Roblogg’s Panthers Portal

Entering tonight’s game versus the NHL’s worst team when it comes to collecting points, the NY Islanders, Florida’s playoff hopes are being squeezed amid unrelenting challenge from the teams around us in the standings. So, getting the Islanders monkey firmly off from the Cats back – would be an, as a good start as any.

The Islanders enter the contest with a season high of four straight wins, including a 3-1 triumph over the Panthers at Nassau Coliseum last Saturday. Now at the Bank Atlantic Center the Cats will be hoping to repeat a 2-0 victory on home ice from earlier this season. The New Yorkers are 2-1-0 against Florida, so it will be a tighter affair than the standings might give the impression of.

Tight is also the word of choice when describing the Eastern Conference playoff race. Florida is sandwiched between the likes of Buffalo, Carolina and Pittsburgh with Montreal, NY Rangers and Philadelphia currently staying out of the mid-table-mash. Yet, that could quickly change: The clubs involved in the race are stepping up their game and teams currently not embroiled in this chase could quickly be caught up with, if they let up on the gas.

Rangers are currently on a three game losing streak, and only picked on point from Atlanta’s visit at the Garden. Philadelphia have likewise struggled, of course losing after the All Star break against the Panthers, but have also lost their last two games. Montreal meanwhile bounced back after their Floridian defeats by slamming the door on the Penguins nose in the Canadiens last match.

Since the Panthers’ thrilling overtime victory against the Maple Leafs, other teams in the Conference were and have been active with the following results:

While we would expect the Hurricanes to be blown away in San Jose tonight, yesterday’s victories for Buffalo and Pittsburgh makes it important to collect both points at stake from the Islanders today. Next follows a tricky trip to in-form Washington on Saturday and after that we entertain the Maple Leafs on Tuesday; before going on a tough trip to Raleigh next Thursday for a crunch match with Carolina. Then follows that fantastic, yet fantastically difficult, stretch of home games again top opposition; Rangers, Capitals, Devils, Blackhawks and Bruins. The month is then rounded off for the Cats with a road trip to Boston, New York (Rangers) and New Jersey.

February will most definitely prove a difficult month for the Panthers and we need to accumulate any points we can to get a little buffer – in case the upcoming schedule proves a little too hard a nut to crack. The Islanders, despite recent form, should be one we can break and collect two invaluable points from. If, that is, the Panthers feel like it is a game that deserves their full attention and participation – both mentally and emotionally (unlike in the last two meetings).

The New York Islanders is, believe it or not, the most in-form team at the moment in the Eastern Conference with four consecutive wins; closely trailed by Washington and Boston who have three respectively. Tampa Bay Lightning has, after that great stretch of victories, become the out-of-form side numero uno with four straight defeats – although one point was salvaged from yesterday’s trip to the steel city. They are followed by the NY Rangers and Ottawa Senators with three, while Philadelphia and Toronto have lost their two previous games.

Here are the current standings for the Eastern Conference, heading in to tonight games:

It was a night to forget. And you can’t say the Panthers weren’t warned, having lost a shocking match here on New Year’s Eve (2-4). Head Coach Peter DeBoer also said the fixture was “a trap” game for Florida. Coming off two impressive post-All Star break wins against Philadelphia and Montreal (3-2 and 5-1 respectively), the Cats seemingly weren’t emotionally or mentally ready for what lie in wait on the Island.

You’d think the players would learn, wouldn’t you?

It’s hardly the first time this happens; Florida wins against better opposition and then don’t bother to show up for the games against teams in the lower echelons. But no, they go out and do it again! One must seriously ask oneself, if playing in a Panthers uniform, why this keeps on happening!?

What is going wrong in the preparations for these games, what is not being said or stressed, and why on Earth do they think they are so good they don’t even have to shoot the puck or hit the opposing players to win such games? It really is quite mindboggling and very frustrating if you are a Panther fan.

Also, I find it hard to believe that the coaching staff told the players to “always play east-to-west hockey, give away the puck as soon as an Islander appears on the radar screen and only shoot the puck straight at their inexperienced goalie”. Somehow this doesn’t seem to be the case, does it? So the blame lays squarely on the players’ collective shoulders. They need to take a moment to examine their efforts, mental preparations and ultimately their own professionalism. The two points on offer in the Nassau Coliseum was as vital in the playoff race as the ones taken from Philly or the Canadiens respectively.

Now, not all players played poorly. But sadly it is easier to name the ones that put their heart and soul in to the game – than it is to mention all those that didn’t. In my view Nick Boynton, Keith Ballard, Karlis Skrastins, Radek Dvorak and Gregory Campbell were the ones that showed their professionalism on the night – with wholesome efforts. Jay Bouwmeester, Cory Stillman, Bryan McCabe, Jassen Cullimore and Ville Peltonen had especially poor games; while the rest of the players were most noticeable for their apparent absence in the contest.

The match also clearly demonstrated how important David Booth is to this team and the mental frameset he brings with him. He is a pure north-south skater and cleverly combines that with his considerable anticipational skills and hard work. Making him a complete forward and a guy any team would love to have in one of their starting line. He was sorely missed in this game; sitting out due to a bout with the flu, according to reports.

We could go on and on about the deficiencies showed by the Panthers in this game and their lackluster attitude, but the best thing we can do is probably forget this game as soon as possible. “It was just one of those games” as coaches and players love to call them – when nothing went right. But truth is you make your own bed most of time – and in this game – it was a real mess from a Florida perspective; while the NY Islanders of course were happy enough to cash in on the Cats ineptitude.

Good news is that there is a new game on Tuesday, this time against a Maple Leafs team that the Panthers have grown accustomed to beating in recent times. Hopefully the Cats can land back on their feet and show that this performance was a one-off dire experience. It better be anyway; if Florida wants to make the playoff this year that is…

Tomorrow the Panthers will face off in the Nassau Coliseum against a resurgent NY Islanders. The home team has recorded two straight victories, the last one a 5-4 road win against the Atlanta Thrashers, and will look to extend this belated resurrection – from the seemingly dead – by repeating the December 31st 4-2 defeat of Florida.

The Cats on the other hand have started the post-All Star break on a high note; defeating both Philadelphia (3-2) and Montréal (5-1) at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise. Going back on the road, two – on the face of it – easier match-ups await them. First in New York versus the NY Islanders on Saturday and then at the Air Canada Centre versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Both teams appear to have little to play for as their hopes of challenging for a playoff berth, has all but eroded from beneath their feet.

Question is: Which team will make it three in a row; Islanders or Panthers?

Despite what the standings might outwardly tell us, regarding how to answer this question, fact is the Panthers usually struggle when playing against teams below them in the standings. Obviously this is a mental approach that must be corrected for tomorrow’s game. Islanders aren’t any pushovers yet and have more quality than one might expect from a team buried in the lower echelons of the table.

Tomorrow the Panthers have the chance of tying a franchise record by collecting 19 points in the month of January alone. But statistics aside, the most important aspect of the game is that the Cats have the chance to collect another precious two points. And two points are two points; whoever the opposition happens to be on the other side, and that’s the approach Florida players need to have – together with a strong work ethic every single night.

Meanwhile Panthers Head Coach Peter DeBoer has commented on Florida’s website about the playoff race that his team is now deeply embroiled in, whilst currently occupying that invaluable last eighth spot:

“Let’s not worry about the teams beneath us and the teams we’re battling with. Let’s look at the teams above us and hunt some of them down. And I think that’s the attitude we have to take in the second half; not to hold onto eighth and make the playoffs but we want to close the gap on some people ahead of us.” [Quotes from the Panthers website]

You have to like the ambition and unwavering winning mindset that DeBoer brings with him to Florida. It has probably, together with the considerably beefed up defense, been the major reason behind the current Panther success. The players have obviously bought in to his concepts and seem to believe in their own abilities on a collective level too. And if the Cats continue to play, as they’ve started after the All Star break, why shouldn’t they look up at the teams currently ahead them in the standings and think “we can catch them!”

The transformation in attitude in the Panthers camp since Pete DeBoers arrival has been astonishing. But the work is not yet done. We need to keep stoking the fire and winning games; especially these matches against teams below us in the standings. Lassitude has no place in a playoff race – no matter which team it is we meet – we need those points!

And that’s the bottom line when it comes to league success – consistency – and without league success there will be no playoffs in Florida this year either. Alas, now is the time to overcome those demons and exude the same levels of determination and work rate as seen clearly against the Flyers and Canadiens; when now facing the likes of NY Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs.

A couple of Panthers threats to that eighth spot, and beyond, were in action yesterday as the race tightens further. Making the playoffs will be a momentous task for Florida, but on the bright side we have fate in our own hands – with plenty of home matches and games to spare on the closest opponents. Winning against Philly was a great scalp, coming out from the All Star break, but there is no room for error as all teams get in to playoff mode.

The Panthers were hoping from more helping hands from Rangers, after they beat Carolina in their previous game, before taking last night’s trip to the steel city. Sidney Crosby returned from injury for the Pittsburgh Penguins and stated assertively that the playoffs start here. And a playoff game it was as the Penguins and Rangers were locked in crunching action. It was tied at one going in to the third period, but then the scene exploded and Pittsburgh ended up winning the period 5-1, and the game 6-2.

Pittsburgh finally started playing as a team and Captain Crosby deserves some credit for this revitalization. He had four points on the night, including a spectacular backhand shot – buried deep in to the top corner. Kris Letang also contributed with timely goals (2) and Florida need to take the threat posed by the Penguins seriously. We all know the level of talent in the squad and what they are able to do on their day (after all they were Stanley Cup finalists just last year). Level on points as us, but with a couple of games more played; who would bet against the Penguins making the playoffs? Not me.

All the more important then to catch up with the Sabres, and perhaps one of the other teams ahead of them, if we don’t want to bite our collective Cat claws all the way down the wire in April. Buffalo played again yesterday in Northwestern Canada, this time in Calgary. The Flames were well warned following Sabres 10-2 undressing of the Oilers the previous night and turned out to be too hot to handle for the visitors. The home side formed a different challenge entirely and there was always an element of control in their 5-2 win. Mike Cammalleri scored a hattrick and former Panther Todd Bertuzzi chipped in with the game winning goal, as it later turned out to be.

Good news for Florida that the Sabres finally lost, and so; we have a chance tonight to move within one point of them by beating the Canadiens – who are on a three game losing streak – sitting merely eight points ahead of us in the table. A win tonight and they too are within striking distance. Montreal’s last loss, their first after the All Star festivities, came at Tampa Bay, losing 3-5.

Whilst most Panthers sneer contemptuously at what the Lightning have been up to this season, fact is that they’ve won their last three and have been in scorching form since the Christmas break. They are now eight points out of the playoff race, but if they can continue to keep up their play at a consistent top-level and get the star players to continue shining; we can’t yet count them out of the race either. Later today they travel to North Carolina for an important game against the faltering Hurricanes. With the teams respective in-form-temperature-gage going in opposite directions, it remains uncertain what result would be best for the Cats. But of utmost significance – is that it doesn’t become a three point contest.

Elsewhere highflying Bruins entertain the red-hot Devils, whilst at the bottom the Thrashers entertain the Islanders. Ottawa and Toronto travel west for games against St. Louis and Colorado respectively. None of these games are expected to have any immediate effect on the Panthers, but as we next head to New York to meet the Islanders; an eye might be glanced at their direction to assess their current form: After all there are no easy games and we did lose that last time we played in the Nassau Coliseum on New Year’s Eve.

So, with all the action elsewhere and all the possible outcomes of those contests, the most important one is indubitably the game we play inside the Bank Atlantic Center. We are 0-2-1 against the Canadiens this season and need to change those statistics. A win would be priceless, but will undoubtedly come at the price of a sizeable Panther effort; all players need to perform tonight!

Hopefully Thomas Vokoun can continue his solid ways between the pipes – it will be necessary. We also need a couple of pucks bouncing our way whilst remaining unyielding at the back – as there is no room to err in a tight game as this will almost certainly be; and with Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Buffalo doing what they can to take the playoffs spots up for grab away from us – the Panthers must defend what we currently have with every drop of blood and sweat available.

Bust or break, it’s now or never; if we are to realize our playoff dreams and ambitions!