Roblogg’s Panthers Portal

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and especially to Ville Koistinen that just cleared waivers…

Despite being waived, he’s going to be spending Thanksgiving here in South Florida rather than in Rochester of the AHL; for the time being anyway.

Question is however if the Panthers won’t be putting him on re-entry waivers soon—so that another NHL team can pick him up on a Black Friday sale perhaps.

Poor Ville…

You have to feel sorry for the guy. Despite signing a two-year $2 million deal with the Cats in July, he was never really given a fair chance. After all, we must keep in mind that he played all his 17 games for the Cats out of position. And playing as a forward is not easy for a defenseman, with a few rare exceptions.

However, life is tough sometimes and coach Peter DeBoer was not happy with Ville and his contributions to the team. And, if you don’t have the confidence of the head coach, for whatever reason, well, then it’s probably better to move on anyway.

We’ll see what the fate will be of Koistinen. But, one can’t help but wonder if this move was not only made to make room for the big enforcer Steve MacIntyre to be recalled, but perhaps also to accommodate some valuable cap space for a trade?

I know the Panthers have been mentioned in connection with our next opponents on Friday: The Toronto Maple Leafs.

We have previously seen teams come to town and then trades being made just prior to or after the game. The Leafs are, according to several reports, looking for a trading partner and perhaps Florida hold the bait for a deal to be hashed out?

I don’t want to fume the trade talk more than necessary, but if I were GM—and we are all no doubt blessing the fact that I’m not—I’d be one of the five teams or so reportedly looking at LW Niklas Hagman right now.

We know the former Panthers draft pick from 1999 well, he knows South Florida, and seeing as our regular top three left wingers—Booth, Stillman, and Campbell—are all out with injuries, it might make some sense in acquiring another left winger that could play on the top lines.

Hagman has already 15 points on the season for the struggling Maple Leafs. That would make him tied for third in scoring with the Cats, who could certainly need that kind of help in the scoring department.

The Leafs would be loathed to lose one of the few players they have that is playing well, but throw in a draft pick or two, perhaps a medium-range prospect to sweeten the deal, and Toronto’s GM Brian Burke might be willing to consider the offer.

I might add there is no current rumor out there suggesting this or any other trade is possibly in the offing, however, I do find this idea intriguing and would be interested in hearing what people have to say about it.

I know Hagman wasn’t a big hit when here in South Florida a few years ago, but like many other players he has developed into a solid NHL player after leaving the club.

Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity, with Toronto being in a problematic situation, to get Niklas back here to show what he can do for us now that he’s matured.

What do you think, deal or no deal, what would you do?

The season may only have begun, but that doesn’t mean players are immune from criticism in the early going. Always in the line of fire are the goaltenders; where one bad game can be enough to have the fans clambering all over their back. Ask Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala – for whom it only took four periods before patience ran thin.

The notoriously fickle fans in Toronto haven’t exactly been enamored with the Finns early displays and, despite Vesa still recovering from hip and groin surgery in the off-season, he has found little sympathy from the many vociferous hockey fanatics north of the border. With promising NHL rookie Jonas Gustavsson waiting in the wings, the call has rung out for the Swedish ‘Monster’ to be the No.1 – in Toskala’s place.

In the 6-4 defeat against the Caps, the Finn got the hook in favor of the Swede after the first period and now Head Coach Ron Wilson has decided to go with Gustavsson in-between the sticks in tonight’s contest from the getgo – against their rivals the Ottawa Senators. This despite Wilson sticking up for his current No.1 by stating that the defense had not helped the goalie with their poor defensive display, in the two opening defeats of the season.

Jonas has a lot of hype to live up to, as he was the most coveted netminder in the off-season, with several teams chasing his signature, before settling for Maple Land as his first NHL destination.

Having helped his former club Färjestad to the Swedish championship last season, he earned the nickname ‘the Monster’ in the process. That and the usual unrealistic hopes of the Toronto fans, leaves Gustavsson with a very big set of skates to fill tonight.

Keeping it in the Family

Due to family business, of an unknown sort, Panthers back-up goalie Scott Clemmensen has returned to his family home in Iowa. Whether he’ll be back in time for the next game against the Carolina Hurricanes is at this time not known. What is for certain is that the Cats management is not taking any chances and has recalled Alexander Salak from Rochester; after he was sent there just the other day.

One goaltender that has hit the new season running is last season’s Florida back-up goaltender Craig Anderson, nowadays plying his trade in Colorado as their No.1. In his first two contests he saved 73 of 74 shots as the Avs started the season on two winning feet. For his efforts Andy was awarded the opening week’s second star.

Maybe the Panthers will be left to rue his departure, if he can keep that kind of form going…

Just push in the goalie, after he’s made the save. That’s the way to do it! Or at least it’s what the refs thought in Toronto, when the Leafs faced the Caps last. And here’s proof below:

And Gerber has now been suspended for 3 games for bumping the ref who allowed this outrageous goal. But can you blame him for being upset?

It’s nice to see the NHL sticks to some of their rules, the suspension is an automatic one, but shouldn’t this be reviewed further as well by the NHL? Is this the message they want to send out to players? Push the goalie in and you’ve got yourself a goal.

I really, really, hope not.

After having, temporarily, been hooked off from the playoff race; the Panthers are right back in the mix again. Beating Toronto, to sweep that series for the first time in franchise history, 3 goals to 1, the Cats could also count on crucial help from GM Jacques Martin’s former club in Ottawa. The Senators, who beat Buffalo in their last game, handed another defeat to the drunk-punch Montréal centennial celebrators. Ottawa won 5-4 and handed Florida another lifeline.

The Florida Panthers remain in ninth, but are now a mere point behind both Carolina and Montréal, whilst trailing Rangers two. The Cats have the same amount of games remaining as the NY Rangers and Canadiens, but one in hand on the Hurricanes. To add to the equation is that the Panthers will play both Carolina (Monday) and Buffalo (Wednesday) in crunch games that could very well decide the playoff fate of Florida. The Sabres are now four points to our rear, but have one game in hand on us – and could still get back in to the chase from their current jettisoned position in tenth.

Last night’s home fixture against the Maple Leafs was, despite what coach Peter DeBoer may have claimed to the contrary, a must win game. Lose that match and they would effectively have lost sight of the other teams ahead of them. That did however not happen and Florida swept away the visiting Ontarians once again. It was the Toronto native Stephen Weiss that, once more, proved to be the vital difference between the two sides.

Stephen Weiss is having a record point year and has developed into a key player for the Panthers, especially against his native Toronto. He has 8 points in 4 games against the Maple Leafs.

The Panthers started slowly, but when Radek Dvorak was erroneously put in the box for holding; the Cats woke up with a vengeance. None more so than Weiss, who took the puck past the Toronto defense with a speed and guile – that left the Maple Leafs defenders sprawling on the ice. He finished off the move with a backhand in the top corner behind the unaided goalie Martin Gerber.

The visitors came back at the end of the period however and punished Richard Zednik further for an undisciplined high sticking retaliation – to a clean hit from Jason Blake. Mikhail Grobovski was left all alone between three Panther players in the deep slot area (however that is possible!?) and made no mistake; ushering in the tying goal, just two minutes before the break.

Florida came out flying in the second period and looked determined to take the game to the visitors. And that they did. Richard Zednik made amends for his lapse in judgment in the first period and slotted home the leading goal, 6:21 in to the period. He displayed the coolness of a clinical goalscorer and found a tiny passage beneath Gerber – and the puck obliged him by merrily trickling in over the line.

The home side now had their tails up and 1:27 after Zednik’s goal, Radek Dvorak danced around scrambling defensemen to feed Ville Peltonen, who meanwhile had camped out just to the left of the crease, and Ville unperturbedly collected the puck with his skate, stickhandled his way past a dizzied Jeff Finger and somehow found a hole by the post to beautifully slot home the 3-1 goal. Martin Gerber couldn’t have been happy to let that goal in and after that he played much better and didn’t let any more pucks pass him by.

Tomas Vokoun on the other end had a quietly solid game, not letting up any rebounds and making some big saves in the third when the Maple Leafs pressed forward. Overall this was a well performed game by the Panthers, but in truth, this was also a game you would expect them to win. Toronto is in the midst of experimenting with youngsters and rebuilding for next year. If Florida couldn’t win this game, let’s face it, they would have no right to claim a playoff berth in the first place.

Nonetheless, it was a crucial victory and hopefully one that finally instills some sense of calm and confidence in to the squad. Yet, we are still on the outside looking in and there are no let-ups. The games will be coming increasingly hard and frequently at the players and they need to be, or get themselves in-to, playoff mode – already. The stretch will be a tough one for all teams involved in this race and any slip-up could ultimately come back to haunt the clubs at end of regular season.

Next for the Panthers is a rare visit by the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow. Columbus is equally in a playoff chase, but find themselves in a very enviable position at the moment. This because they have been playing some very good hockey of late and it looks increasingly like the Blue Jackets will be making a first playoff appearance in franchise history this spring.

It will in other words be a tricky game for the Panthers, but we have done well against Western opposition so far and hopefully that can continue on Saturday. It should be a good game anyway!