The Florida Panthers’ season came to an inglorious and screeching halt this weekend. No playoffs this year either – - just another way to die…
The Cats may have salvaged some pride in their two final victories of the season; against Southeastern rivals Atlanta and Washington, but overall, nothing but the playoffs would be good enough this season – and so it was – the effort was inadequate in the end.
As predicted in the previous post it was the day of judgment last Tuesday, when the Panthers travelled to Philadelphia and came home empty-handed. What was worse was that it was the ref who gave away the victory to the Flyers, not the Floridians. It leaves a bittersweet taste in ones mouth when the officials, who it must be said have been very consistent all year in granting the Cats one disfavor after another, end up ruining the burgeoning spring.
Then again, the Florida Panthers gave away their playoff spot on March the 3rd, when all teams around us got stronger, but Florida remained the same. No wonder then that the team started to sputter and falter, immediately thereafter!
Soon afterwards came that disastrous five game home stand from which the Panthers emerged with one mere victory. That was never enough to make a concerted playoff run and the Cats had to rebound quickly against the Sabres, in the very next game. 3-1 up in the third period and then a couple of minutes of madness which saw Buffalo leapfrog their visitors and win the contest, 5-3. That was when the season died.
Winning six of the eight last games was never going to be enough as I prophesized at the time. The Panthers could only afford to lose one game, if even that, to have a chance. But losses to Atlanta and Philadelphia derailed those vague hopes. What made me feel sure the season had effectively ended after the Buffalo game was the inconsistency of the Panthers, as described in a post at the time.
The players showed plenty of resiliency all year, but consistently winning games; that was always much harder. Even when having impressive winning streaks – they always had a slip-up or two along the way – usually against the lower ranked teams; like against Atlanta down the stretch. When you look at it this way, it actually resembles more of a suicide than a death at the hands of excessively powerful playoff-race opponents. The mental scars that have lacerated this franchise, through the many years of mediocrity, run deep indeed.
Nonetheless, this season was a big step forward, compared to previous ones, it must be said. The team has a strong nucleus of players that stick up for each other and have shown increasing pride of wearing the jersey of this club. That is a good sign and a good evaluation of the job that rookie coach Peter DeBoer has done; in this his first year in the NHL.
Respect was his key word DeBoer brought with him when entering the scene this summer. Respect is also the word staring down on the players as they dress for games, and respect he has achieved, both for himself and for the club and its staff. Not bad. Not bad at all!
Whilst being critical about General Manager Jacques Martin and his deadline dealings, or rather; the lack thereof, he too has done a good job for the organization.
His hockey expertise is unquestionable and he has a calmness in his demeanor, which inspires both confidence in his ability and handling of affairs. The Jokinen deal this summer worked a charm – as especially Keith Ballard has the making of a top defender that will thrill the crowds of the Bank Atlantic Center for many years to come with his big hip-checks. Nick Boynton also did a very good job this season, but his verbal head-butting with DeBoer may have cost him a future here in South Florida.
There is also a plentitude of work awaiting Jacques Martin now that the regular season has come to a halt. The team has several UFA’s and RFA’s to either sign to extensions or let leave. The club also needs to address the difficulties of scoring from the forward lines before next season. A top forward is a ‘must have’ – preferably a top centerman to bolster the ranks. It will require a dip in to the free agent market, come July.
Also, Jacques need to think about re-tooling the Rochester Americans in the AHL. Ending dead-last in that league cannot be what the Panthers want for their top-prospects to have to endure. Preferably they should be learning winning-ways and not soaking up a losing-culture. The importance of a good affiliate in the AHL is paramount for future success in the NHL.
Some positives this season has been the emergence of rookie Michael Frolik as a top-prospect in the league. The continued development of David Booth and Stephen Weiss has been steady and the defense unrecognizably excellent – both offensively and defensively. Vokoun and Anderson were equally – perhaps one of the best goalkeeping tandems in the league.
Some negatives include the inconsistency of the team, especially the forward compartment; which has been found lacking zest and punch at times. The Panthers simply didn’t get enough contribution from the forwards to claim a playoff berth. Incidentally, another team that had similar difficulties with scoring was the NY Rangers, difference was that they did something about their ills at the trade deadline, Florida did not.
The powerplay meanwhile was woeful and simply not near good enough for a team fighting in a tight playoff race. The constant passing around of the puck, ad infinitum, rather than daring to shoot – was enough to drive anyone crazy!
It’s still a bit too early to look forward to next season and try to eclipse this one with a post-season crusade. First this one needs to be fully analyzed and then put firmly to rest. But, it will nonetheless be interesting to see what the GM and Head Coach together plan for the next campaign: Who will come, who will go? Will the Panthers finally find a way to succeed – - or just another way – to die?
