed to any substantial degree. Tomas Vokoun in goal meanwhile has played very well and done what he can for the team.

It’s just not enough.

Looking at the stats it’s easy to see why the Florida Panthers are in a funk and unable to win themselves a game in regulation:

In goals per game the Cats are ranked at No.25 in the league; scoring an average of 2.48 G/G. At the same time Florida is No.27 when it comes to goals against per game with an average of 3.26.

When it comes to 5-on-5 for/against/ goals ratio—the Panthers rank a tied 28th in the league with 0.75—only Carolina are worse.

So, the power-play and penalty kill must be the saving grace, right?

Not so…

The Cats are 27th in the league with a power-play percentage of 15.2 and are 29th on the penalty kill with 76.4 percent.

To continue this glum list of failures we need look no further than to shots allowed per game; Florida give-up an average of 35.1 shots—which as you would expect puts the Cats at the very bottom of the pile, at No.30. Our 28.6 shots on goals rank us in a slightly better 26th place.

Do I really need to prolong this miserable recount?

Well, maybe just one more to really hammer home my point: The Cats are dead last in the league when it comes to finishing off games when leading after two periods; they are .500 when entering the third with a lead.

Seriously, it is hard to understand what the h*ll coach Pete DeBoer is talking about when he says that: “We’re playing the right way, we’re doing things the right way, we’re not getting rewarded for it right now.”

Really—this is the right way to play?

And I disagree; I think the Panthers are being rewarded amply the way they deserve to be rewarded. The results reflect fairly where the Cats are right now.

Sure, if the games had been 58 minutes rather than 60 we would probably be in a playoff spot right now. But, since when is not a crucial part of the game of hockey to see out matches without conceding in those two last minutes?

To do so a team needs to have determination, grit, and the mental wherewithal to make the right plays at the right time. The Cats clearly don’t have these characteristics and are paying dearly for it—as they should.

This is no fluke, Pete.

I understand that you cannot give up and must try to be optimistic, especially when communicating to your players—even when there is precious little to be cheerful about. But, from a fans perspective, it is hard to have confidence in a coach that is clearly delusional or lying through his teeth.

I like DeBoer, as I believe most Florida fans do, but I don’t like it when he won’t own up to reality. Don’t give us this bs and expect us to swallow it with a grin.

We have had enough of false hope from Florida management over the years. We are quite frankly stuffed—and fed up—with the cattle fescues we’ve been served, thank you.

Just be honest about it: “We’re not better than this at the moment”. That’s all we want!

Of course—a team that knows how to win wouldn’t be bad either—if we take a moment to wistfully wish upon a star…

It is obvious that this franchise desperately needs to reevaluate its philosophy and hopefully the new owners can help in this respect.

However, don’t expect any miracles short term—there is only so much the new owners can do at this point in time—unless of course they can get down on the ice and show our current crop of forwards where the goal is.

The real work that they can do is to steer the franchise forward long term.

The current mess has been handed down from the previous owner, the name we shall utter here no more, and the Viner & Siegel combo should not be held responsible for it—although they are the ones that must, somehow, find a way out of this current prolonged state of hockey funk.

Perhaps the best thing now, if the Cats continue to struggle after Christmas, is to scratch this campaign and look to the trade deadline and draft instead. Certainly this is something that management must consider and plan for.

There comes a point where we must be realistic and say that maybe this team just isn’t better than the statistics clearly indicate. Take responsibility, and then set I motion a far-reaching program of rebuilding—with a clear philosophy at the heart of the process; of how to achieve long term success.

We have tried that tactic before and failed, even if it was haphazard at best, but I see precious few other options available.

With the salary cap effectively making trades near impossible these days, big free agent signings not forthcoming, the draft is all that realistically remains.

This season is not over yet however, and the Cats are a mere few points out of the playoff picture. But, unless a miracle happens, it is unlikely the Panthers will be able to turn this season around.

The stats plainly show that this team lacks substantially when it comes to cutting edge quality—at both ends of the rink.

After losing the first game on the current four game road trip to Columbus on Wednesday, 3-0, the Cats face an even trickier couple of games—as they are set to play New Jersey tonight, Pittsburgh tomorrow, and the NY Islanders on Monday.

Florida then face Atlanta on Wednesday on home ice, after having lost both previous games to the Thrashers this season, and having gone 1-6 against Southeastern rivals overall. This could very well mean that the Panthers are effectively out of the playoff race by this time next week.

And perhaps, being well behind the chasing pack of the East could turn out to be a blessing in disguise—as the franchise could firmly look to the future—rather than try to lure fans to games with false hope and dingy words of optimism whilst clinging to the sinking wreckage that is this team.

Being of a more skeptical nature, I didn’t jump on the whole third jersey bandwagon, which is why this blog is probably the only one not to rave about that much vaunted unveiling which occurred on Monday, at the game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

To me it seemed like a superfluous money-making scheme that failed to hold my interest for more than the required minute or two to write about it.

Nevertheless, many-a Panthers beat writer were caught up in the hype.

No one more so than George Richards of the Miami Herald however.

After at least six articles (as many as I could be bothered to count, even less read) on the subject from Mr. Richards, one can’t blame Panthers’ fans for being fed up already with the jersey talk.

Most seem negative about the jerseys or a bit skeptical at least. The color scheme is different from anything previously seen in South Florida. The baby blue doesn’t convince many fans either.

Richard meanwhile, is ranting about the FLA on the shoulders—more than anything more closely related to the game of hockey—in his extensive coverage of the third jersey issue.

Personally I was, of course, skeptical to the whole question of new third jerseys to begin with. However, I’m not one to jump any grousing bandwagon either.

In fact, despite my early cynicism—I must admit—I like these new jerseys.

Yes, they are different color-wise from anything we’re used to. But, isn’t that the whole point with third jerseys anyway?

I like the shades of blue, and the sun with FLA running through it, is actually surprisingly cool.

Anyway, that’s how far I’m willing to get involved in this minor “controversy”. I like the jersey. The Reebok people showed some balls in stepping away from the mold and trying something different for the Panthers.

My only grievance is that the jerseys look far too much like the Penguins’ third jerseys…

Nonetheless, let’s leave all that happened Monday behind, not least that sour ending against the same Penguins, and focus on tonight’s game instead.

The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers always serve up a juicy Thanksgiving dish and I would expect no less in tonight’s encounter.

The NY Rangers are two points ahead of us in the standings, despite our win in the Garden, and hence this is an important game for both teams in the playoff race.

Yes, it’s early to talk of a playoff race, but in a time of league parity, it’s never too early to win important games.

Whilst the Panthers sneaked out from Manhattan with a W in the column, the Rangers still bossed the Cats around for much of the second half of that game. The sheer physicality of John Tortorella’s charges—caused a lot of problems for Florida.

Likely because of this, the Panthers have decided to add some grit, size, and power, in the form of Steve MacIntyre.

Recently claimed on waivers from Edmonton, the 6-foot-5, 260 pound left winger, was then sent to Rochester to get in game shape. Two games later and he’s been called back to South Florida to stand up for his new teammates against the powerful Rangers.

Falling into the “big brute” category of hockey players, Steve will be counted on to bring something quite different to the Cats’ lineup: Sheer physicality and a heavy punch or two.

Other Rochester call-ups, namely Kenndal McArdle and Victor Oreskovich, have brought some much needed grit to the team; but MacIntyre’s contributions are likely to be on a level above what they bring—if you know what I mean…

Considering the circumstances, I think this is a great move from the coach Pete DeBoer. And hopefully, Steve can shove the stuffing to that insidious coward, Sean Avery.

 

Update! Not only is Ville Koistinen scratched for the game, but he was also placed on waivers at noon today according to the Panthers’ official website.This could mean that MacIntyre indeed is here to stay in South Florida, and not just called up to meet the physical Rangers and Maple Leafs this week. Shawn Matthias meanwhile is also here to stay and will play tonight.

The Florida Panthers have been known to start seasons slowly and then come strong toward the end—just to fall wide of the postseason mark.

It appears as if this season has all those characteristics as well.

Whether or not the Cats can reignite their season and make a credible playoff push remains to be seen, but, the beginning is thus far following familiar patterns.

“Let’s cut off the first 15 games and start fresh and make sure over the next five weeks we’re all better,” Florida’s head coach Peter DeBoer said yesterday.

He went on to state that: “The good news is we have a lot more to offer, both individually and as a group. I think you’re going to see that. There’s a lot of hockey left to be played.”

Coach ‘Pete’ DeBoer is understandably trying to exude confidence and optimism, as a leader must do in front of his troops, but one does wonder what he must be feeling within after having begun this season 5-9-1.

Prior to the commencement of the campaign, Pete offered his hopes for the season, and considering what he said then and how wide of the mark the team is of that assessment, one must assume that on the inside his sanguinity must have taken a bruise:

“This year I feel much more comfortable and I think the players feel much more comfortable in how we want to play and the systems we want to play, and I think it’s showing on the ice. Hopefully, that will lead to a better start."

Things didn’t quite work out that way, did they Pete?

Currently sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference with 11 points, trailing the Boston Bruins—currently in eight spot—by 7 points, Florida and its fans can’t be too hopeful of a spectacular turnaround of fortunes.

As it happens the Cats will square off against the ‘B’s tonight in Boston and therefore have a good chance of cutting that deficit down to 5 points.

Unfortunately the Panthers will travel to meet a team that is finally overcoming a difficult hump themselves. Ravaged by injuries, and having traded goal poacher Phil Kessel to Toronto, the Bruins have looked a shadow of their former self in the early goings.

However, in the last two games the Bostonians have claimed two notable scalps in Buffalo and Pittsburgh—to restore confidence in the locker-room.

The Bruins will be up for tonight’s game and, with their strong defensive corps; it’s hard to see the challenged Florida offense getting any goals on the solid Tim Thomas between the pipes.

It is tough to talk about a must win game so early in the season, but with the poor start by the Cats it will be difficult to imagine them losing this game and still being able to realistically compete for that eighth spot, come spring.

So whilst not a must-win-game; this still qualifies as a very important contest for the Panthers. It’s one they’d be loathed to lose.

It is not easy to put a positive spin to the efforts by the Cats so far this season.

In 15 games played, of which one third were won, they still only really impressed in two of those games; against St. Louis and Carolina (game two).

Both those teams were going through worse problems at the time of play than the Panthers were, so it’s hard to draw too much optimism from these two performances alone.

Overall speaking, the effort has not been consistently good enough from the Floridians in the opening 15 games. I doubt anyone could make a sound argument to claim that the club does not deserve to be where they currently reside in the standings.

Thirteenth place in the East seems like a fair reflection of the performances of the Florida Panthers after 15 games played.

The Cats have had problems with the organization of its new-look defense; allowing too many opposing players a clear path toward the crease, as well as giving up too many shots on goal.

The offense was also lacking in the early stages with any kind of chemistry hard to come by. This together with an inefficient power-play has paved the way for the early struggles.

Admittedly things have gotten a bit better of late.

With the exception of the previous game against the Capitals, the defense has become more solid and the reshuffling of the offense has paid some dividends. No. 1 goaltender Tomas Vokoun is also starting to look increasingly unyielding in goal.

Whether or not this will be enough to turn the season around however, is questionable.

The Florida Panthers official website has put a positive spin on the situation, preferring to focus on the congested schedule ahead as a means of the team to “find their rhythm”.

With 24 games in 42 days to look forward to, or dread—depending on your outlook, it is understandable that the club as a whole must try and stay positive in order to try and recover lost ground. And it is possible…

However, like many fans I’m not overly optimistic. And I fear the worst rather than indulge in false hope.

I suppose it’s basically a kind of self-defense mechanism we fans shield ourselves with; hoping that every defeat won’t sting as much as they tend to do for the believer.

Of course, it usually doesn’t help much…

A defeat is a defeat—whether expected or not—it still guts you to the bone.

And considering this, it really is a miracle that the Florida Panthers still have any fans at all: What resiliency!

Just goes to show that even years of failure will not, and does not, deter the true sports fan.

And one thing I’ve learned in South Florida is that, despite what most people up north may think, there is a base for hockey here.

Despite the continued struggles and failures of the franchise on the ice (longest playoff drought in the league, since the year 2000), people still turn up in the thousands to cheer on the team, extend friendly hockey advice (shot the puck, you m**on!), and revel in the rare and shrinking successes—that we enjoy in midst of the many defeats.

I have not experienced what the hardcore South Floridian fan has been through. But, in my mere few years of following the Cats, I do have a growing appreciation for those fans that have been here from day one and experienced so many letdowns.

You guys and gals clearly deserve better a better dish than what you’ve been served.

Nonetheless, the taste of success will be all the sweeter when it finally comes our way, because we have been through the many failures along the way.

Admittedly not much comfort right now. Nonetheless, I suppose the lesson is to trooper on and hope for the best. And sooner or later, good things will happen, surely…

And if controversial philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was right when he coined the expression “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” then the Panthers’ fans are indeed a hardened breed in deserve of some rightful respect from its fellow hockey brethren.

Win or lose in Boston, I hope to share some more hockey moments with ya’ll in the B.A.C. on Saturday when the resurgent NY Islanders come to town. It should be interesting to see John Tavares and the young Islanders in action.

I hope the players start playing better—at least start playing to the best of their ability. Maybe they simply aren’t good enough to make the playoffs this year, but, they should certainly be playing better than they currently are anyway.

This may not be a hockey market on par with the Canadian ones, or say Philadelphia—just to name one, but it is still a vibrant place of vivacious hockey fans that don’t merit scorn from anyone.

What we’ve been through here, no other set of National Hockey League fans have had to prevail through.

And indeed, we’ve been through that proverbial trial by fire—and we’re still here. Another season of failure probably won’t change any of that, although, I hope we don’t need to find out.

Dmitry Kulikov has been given the chance to stay with the Panthers and continue his development on the big stage. He impressed during his initial nine game tryout with the team—and now get’s to celebrate his 19th birthday in Dallas; whilst preparing for his eleventh match tonight in the NHL.

Not bad for someone recently picked 14th in this summer’s draft…

And well, hopefully the young man will get more than the salad for his birthday—when the guys take him out to celebrate in Texas. But, no Vodka obviously, which I presume would have been the main course in Russia for such a salute.

Dmitry is continuing to live his expressed dream by playing in the NHL with the Cats. Hopefully he’ll do that for a long time yet.

Kulikov is an exciting prospect that is likely to only get better with time. He’s already quite competent however and is regularly clocking 18 to 19 minutes of game time. In addition he’s already on the first powerplay unit and clearly has the ability to become something quite special for Florida.

 

 

A couple of other young players getting a chance to shine; is the recent call-ups of Kenndal McArdle and Michal Repik.

Both played well, albeit not for very long in the last match against the Senators. McArdle in particular has earned his coaches praise for the abundance of energy, speed and grit he provided. Not to mention the fight.

Whilst clocking only a paltry 4+ minutes, thus he sat more in the penalty box than he saw action on the ice, Kenndal can be expected to see some more opportunities to impress against the Stars tonight.

 

 

To add to Repik and McArdle, the Panthers have also recalled C Jeff Taffe from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The reason is that Dominic Moore will require nasal surgery to repair that broken nose of his that the Flyers gave him.

Having impressed for Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate last season, Taffe has started equally well in Rochester this term. In nine games he has 7 points (4 goals + 3 assists) and also has a team high of 27 shots on goal for the Amerks.

It’s going to be a tough game tonight against a Dallas team—that has gotten off to a good start this season. However, things must start bouncing our way sooner or later, right?

If the Cats can limit those turnovers out of the zone, play hard and shoot more frequently: then this could be an interesting game.

Maybe a couple of tricky away games might be exactly what the doctored ordered to turn things around.

After some whining of late, I’m trying to stay positive, OK, so pass me that salad and let’s stuff it to those Texan’s tonight!

Concussions are tricky and no one knows how long they might keep a player out injured or how it will affect any one individual. Hence, there is no timetable for David Booth’s recovery from the hit in Philadelphia. It’s more a time to wait and see for now.

There’s no point in rushing Booth back prematurely. Teammate Cory Stillman learnt the hard way last season that that is not such a good idea. So the staff will closely monitor Booth whilst he gradually recovers.

David has said that he still suffers from headaches and can’t concentrate for any length of time. Dizziness and fatigue has meant Booth has been resting a lot recent days. He did however take-in yesterday’s training session—as a spectator.

Radek Dvorak meanwhile has got some good news in that his injury, also suffered in Philadelphia against the Flyers, won’t require surgery or sideline him for the rest of the season as first feared. An MRI showed that he has a slight tear in his knee and will be out for (only) a few weeks as a consequence.

These two injuries meant that wingers Michal Repik and Kenndal McArdle have been called up from Rochester. Both players have started well in the American Hockey League. Repik leads the scoring chart with 6 goals and 5 assists in 9 games. Former first round pick McArdle has 6 points meanwhile and no less than 54 penalty minutes in 10 games played.

The forward lines used in Tuesday’s practice have thus looked like this:

Olesz-Weiss-Frolik
Stillman-Reinprecht-Horton
Campbell-Moore-Repik
McArdle-Kreps-Koistinen

At first sight these forward lines look a bit on the fragile side, but just the fact that lines have been juggled a bit and people are given a chance to impress—can create some much needed momentum for tonight’s game against the Senators. We’ll see I suppose.

McArdle is a tough energy guy that should easily slot into the fourth line. Repik on the other hand I would have liked to see on one of the top two lines; considering his knack for notching goals. I’m also unsure if he has the grit to help the third line in its primary task.

Personally I would have preferred Repik swapping places with Olesz and make the Weiss line the secondary line, I think that would balance the lines a bit better: on paper anyway. But, hopefully the coach knows what he’s doing—better than myself and the rest of us armchair coaches out there…

Nonetheless…

It would be interesting to hear what you ‘all think the Panthers should/need to do/ to change their season around?

The fans already have. The players: not so much.

They have not faced up to the reality that surrounds this club and what it takes to be successful here.

The more religiously inclined might call it a miracle, but the answer is much more down to earth than that…

The Florida Panthers need to suck it up!

Two devastating injuries in the last game to the Flyers need to be addressed. And at this point in time no one knows when Radek Dvorak and David Booth will be back, so we must do it without them.

“They’re going to be missed,” said coach Peter DeBoer of Booth and Dvorak on the Panthers’ official website. “They drive a lot of our offense and forecheck. It’s not something you replace easily, but we don’t have a lot of choice.”

No they don’t. All teams suffer devastating injuries and must find a way to get around the issue. The Panthers are no different and can’t use this as an excuse.

Indeed, it does seem as if the Florida players have been angling for excuses so far into the season. There has always been some ‘reasons’ behind the poor play: the tough preseason, trip to Finland, too many days off, exceptional opponents, yada yada yada.

Add these recent injuries to the equation and the Panthers could have enough excuses to slip behind Toronto in the table and still be able to look themselves in the mirror.

But there are no excuses.

The day the players accept this and start taking some responsibility on the ice; that’s when results will start to improve. Not before.

The main problem with the Cats this season is consistency. Hell, that’s been the problem for almost ten years now!

And it’s the lack of consistency and the myriad of excuses that trickle down from staff, players, and management; that inevitably leads to the dissatisfaction of the fanbase and its subsequent slow disintegration over the years.

Coach Peter DeBoer is right when he says that “we’re battling (to try and find) our identity as a team. […] We’re one of those teams that don’t have a big margin of error.”

The Panthers desperately need to find that new identity. Rather than keep clinging to the old one: an identity of having only one consistency—constant underachievement and a host false hope coming from the occasional flash of inspired performances.

That is one characteristic this club would do well to shed and leave behind.

Perhaps the shakeup caused by these injuries is not the worst thing that could happen to Florida. A couple of energetic and speedy youngsters in the form of Michal Repik and Kenndal McArdle could help change a seemingly acerbic locker room spirit.

Whilst Booth and Dvorak are two wholehearted performers that always give their best for the club and thus will be missed, I nevertheless like the idea of blooding a couple of youngsters that still have everything to prove at this level.

They’ll be sure to bring some enthusiasm to the team and are as of yet untainted by the past underperformances of this club.

On the contrary; having started the season in Rochester of the AHL, Repik and McArdle would have seen firsthand how a club can rise from the ashes of its former self.

The Amerks had a dreadful last campaign and finished dead last in their Division. This time around, with a few astute veteran signings added to the roster, the team is 8-1-1 and top of the pile.

One would have wished the Panthers could have done something similar this year—or any other year since the summer of 2000 (last playoff appearance).

If this season starts slipping away, to any further extent than it already has, the Panthers need to be bold and start relying more on the young prospects and perhaps trade away some of the veterans that aren’t contributing.

The season is not over yet however and the game tomorrow against the Senators must become a statement game for the current Florida troops. 2-6-1 is a horrendous start to the campaign, and yet, quite well deserved.

The players have nothing to blame but their own effort, or the rather, the apparent lack thereof.

Suck it up and start playing as a collective; it’s the only way this club is ever going to overcome its problems. When certain individuals start realizing this wisdom—that’s when things can start changing for the better, not before.

It’s obviously also possible that the players simply aren’t any better than what they’re currently showing and are thus giving it their best. In that case it is job of the newly appointed General Manager, Randy Sexton, to spring into action and change things around.

The Florida Panthers need to realize the urgency that surrounds them upon their trip to Pennsylvania.

Having been outscored 11-2 in the opening period of the previous seven games played, it is time to start competing from the first drop of the puck.

The Panthers do not enjoy any glaring opulence of skill or physical superiority over opposing teams, and thus, need to rely on good old fashioned hard work to be competitive.

Somehow the players don’t seem to have digested this nugget of wisdom quite yet.

This was blatantly obvious in the dreadful 2-5 defeat against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday at the Bank Atlantic Center…

Complacency again reared its ugly head in that first period, and as always, the consequences were dire.

The Coaching staff, lead by head coach Peter DeBoer, tried to get the message across by pulling goalie Scott Clemmensen after a mere two minutes of play, but with no visible effect.

Since that abomination of a period, the staff has again made the point in training drills by having the players crowding the so called “dirty-areas” of the ice; along the corners, crease and goalie line.

Now that’s where you need to be to compete!

The players will have a chance to show that they got the message loud and clear by making it a game against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions tonight. Not the easiest place to be triumphant, but the players should nevertheless be able to spot this game as a possible season changing contest.

Imagine going to Pittsburgh and challenging the Penguins up and down the ice and grinding out a result. What could possibly be a better way to reignite Florida’s season…?

As long as the Cats show their claws and aren’t beaten beforehand, this could be a more competitive game than most would imagine.

The key will of course be the start of the game. Whilst the Panthers have been sleepwalking through these first periods of the games so far, the Penguins on the other hand have been looking focused.

In their previous game, Pittsburgh beat St. Louis 5-1 to record an impressive 8-1-0 start to the season. In that first period they outshot the Blues 22-3; which makes those 20 minutes of action all the more important for the Cats—to have as their mental and pregame focal point.

Get off to a good start and with a pinch of confidence returning: anything can happen!

Win or lose, the Panthers need to show they are no pushovers as against the Sabres. And then, perhaps, they can take whatever they get out of the game and take it to Philadelphia tomorrow and stuff it to their hosts once more.

Having beaten the Flyers recently 4-2 at home, the Cats are in for a less friendly opponent this time around as Pronger & c/o lace-up in front of a fanatical crowd at the Wachovia Center.

The Philadelphia Flyers has just come off a scheduling quirk that had them playing only their second game in twelve days yesterday—the previous one being the game against the Panthers in Sunrise.

In that match last night the Flyers recorded a 4-3 win against the Boston Bruins. This shootout victory effectively ended their three game losing skid in what was essentially an appetizer for the coming Winter Classic.

For the home-side, it was particularly the fringe players that raised their game against the Bruins. Both the fourth forward line and third defensive pairing caused all sorts of problems for the visitors.

The Panthers must beware that Philly will come at you with everything and everyone they have. This brings me to my final point: squad depth.

Coach DeBoer has not yet revealed his cards as to who will be in goal. Both Scott Clemmensen and Tomas Vokoun were unimpressive in the recent beating by Buffalo.

But, being the No.1, Vokoun would be expected to be given the task of trying to stop the Penguins’ imposing array of firepower tonight. However, whatever performance Tomas melds together in The Steel City, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Clemmensen back in goal for the Flyers game; seeing as he won the previous matchup.

Elsewhere, question marks surround defenseman Bryan Allen. Can his delicate knee handle two such high-intensity games in a row?

If not, expect to see Jason Garrison to be called up from Rochester for the match in Philly.

Also, we can almost certainly expect DeBoer to try and juggle a few people around in the lines to get some feet moving and perhaps some goal scoring chemistry clicking.

Apart from these possible changes, we can only hope that these two games won’t cause the injury bug to appear in the Florida camp—as it subsequently has amongst other teams in the league that have already felt the congestive grind of the schedule.

Playing two such tough head-to-head games will undoubtedly put the Panthers firmly in the chomp of the crunch. The strength-levels within the team will be tested to the limit. And at such a critical point of this early season; the Panthers must prevail and bring something with them back home to South Florida from The Keystone State.

I don’t want to imagine a 2-7-0 start to the season. If that does happen however, then it is truly time to hit the panic button…

It will thus be a critical trip for Florida and a real test of its players; their strength in character and the team’s will to win.

Can the Panthers find that inner fortitude to bring them through these trying times with flying colors, or, will they again buckle under pressure?

Yes, the Panthers have been around. Christopher Columbus would have been proud and impressed.

Winger David Booth recently designed a T-shirt that has been circling the locker room; to commemorate a flying preseason for the Cats.

It features a rock ’n’ roll style Panther on the front. And on the back side can be read: “Florida Panthers – World Tour 2009”.

Thereafter follows a list of dates and “gigs” that many an aspiring rock band might drool jealously upon:

9-12 Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia
9-15 Halifax, Nova Scotia
9-16 Ottawa, Ontario
9-17 Montreal, Quebec
9-18 Edmonton, Alberta
9-20 Calgary Alberta
9-22 Dallas, Texas
9-23 Sunrise, Florida
9-30 Tampere, Finland
9-30 Helsinki, Finland
10-2 Helsinki, Finland
10-3 Helsinki, Finland

Since then three more gigs have been added to the schedule due to popular demand:

10-9 Raleigh, North Carolina
10-10 Sunrise, Florida
10-12 Tampa, Florida

Suiting enough, this mini-tour ends on Columbus Day: Here’s to the memory of you Christopher and your stunning feat of mal-navigation!

 

Vokoun the Workhorse

 

With the Finnish excursion now firmly put to the books, the Panthers need to find their feet quickly. They have 3 games in 4 days to look forward to.

Goalie Tomas Vokoun in particular will have his stamina and resiliency tested as he looks to be playing one consecutive game after another.

With recently acquired back-up goalie Scott Clemmensen on leave, due to family matters, youngster Alexander Salak will be with on this tour as well. When Scott will return is still unknown and head coach Peter DeBoer has already said that Vokoun will be playing in these games whether Clemmensen returns or not.

Tomas Vokoun is of course no stranger to playing hefty minutes. He has always done so in the past and there is no use in confusing him now. Last campaign he also played in the opening five games of the season.

Vokoun strikes me as the kind of goalie that produces his best when he gets a lot of action. He doesn’t like standing or sitting around idly. The more the merrier for Tomas it seems and he’s getting his Christmas wishes early this year.

 

Some Early Question Marks

 

Otherwise the lineup looks relatively intact from Helsinki.

Center Steven Reinprecht got a shot off the skate in practice the other day, but X-rays showed no sign of any fracture. He will thus play tonight.

Whether or not another centerman, new signing Dominic Moore, will feature in any of these games is still unknown. The reason behind his delay in linking up with the team is VISA issues. As soon as they are resolved he’ll join and likely be thrown straight in to the fray by Coach DeBoer.

If Moore does arrive before tonight’s game or any of the other two, it will likely mean that defenseman Ville Koistinen won’t be utilized as a makeshift forward on the fourth line. If he’ll return to the blueline or be made to sit out the game(s) is not yet clear.

It would likely be either Koistinen or rookie Dmitry Kulikov that would be made redundant for the time being when Dominic joins the lineup. But knowing DeBoer he’ll likely be shuffling things around as soon as results aren’t forthcoming; so it may be a very brief spell on the sidelines in that case.

It is also worth noting that the Panthers have announced the signing of 23 year old right winger Victor Oreskovich on a two-way deal.

Oreskovich is a player that Peter DeBoer knows well from the juniors and he’ll be assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Victor was originally a third round draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche. This offseason he attended Florida’s training camp and also featured in four preseason games.

 

Boxed In at Carolina

 

Looking closer at that game in Carolina versus the Hurricanes it would seem that the Panthers are in for a tough matchup. The Cats may have won their last game in Raleigh 5-0, but that was in all honesty before the Canes got together as a team and started to click last campaign.

It is likely to be a much tighter affair this time around.

During the week the Panthers have been working hard on special teams and coverage assignments in the defensive zone. Both of which were Achilles heels in the opening head-to-head with Chicago. With a spanking new defensive corps these issues are predictable to occur in the early going.

The best way to minimize the threat of opposing man-advantages however is, as it always has been, to stay out of the box.

Carolina have a good enough team to punish Florida if the Cats again can’t play fair; as the Blackhawks did in game two.

And knowing your defensive assignments, well, that’s just basic hockey ABC. Give it a few games and some practice and that should not need to be a continued issue.

The Hurricanes meanwhile have also started the new season in a wobbly fashion: Losing 0-2 and 2-7 to the Flyers and Bruins respectively. They then rallied to trump the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2-1 shootout victory on Tuesday.

Both teams should be rested and well prepared for this game, having not played in the last 3 and 6 days respectively. That does however also make the game a highly unpredictable one. It’s hard to see which team will show up with the greater hunger and will to win.

I think this will be a tense game that will go down to the buzzer.

With both teams likely to have stressed defense in practice, due to both having a hard time to keep opposing forwards out of their zone, I’m sure that emphasis will shine through in the game as well.

However, with Carolina having a record of 15-2-0 at home against Florida since Feb. 16, 2004; they must be seen as the favorites to clinch the points in the end analysis.

 

Selling Out

 

The next day the Panthers go home to play their first home game. Outside of Finland that is…

The New Jersey Devils continue their three game road trip and make a visit. Tickets have been selling fast and the Bank Atlantic Center is expected to be a complete sellout.

After having lost their initial two home games of the season, the Devils travelled to Tampa and made an astonishing last second push in regulation to tie the game and eventually win the contest. Again the Lightning lost in a shootout.

It would seem the shootout curse has now switched over to Florida’s west coast. Good riddance!

The New Jersey Devils is as always a tricky customer. With Martin Brodeur between the pipes you can never be assured to score. The Panthers players are also likely to arrive with tired legs in this contest; after having played in North Carolina the previous evening.

Nonetheless, with the B.A.C. packed with hopeful fans there can be no excuses.

The Cats need to display some sharp claws and dig deep for a memorable performance. With the fragile fanbase that exists here; every big crowd turnout is a new chance to redeem the club and gain some new followers in the process.

The importance of this game for Florida can hence not be stressed enough.

 

“Tampa Bay Lightning is a Box of Chocolates; you never know what you’ll get”

 

I don’t think it was Columbus that uttered those words, but it is to him we now return.

For the Panthers he’ll make an appearance in Tampa Bay this coming Monday, on Columbus Day. It will be a symbolic way to end the long preseason tour and early campaign as the Panthers thereafter get some rest (until next Friday’s game versus the Flyers) and then return to the regular season grind.

With five regular games under the belt we should be in a much better position to judge what this year’s reincarnation of the Cats hold in store.

Before we come to that point however we have the Floridian derby against the Lightning, a game that will be contested by fierce cross state rivals. Although prior to the game against the Panthers, the Bolts have a chance to redeem their early season woes against Carolina on Saturday.

So far, after three games, it is fair to say that the Tampa Bay Lightning have not got off to the start they were hoping for.

Much was expected of Tampa Bay for this season in terms of overall on-ice improvement. This has yet to come to fruition and they remain winless to this point.

To me it seems that the Bolts last season put all their efforts into their forward compartment; with the end result of the team becoming unbalanced. This summer therefore, the management focused solely of the upgrade of the defensive corps.

However, the rising evidence seems to suggest this has only led to a new imbalance; with 9 defenders battling for icetime.

It is hard to understand this logic. But we all know the Tampa Bay Lightning organization work in strange ways. Who am I to question their reasoning?

I’m probably too conservative. I like the idea of balancing the team, whilst at the same time I detest the idea of letting players sit on the bench rolling their thumbs without playing any competitive games. But hey, I’m sure they know what they are doing… Right?

Anyway, the Panthers often find the Bolts to be a tricky opponent to unlock. And it being a derby game; one never knows how things will unfold.

This could go either way.

Nonetheless, I do dare wager that the Lightning will struggle this season if they do not address the glaring issue of imbalance. A couple of trades are likely necessary to rectify the problem: The sooner the better for the team and its fans in western Florida.

As for the Panthers, we will not get anything for free this season. Yet, the team is being slowly molded into Coach Peter DeBoer’s own image. And if the players can display his level of competitiveness, never-say-die attitude and directness, we should be fine.

It is a long road to travel however, and while the Florida Panthers players may feel like they’ve already circumvented the Earth a couple of times; truth is that the real journey starts today…

Jay Bouwmeester was never happy in Florida. And as time ticked on without the talismanic defender signing a new contract fans became increasingly restless. Media had the smooth skating Edmonton native linked with virtually all the teams in the Eastern Conference that were above the Panthers in the standings; at one point or another.

Boston Bruins? Philadelphia Flyers? Washington Capitals? Where would Jay-Bo end up?

He would be traded wouldn’t he?

It would surely be crazy for the Florida Panthers to keep the man if he so clearly wanted to leave. At the time of the March transfer deadline the noise reached fever pitch. Jay Bouwmeester was the biggest fish in the deadline lake.

He was a catch however that would come with a hefty price tag attached.

The Florida management made it clear that Jay was an instrumental part of their plans to make the playoffs. The Panthers had not done this since the year 2000 and fans were getting impatient for some much awaited success, to put it mildly.

How exactly do you replace an ironman defender that regularly will not only eat up a good 28 minutes of ice time, but also play a crucial shut-down role against opposing team’s star forwards?

Not to mention being the defensive lynchpin on the special teams…

Some people will be quick to retort that Jay-Bo is overrated, and perhaps he is, but his importance to the Florida Panthers last season could not be stressed enough. He was the blueline pivot; around which everything else would swivel.

With this in mind, it came as no shock here in South Florida that Jay was not traded. He was simply irreplaceable in the Panthers efforts to reach the postseason. To do without him would demand an extreme makeover of the current defense that would likely spoil that all-important key goal of the organization: the ever illusive playoff.

Elsewhere the no-go-for-Bo met with raised eyebrows. Everyone knew the Panthers would lose Bouwmeester for virtually nothing in the summer and most would have expected the club to cash in on their golden g(m)oose. This was the prevailing NHL logic and makes a lot of sense in most cases, but not in this particular one.

The franchise cast its die and hoped for their playoff number to roll in.

It didn’t come.

Bouwmeester returned north of the border to play for Calgary in the end. The Panthers didn’t lose him empty handed however and received a third round pick at the draft together with the rights of pending free agent Jordan Leopold. This was nowhere near what the Cats could’ve got for Bo at the trade deadline, but it was nonetheless something.

And suddenly, life without Bo was not only a reality, but the first step toward retooling the blueline had in fact been taken…

 

Budding Buddies

 

Jordan Leopold, unlike Jay Bouwmeester, didn’t sign for the club that had traded for him prior to free agency. After the deal was concluded at the entry draft in Montreal, Leopold instead decided to wait and explore his July options.

Nevertheless, he still opted to come to Florida and signed a one year deal worth $1.75 million. General Manager Randy Sexton was quoted as being “pumped” and “ecstatic” to have signed Leopold. And it is easy to see why.

Having played some 335 NHL games at that time, he had tallied no less than 109 points, and been an instrumental part on the Calgary Flames team that made the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. The only apparent downside was the string of injury problems Jordan had experienced during the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons.

At the time of the announcement Randy Sexton especially emphasized Leopold’s mobility. He made it clear that the team wanted a highly mobile defense for the upcoming season and Jordan fit that role perfectly.

Keith Ballard, being only one of three survivors from the 2008/09 defensive corps, didn’t have too much time to miss his close buddy Nick Boynton (who left for Anaheim on a free transfer after a much publicized bust up with head coach Peter DeBoer at the back end of the campaign). Leopold was an old college teammate of Keith’s and he was clearly delighted with the new signing as well.

Ballard wooed the Panthers faithful last season with his no nonsense hard hitting style and not to mention his favored hip check; which many a player got to see in close up. Most notably Pittsburgh’s Malkin who never saw what, or who, hit him before he was airborne and all became a dizzy for a while.

That kind of play had previously been missing within the Florida ranks. The Cats were getting their noses dirty and the fans loved it.

Another fan favorite for his self sacrificing style of play was Karlis Skrastins. Unfortunately the management wasn’t willing to dish out a two year deal for the hardy veteran and so off he went to Dallas.

The other two blueliners to leave during the summer were veteran Jassen Cullimore and Steve Eminger, who like Boynton, found a new home in Anaheim with the Ducks.

Prior to having traded Bouwmeester, on the second day of the entry draft in Montreal, the Florida Panthers had drafted Dmitry Kulikov on day one. The Russian defender fell down the pecking order on draft day, due to question marks surrounding his contract with his Russian KHL club. The Cats happily swooped for the offensively talented Kulikov with their 14th overall pick.

Dmitry was seen as one of a handful of players drafted at Montreal that could make a team directly out of training camp. And he did exactly that with the Panthers.

 

A New Look Defense

 

Florida then managed to get Dmitry Kulikov released from his Russian club and signed him to a three year entry level contract; just beating the pending deadline.

He has since featured in both opening games and looks every bit as ready for the NHL as you can ask a youngster to be at the tender age of 18. Coach Peter DeBoer has been visibly impressed by the Russian and it looks possible that Dmitry may very well still be around in South Florida after his 9 game tryout expires (after which the Panthers no longer can assign him to his Canadian Junior team).

Like Leopold, Kulikov fits the bill of being a highly mobile and offensive defenseman as does the Finn Ville Koistinen; who signed a two year deal in the summer with the Cats.

In fact, Ville is such a speedy and offensively strong defenseman that he has thus far been playing as a forward on the fourth line. The tactic paid off spectacularly in European curtain raiser of the season when Koistinen became the match winner in Helsinki versus the Blackhawks; helping the Panthers snatch two opening day points.

He is likely to stay in that position until new signing Dominic Moore joins the team and is then expected to be used as a utility player to plug any holes in the lineup which may be the result of injuries down the line. He will thus fill the role of a Steve Montador, from two seasons ago, who despite being a defenseman mainly operated as a winger that year.

One player that made his comeback in those opening games, and will be ecstatic just to be playing hockey again is Bryan Allen. His 2008/09 season was spoiled by a knee injury after only having played two games for the team. But now, finally, he looks set to put all that behind him and bolster Florida’s blueline with his size (6’4) and sheer physicality (220 pounds).

On a blueline filled with defenders of relative small stature (in the 5’11 to 6’1 foot range), Allen will play a central role for the Panthers. He will be called upon to be a shutdown defenseman and will see a lot of the Ovechkin’s, Kane’s and Kovalchuk’s of the league.

Although not being a new signing, he could very well become one of the most important additions to this season’s Florida roster.

Another defender that was added in light of what he can bring to the table in the sense of physicality and puck blocking was Dennis Seidenberg.

Despite being on the top four with the Carolina Hurricanes last season and having a breakout season at that, Dennis did not get the contract from the Canes that he sought. Instead he took a one year deal with the Panthers worth $2.25 million. Considering the experience (295 NHL games under his belt) and undoubted qualities that the 28 year old brings to the Panthers camp, that must be seen as a good deal.

It was also a deal that got the fans excited.

Prior to Seidenberg’s arrival, many had cast doubts over the Panthers blueline and its apparent lack of size and grit. Mobility and offensive awareness is great to have in the defensive ranks, but if you are playing most of the time in your own zone, you need someone to muscle the puck off the opposition and lay their bodies down to protect the goal. Dennis does the latter particularly well.

Seidenberg therefore can be seen a readymade replacement for Karlis Skrastins, only with the additional benefit of his obvious offensive capabilities; mirrored in the 30 points he collected last season.

Around the time of the Seidenberg addition, the management finally settled on a captain of the team. After having gone all last season without one, former Leaf Bryan McCabewho is swiftly closing in on his one thousandth game in the NHL, was chosen.

His leadership qualities shone through during the previous campaign as he stepped up on numerous occasions and inspired his teammates to continue to work their socks off in search of that elusive playoff berth. It was a deserved recognition of what Bryan means to this team, despite perhaps not being as quick as before or as prolific on the powerplay.

His leadership role on the team can however not be underestimated.

 

And so, we have the seven current defensemen in line for the Florida Panthers. On the sidelines, currently learning their trade in AHL with the Rochester Americans, we have Jason Garrison and former first rounder Keaton Ellerby.

Expect one or both of these players to be called up at some point during the season if Kulikov is sent back to the juniors or there are injury worries amidst the defensive corps.

Looking at the group of seven defenders currently competing for ice time: Leopold, Ballard, Kulikov, Koistinen, Allen, Seidenberg, and McCabe, how well can they fill the void left by Bouwmeester, Skrastins, Boynton, Eminger and Cullimore?

 

A Balancing Act

 

Well, first off, you don’t replace Jay-Bo. You simply have to work around the problem and have more guys than one to step up and take extra minutes, special teams and opposing stars. No one player can do what Bo did; at least nobody currently on the Panthers books that is.

The big difference this season is that the Panthers current blueliners look considerably more mobile and offensive minded as a collective than last year’s installment: That despite being at the top of the league when it comes to goals scored by defensemen that campaign.

Again, Jay Bouwmeester and his individual smooth skating skills are irreplaceable, but the Panthers have retained two very offensive defensemen in Keith Ballard and Bryan McCabe, whilst also adding Kulikov and Koistinen to join the rush with their hard shooting and speedy qualities.

Seidenberg and Leopold are neither strangers to racking up the points from the blueline. Skrastins and Cullimore on the other hand were mainly strong defensive defensemen.

And there is perhaps the weakness of this year’s Panthers defense. Mobile and offensive minded as they are they do seem to lack that extra caliber of grit and physicality that is required to disarm the opposing forwards in the first place.

With the notable exception of Allen, who may yet be vulnerable to recurring injury problems related to his troubled knee, the Cats look a bit on the tame side in their own zone; despite the additions of Leopold and Seidenberg.

In my mind the risk of this deficiency is that it will put extra pressure on the forwards to work hard defensively in their own zone in order to help out the defensive corps. Who does that leave us to score the all-important goals?

It is not as if the Panthers are blessed with the most skilled forwards the league has to offer and the danger going in to this season is that they again will struggle for goals. The lack of physical defensemen could also lead to the Cats struggling on the penalty kill.

Let’s look at the two opening games in Helsinki to illuminate what I’m saying.

In the first game, which was won after a shootout victory versus the Blackhawks, the Floridians allowed no less than 55 shots on goal. Despite this the Panthers dominated proceedings in the first period with superior mobility and speed.

In the second period both teams had spells of domination as the Hawks started to grind down the Cats.

In the third and in extra time Chicago set up camp in Florida’s zone and at times Tomas Vokoun in goal had to withstand a virtual bombardment of goalbound pucks.

In the end David Booth broke out of the defensive zone and against the run of play sliced his way through the offensive zone and desperately slapped home the equalizer. With only two minutes left on the clock his impressive solo effort brought extra time and penalties.

It is possible we will see a similar scenario played out in future Panthers games. Speed and mobility can be countered by physicality and grit. This was clearly displayed in the first game. The best teams of the league will be striving toward having a good balance between these opposites in their defensive corps.

I here suggest that the Panthers are still lacking some of that balance for the upcoming campaign.

 

Filling in the Gaps

 

In the second game versus the Blackhawks, the Panthers fell victim to an effective Chicago powerplay; scoring three out of their four goals in the five man–advantages they had. Or was it an ineffective Florida penalty kill?

One game obviously can’t answer that question, but I will imply that the Cats lack of defensive physicality can hurt them in these man–disadvantages. On the other hand, having mobile and offensively skilled puck moving defensemen can of course be a great addition to the powerplay. But, as of yet, we haven’t seen enough of those to perceive any such observable results.

Much like last season, the Florida Panthers will need to be disciplined and stay out of the box in order to have success.

My personal belief is also that they would need another genuinely physical and gritty stay-at-home defenseman of size to balance the blueline a bit better. Maybe the Florida hierarchy is also aware of this and will consider adding someone of these characteristics if Dmitry Kulikov is sent back to the juniors.

While I don’t necessarily want to see Kulikov leave the team, I can’t really see who else it would be if such a move was to be mooted. Yes, Ville Koistinen could be transformed into a makeshift winger permanently, but that would still leave us with six defensemen if Kulikov is retained beyond his initial tryout.

Of course, it is early days and the season has barely begun. Talk of imbalance and restructuring of the blueline may very well be premature. I’m sure the coach and GM are willing to see if the likes of Seidenberg, Ballard and Leopold will suffice in taking some of the load off Bryan Allen’s broad shoulders.

I back that philosophy and the willingness to give Kulikov every chance of proving himself, but if things continue to look frail at the backend, I think something will need to be done around the ten game mark if not before.

I truly do hope the players available can step up and fill the gaps, but at the same time we need to be ready to act swiftly if things don’t pan out according to plan.

 

Post-Bo

 

Filling the boots of Jay-Bo was never going to be easy, but the retooling of Florida’s blueline has come a long way in filling out the blanks. There is definitely life without Jay-Bo, it will however look very different from what we’ve become accustomed to at the Bank Atlantic Center.

It will now, more than ever before, be a question of the combined collective defensive corps; not the individual talent. To work together as a team and fill all the gaps that surface.

In the end it may be a good thing losing Bo since Florida can’t currently attract a clutch of star names and thus needs to focus on the team effort and not individuals.

It is in shared responsibilities, striving for collectively coherent excellence and similarly overcoming adversities along the way, which will be the key for any Panthers success this season.

It is too early to judge, yet I do have my misgivings but the balance of the defense as a whole. But it’s nothing that can’t be rectified with a trade or signing.

Overall however, it must be said that General Manager Randy Sexton has done well in putting this blueline together. It won’t be a punching bag by any stretches of the imagination and clearly it possesses a stinging uppercut when breaking forward. Other teams will need to be aware and be ready to put in a strong shift to hold us back.

Coupled with head coach Peter DeBoer’s never-say-die attitude this could truly be an attractive season to watch for the Panthers and its careworn fans.

There is certain to be its fair share thrills and spills, and similarly I think a few opposing fans will be surprised of what these southern upstarts can do – post Bo.