Roblogg’s Panthers Portal

You have to be impressed by the hard skating, high level of work rate and commitment shown by both teams yesterday, in the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Florida travelled to this crucial playoff-race game without two of its best and most influential players; Horton and McCabe, and yet continued to battle to the very end – to claim a point of the spoils.

This was playoff hockey as both teams put everything on the line in this riveting contest. Pittsburgh dominated the first and third periods. Sandwiched in-between was an outstanding second three-nothing period by the Panthers. Overall the visitors were badly outshot; 21-to-50, yet they carried a 3-1 lead going in to the third. And at this time it was the Penguins that were lucky to get back in to the game as they got a couple of fortunate bounces to tie the game at 3.

The officials also did the best they could to help the home team by taking 6 iffy penalty calls on the Panthers, while turning a blind eye on all Pittsburgh transgressions but two. I guess that’s what you get when you have rabid fans cheering for the home side – and that famous seventh man in the stands made a big difference on this night. From a Florida perspective we can only hope things even out in the long run, as they always have a tendency to do, and that the crowd in Sunrise will rise to the challenge and lend a helping hand to Cats the when taking on cross-state rivals Tampa Bay on Saturday.

The ref's liked what they saw in Pittsburgh and awarded the home team plenty of iffy man-advantages. Here a Penguin gets a penalty call in the previous game in Sunrise.

The home side started the match in a furious tempo and left the first period with a one-nothing lead (Evgeni Malkin scoring a nice backhanded goal in to the top shelf, from just outside of the crease, 18:31 in to the contest). Perhaps it lulled the Penguins’ stars in to a false sense of security and the Panthers were quick to take advantage in the second period.

Nick Boynton, back in the line-up after five games on the sidelines, shot an uncharacteristically well-placed wristshot-sledgehammer in to Marc-Andre Fleury’s top hand – right corner – to equalize the score. Nick wasn’t satisfied yet however and wanted more. Fed by Cory Stillman behind the net, Boynton loaded another shot from the point. Fleury saved this slapshot, but Kamil Kreps was in front of the goal, digging up the rebound and squeezing it in.

Although it was Brett McLean that was given the task to step in for the injured Nathan Horton, in his first line center position, it was Kreps that stole the show with his aggressive, gritty performance – earning him plenty of ice-time in reward.

Kamil Kreps was on the fly against the Penguins, scoring a goal and putting in an aggressive all-round performance that earned him some extra icetime. Here in the home game a week ago.

Keith Ballard then stepped up at the end of the second period and deflected home a cross-crease shot/pass from Ville Peltonen, to make it 3-1. But, like Boynton said in the interval “the game’s not over yet” and the Penguins came out with a fire in their belly for the third period. Jordan Staal capped an impressive overall performance by volleying home the 2-3 goal; only 2:20 in to the third phase of the contest.

The Pens kept up their unrelenting pressure on an outstanding Tomas Vokoun in the Panther goal and soon got the deserved equalizer; courtesy of Captain Sidney Crosby and a lucky bounce that had the puck deflecting off the post and then hitting Vokoun’s sprawling legs – deflecting back in to the Florida net.

Tomas wasn’t to blame for that goal, but nonetheless redeemed it by making a fantastic highlight-reel save, only moments later; when flinging himself through the air to make an incredible save on an open net chance. It was an arms-outstretched save that would have made any soccer goalie proud. Vokie now locked up his goal, threw away the keys and finished the game with no less than 47 saves to his name.

Tomas saw a lot of action in front of his net in Pittsburgh and was forced to make 47 stops. Here Campbell and Crosby are chasing the puck in front of Vokoun, with Skrastins trailing, in the previous match-up at the B.A.C.

The high amount of shots produced by Pittsburgh in this game (50!), and the previous one against the Panthers at the Bank Atlantic Center, is a direct result of new coach Dan Bylsma and his attack mined hockey-philosophy, as defender Sergei Gonchar described after the game: “We are spending a lot of time in their offensive zone. […] We made a goal for ourselves to shoot the puck as much as we can. We take shots and those shots are creating lots of scoring chances.”

It payed off in the third period as the game was tied at three, and in the ensuing shootout the Penguins proved far superior; scoring on two of three attempts (Letang and Malkin scored, Crosby missed), while the Cats tamely missed both their chances (Zednik and Weiss). Especially with Horton out of the line-up, Florida simply misses the skilled flair-players to be able to compete in a shootout scenario.

Hence, the Panthers should be pleased they came away with a point from a very difficult away game, but yes, one does get greedy and want both – as Florida coach Pete DeBoer admitted after this thriller of a game: "It’s a big point this time of the year, but we had the opportunity to get two and you get greedy this time of the year."

Yet, there is another opportunity waiting just around the corner – from which to take two points…

Next up is a visit to Buffalo for another crucial playoff-race game. Keith Ballard, I think it was, said it well when saying something to the effect of: “Each and every ‘next game’ is the biggest game of the season, this time of year.” So it seems when a mere point can throw a team up or tumbling down in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Sabres lost yesterday 2-5 against the Philadelphia Flyers, who on a different note look set for that 4th spot in the Conference, and the home side will consequently view the match against the Panthers as a must win game. Hence, if we manage to beat Buffalo (in regulation time) they may very well fall out of the playoff race; which not only means two vital points for the Cats, but also one less opponent to worry about down the stretch.

Sure the Sabres could still recover, as there are plenty of games left to be played, but their confidence would surely be severely ruptured by losing on home ice against Florida at this crucial part of the season. Not to mention that they are already three points behind the pack and would thus risk being five points to the rear of a playoff spot.

Nevertheless, Thursday’s game does loom large ahead with additional importance for both clubs. It’s just a shame that local TV, FSN Florida, won’t be showing the game….

David Booth came alive on Saturday and scored his second hattrick of the season; helping Florida to a much needed 5-3 home success over the St. Louis Blues. Due to the teams around us in the playoff race continually winning their respective games, the match against the Blues suddenly had become a must-win contest. And what do you know; despite that victory we again face a similar situation and will need to leave Pittsburgh with at least a point – if we are not to drop out of the top eight of the Eastern Conference!

The Panthers will face a Pittsburgh side that is finally starting to look like the team that won the Eastern Playoff last year and gave Detroit a run for their money in the Stanley Cup Final. The despondent, emotionally uninvolved Penguins have gone and with new Coach Dan Bylsma it is a reinvigorated side that looks playoff bound. And as they return from a record winning trip, six consecutive victories, the Pens will be a formidable foe for the Cats tonight.

Many battles for the puck in round #3 of the Penguins vs. Cats match-up, will be expected tonight.

Life doesn’t get any easier at this time of year, in that hectic playoff race, either. The teams around us not only strengthened their squads at the trade deadline (except Montreal, but most noticeably in New York with the Rangers), but have also have found their own winning concepts and are hitting a confident stride.

Meanwhile in Montreal, the centennial celebrations took a sour turn as Head Coach Guy Carbonneaux got the sack. General Manager Bob Gainey thinks he can do a better job and has taken over the reins. This may come as a shock to most of us, but you have to admire Bob’s arrogant sense of self-belief, don’t you…

The Panthers on the other hand are coming off a very difficult February schedule and need to get out of the .500 mire quickly and start hitting higher notes if they want to stay in the thick of things. Winning one and then losing one is not good enough (yet, that doesn’t mean I think Pete DeBoer should get the sack, so Jacques, just because they do that in Montreal – doesn’t mean you can do the same… ok?)

Having had a long road trip in the February-March divide, Florida returned to Sunrise for two games; the first one a 1-4 defeat to the Penguins and the other a 5-3 win against St. Louis. Now follows a short road trip where we face two rivals in the form of Pittsburgh tonight (again) and then Buffalo on Thursday. These two games could decide the Panthers season. With race being so tight, it is these match-ups between playoff rivals that become crucial.

On the one hand you could say that winning against Atlanta or Pittsburgh equally will only give you two points for the effort, but on the other hand – when defeating a playoff rival you are not only gaining two points – but also taking two points away from the opposition. Hence, these games essentially become four point contests.

So, if Florida wins both these games we’ll only get four points for the effort, but we’ll also be taking away vital points from Pittsburgh and Buffalo. And at the end of the season this may very well be the decider. Furthermore, if we win these games we’ll finally be breaking out of that .500 jog and getting the necessary sprint in the Panthers legs; to make the post-season.

However, if we lose these two games we’ll be in a very tough spot indeed; we’ll quickly find ourselves on the outside looking in. It won’t be impossible, but certainly very difficult to squeeze back in. Then again, we win one and lose one – and we’ll be back in current limbo at the end of the week too.

The Floridian Injury Bug

This task ahead of the Cats is a momentous one and it doesn’t get any easier when two key players go down with injury in the Blues game and can’t accompany the team on this crucial trip.

Bryan McCabe was hit by a puck in the face and fractured his orbital bone and underwent surgery on Monday. Despite this injury McCabe played some 20+ minutes in the game after the accident, which goes a long way in showing the immense character of the man. He’s the leader on the team and the crucial veteran presence we’d love to have for these two upcoming match-ups.

There is no news as of yet how long the injury will keep Bryan out of the line-up, except that he’ll miss the next two games.

Bryan McCabe is an inspirational veteran in defense and quarterback in the power-play. He'll be out with injury for the crucial two game road trip.

The good news is that we have a very good defender that’s ready to jump in on McCabe’s spot; Nick Boynton. After his disciplinary problems, he’s been a healthy scratch of late, but before that Nick’s been a very solid defenseman on the Panthers team. McCabe will of course be missed on the power-play that he usually quarterbacks, but it will probably give new signing Steve Eminger a bit more of a chance to show what he can do in those situations.

Nathan Horton, who after a slow start in his new position as a centerman has really worked hard as of late, will now also be out through injury.

Apparently Nathan suffered a severed tendon on his left ring finger in the St. Louis game and had an operation to repair the injury. Reports say he’ll be out between 2 to 4 weeks; which could pretty much be the rest of the pre-playoff stretch, in a worst case scenario. But as coach Peter DeBoer said: “I’d think at this time of year it’s closer to two weeks, but it depends on complications.”

Nathan Horton will miss 2 to 4 weeks after surgery and his points (38 so far) will be sorely missed by the Panthers down the stretch.

Horton will be sorely missed. He is third on the team with 38 points and has been centering the first line for most of the season. He also scored against St. Louis and looked like he was in good form. Anthony Stewart will be the player entering the line-up in his place, after having been a healthy scratch in the previous match, but it will be Brett McLean that’ll be moving up to center the line with Booth and Zednik on the wings. If McLean doesn’t work out in that position, coach Pete DeBoer could always try Kamil Kreps or Gregory Campbell in that spot, but it is expected that Brett will be given the chance first anyway.

Penguins vs. Cats, Round #3

The first two games between Pittsburgh and Florida have both been rather lopsided match-ups; although the first one was arguably more of a beating than the second one…

Back on January the 3rd, the Panthers travelled to the steel city on the heels of a disappointing loss to the NY Islanders. They left Pittsburgh with an inspiring 5-0 win and started the impressive January run that put the Cats in a favorable position now in midst of the March madness of playoff-race hockey.

Pittsburgh at that time looked like a punch-drunk fighter reeling on the ropes. It may very well have started the countdown on former Head Coach Michael Therrien’s job. He made some badly masked comments upon Sidney Crosby’s leadership ability prior to the game and things just got worse from that moment on for the Penguins. However, they managed to somehow stay in contention and with a new face behind the bench – they are now one of the hottest teams in the NHL once again.

With the appointment of Dan Bylsma as Head Coach, Pittsburgh travelled to South Florida the day after the trade deadline, and with new wingers Chris Kunitz and veteran Bill Guerin on either side of Crosby, they ran riot in the third period in Sunrise. It was 1-1 going in to that third, but then the Floridian wall fell in and the Penguins merrily tip-toed around on the ice and won the game, 4-1 (see below post for details).

Now the third round in this contest is set to follow tonight – with another game in Pittsburgh.

Hopefully the visitors-advantage will continue in to this game, but unfortunately the Cats probably can’t hope for any more gifts from the Penguins this year. It will be a tough game for sure and we’ll probably need some luck to get away with a couple of points; but with hard work and determination it is definitely possible.

Either way, this will essentially be playoff hockey – already – and a game to look forward to with equal measures of hope and anxiety for Panther fans.

With the upcoming Florida schedule brimming with top-opposition, this was a game the Panthers needed to win: Especially after losing that tight game to the Capitals on Sunday.

New Jersey entered the Bank Atlantic Center full of confidence after beating the best teams in the league over the weekend (Boston and San Jose) and winning 13 of their last 15 games. The Cats meanwhile have played fantastically well since the New Year, but the stats didn’t favor them going in to this game nonetheless. However, games aren’t won on statistics alone and the Panthers stepped on to the ice with purpose and determination written all over their collective faces.

Getting a good start is essential when playing the Devils and Florida got that crucial break when a Bryan McCabe shot was spilled by Scott Clemmensen and Stephen Weiss found himself with the puck in possession in front of the goalmouth. Clemmensen cheated slightly to his right and Weiss coolly slotted it home to his left. 1-0 after 4.18 of the first period and the Cats got that influential opener that would allow them some space to maneuver in; whilst NJ was forced forward.

Tomas Vokoun now came to the fore with some wonderful saves to keep the fragile lead intact. New Jersey poured on the pressure, as the first period progressed, but Vokoun was staunch in his rearguard action. No puck was out of his control on the night it seemed and would soon be proved with a brilliant shutout. Tomas appears to be in the form of his life and as long as he plays this way, and has the stout defense to back him up, it’s hard to see anyone scoring on him (although Ovechkin did prove it is possible, after all).

It was a good all-round contest from both teams with plenty of chances and nice offensive plays. It can clearly be seen that the two coaches not only know each other well, but also have a similar hockey-philosophy and preferred style of play. Panthers were pressed at times but held their own and in the end it was only the crossbar that prevented Keith Ballard from doubling Florida’s lead – mere seconds before the first interval.

The game was won in the second period when, half way through, the Cats capitalized on a rare power-play advantage. A shot from Michael Frolik fell to David Booth who, under immense pressure in front of the crease, managed to steer the puck to Richard Zednik; whom in turn was left alone by the goalpost and was presented with an open net to effortlessly stuff the puck in to.

A couple of minutes later Richard Zednik found himself with the puck behind the goal, waited patiently for the right set up, and then flicked the puck behind his back and in to the crowded slot. Nathan Horton had meanwhile held back and now skated in to take the Zednik pass, put it on the blade of his stick and with a swift movement flick it in at the far corner – well out of Clemmensen’s considerable reach.

The Florida Panthers were three goals up with only twenty-five minutes to go, but the Devils – to their credit – never gave up and continued to press forward in search of what could have been a releasing goal on another day. Tomas Vokoun and his able defense however had other plans and had their eyes set on the prize of a shutout. 10 saves in the third period later (36 saves in all) and a Cory Stillman goal from a marvelous Stephen Weiss assist to effectively punctuate the game – Vokoun had his well deserved shutout and left the contest with another first star.

Whilst one can’t say too much about Tomas Vokoun’s performances of late, and in this game in particular, it should nonetheless be noted that this was a complete team effort from the Cats. Everyone was top of their game and pulled their own weight in their respective roles. Special mentioning, as always, goes to Karlis Skrastins and his solid defensive work and painstaking blocks. Jay Bouwmeester and Keith Ballard have been equally impressive in the defensive toil; it seems they’ve been asked to do focus on their defensive duties in these games against the best teams of the NHL and they’ve done it very assertively.

Among the forwards, one must mention the first two lines with rising respect: Booth – Horton – Zednik, and, Stillman – Weiss – Frolik. And what is truly impressive is that these two top lines have been not only producing when going forward, but have displayed some real grit and played compact hockey defensively as well (characteristics we are already well acquainted with from the third and fourth lines – night in and night out). Each of those players have upped their individual games of late and has started to find the net on a more regular basis.

That the lines have been kept intact in many consecutive games now has probably helped the players a lot in this respect. Chemistry is developing and the lines are started in play their notes more in sync with each other, feeling increasingly comfortable in their roles within the team.

Nonetheless, while this was a very important win, fact is that all games now are crucial. And there is no let up in the schedule either. Next follows a rejuvenated Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow and then the league pacesetters Boston Bruins come to town on Saturday. Yet, if the Panthers play like they did yesterday, against the hottest team in the NHL, there is no reason to believe we can’t pick up important points against these top-notch teams as well!

With Dallas Stars coming to the Bank Atlantic Center tonight, the Panthers again have a chance to retake that elusive eighth spot. Carolina moved past us yesterday by beating Pittsburgh; which probably was a good result for Florida – as the Hurricanes are only one point ahead, with more games played, while the Penguins remain level on points.

Also of importance is that those games, between playoff rivals, don’t become three point contests; unlike our last game against Buffalo… Of course, when you are trailing as the Cats were – once again – you’ll take any point you can get, but ideally you don’t want to drop any points to your playoff foes. Another thing you don’t want to do in an ideal world is pay for your interstate rivals’ players…

Yet, this is exactly what the Panthers have found themselves doing. By placing D Cory Murphy on re-entry waivers, from a successful stint with the Amerks, he was up for grabs and Tampa Bay Lightning is, as we know, ready to jump on any thread of hope that they can – especially when it comes to bolstering a stringy defense.

It’s bad enough to lose Murphy for nothing, and to the Bolts of all teams, but to have to pay half of the remainder of his salary this season – is salt in the Panther wounds. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for Cory, he’ll get his chances across the state – indeed he already has found himself quarterbacking the Lightning power-play (getting a man-advantage assist against Dallas), but it just doesn’t make much sense for us does it? This must be a new way of doing business, since normally; you’d want something in return for giving up an asset. Certainly you wouldn’t want to pay for him to playing with our fiercest rivals and in the process significantly reinforcing their team, would you?

If indeed the Panthers have no need to keep Murphy, even as a back-up in case of injuries, wouldn’t it be better to either trade him or put him on normal waivers?

I would have to assume General Manager Jacques Martin fully explored the trading option to no avail first, but why not waive him, and if unclaimed (paying his entire salary is after all a less attractive option to other teams) let him continue to strengthen the AHL affiliate in Rochester. He had done very well there, according to reports, and keeping Cory with the Americans would significantly help that team overcome some of its previous struggles. Not doing this and preferring to place Cory on re-entry waivers, clearly signals to the Amerk faithful that the Panther organization has given up on Rochester’s season and that they really don’t care too much either.

Hopefully this is all part of a grand scheme, one in which the Panthers are preparing the way for a reinforcing trade. One in which Florida need the extra cap space and the sacrifice of Murphy, and the American affiliate, is for a higher purpose; one that will ultimately help both parent and affiliate in the intermediate and long term future.

But please, excuse my skepticism; apart from the Cory move, little else has happened to signal a move is in the offing. Of course we all know the unfortunate situation of Jay Bouwmeester and his expiring contract, but there is not much to suggest he’ll be moved before the trade deadline – if contract negotiations are indeed a no-go. Coach DeBoer swears by Bo and his importance to the team is unquestionable; he must be kept for as long as is possible – if the Cats are to have a realistic chance to push for the playoffs this year.

A few players have been mooted as possible departures from Florida in various trade rumors, such as Nathan Horton, but of late it has been very quiet on this front. Most likely because the team is performing so well that no one wants to shake up or disturb the balance of the roster. And Horton meanwhile, has started to put some much sought after points on the board. There are still some deficiencies that Jacques will need to address at some point; most notably the lack of a star center (none withstanding Horton’s late rise) and the prerequisite of having a decent penalty shooter or two…

Too many important playoff points have been squandered in the shootouts, and while there is undoubtedly some luck involved in these occasions, it isn’t bad luck which makes the Panthers lose one shootout after another. Hard work and determination is what has brought Florida success so far this season and the reason why they are able to stage so many comebacks. This is immensely important, but you don’t see the Cats out-skill their opponents and that lack of individual brilliance is what is costing them in the shootouts. Hence, some pieces are still missing in this puzzle of success.

Nonetheless, the current Panther team and staff deserve a lot of credit for what they have accomplished so far in the season. But, it is not over yet. We are still in that ninth spot and need to get two more points from tonight’s game against the Stars. It won’t be easy, but then again there are no easy games in the National Hockey League anymore. Dallas lost the other night to a Cory Murphy fuelled Tampa Bay Lightning, and if they can do it – so can we.

Moreover, it is an essential game for the Cats as we head in to the All Star break after tonight’s game. The importance of ending on a confidence boosting high – cannot be underestimated.