Roblogg’s Panthers Portal

It was scenes of undulating jubilation on the faces of the Florida players as they clinched the winner and no one was happier than the guy at the bottom of the pile; Bryan McCabe.

A thrilling game came to an exhilarating end for the ex-Maple Leaf McCabe, who quieted the boo boys with an overall excellent display and the game winning goal in OT. Skating swiftly down the ice he joined the goalmouth-rush, was fed the puck from Nathan Horton and made no mistake; a vicious slapshot that trickled by the Toronto keeper Vesa Toskala and gave the Panthers two invaluable points and the eighth spot in the Conference.

It started as the last game ended. The Florida players were not on top of their game and rather the Maple Leafs stepped up theirs. Former Panther Nicklas Hagman got the first goal, a highlight reel slalom run from the right hand corner. He sidestepped challenges from Horton, Cullimore, Bouwmeester and the pokecheck from Anderson, before slotting the puck home in an open net. No matter what team you were rooting for – it had to be admitted – that that was a very very pretty goal!

Gregory Campbell made it a consecutive goal scoring night as he attacked the goalmouth, and on a Peltonen pass from behind the net he connected to tie the game at one. Unfortunately for the Cats they let up another goal just before the period buzzer, this time from Alexei Ponikarovsky who found some space beneath Craig Anderson’s stacked pads.

Craig Anderson was called upon today to make a rare appearance after David Booth’s flu apparently had spread also to No.1 goalie Tomas Vokoun. Poor Tomas looked absolutely miserable on the bench and was no doubt praying Anderson wouldn’t get injured, so at the very least he wouldn’t have to play competitive Hockey in his state, sitting in a freezing stadium was no doubt bad enough. Craig on the other hand had not played for quite some while and looked a bit rusty at times early on in the contest, but later in the match he’d be the one that kept Panthers in the game when it looked like they were down and out.

It was tough luck to let in a goal so late in the first period, but it was undoubtedly a well deserved lead that the Maple Leafs took with them to the dressing room. The unfortunate (in this case) consequence of late scorings is usually that it affects the mental balance of the game and more often than not the team that got the late goal – score another when the next period commences. This was no exception to that rule. Nick Antropov handed Toronto the 3-1 advantage by scoring on an Anderson rebound early in the second.

Panthers now stepped up their game and pressed back the home side in search of that life-giving goal but, even though they rattled the Leafs at times, they could not shake them enough to get that goal. Especially Nick Tarnasky, getting a one-punch knockout on Toronto bad guy May, and Anthony Stewart piled on the pressure going forward and hitting the defenders. Yet, the killer instinct was lacking in this period and Toronto came away with the two goal lead.

The statistics don’t read too well when Florida are down two goals entering the third period. The Cats have made some spectacular comebacks to claim a share of the spoils, but not taken two points – up until this point in the season. That was about to change.

However, as the Panthers started to throw caution to the wind, the Maple Leafs started to look increasingly dangerous on the breakaways and it would take a couple of spectacular saves from Anderson to deny the home team. Florida also cashed in on some luck as one Toronto puck somehow failed to cross the entire goal line before being knocked away by a Cullimore skate. Ensuing reviews in slow motion showed that the puck crossed most of the line – but the entire puck wasn’t over… No goal!!

But as the saying goes; you deserve your own luck. And the Panthers, while looking flat in front of goal, were working very hard in the second half of the game. It was rewarded when Cory Stillman used some of that considerable experience and vision to find Stephen Weiss driving at the net. It was a wonderful cross-ice feed and Weiss needed only to put the stick to puck and the game was there for the taking; 2-3.

The tying goal would however take its sweet little time and with only 1:25 on the clock, Toronto finally succumbed to the pressure and took its first penalty of the evening. Alexei Ponikarovsky took a needless boarding penalty, Pete DeBoer pulled Anderson, and it was 6on4 for the remainder of the penalty. An opportunity too good to pass on and the Florida power-play, which was 0for6 against the Islanders, quickly clicked and put the Maple Leafs to the sword: With 0:53 remaining Campbell found Stillman at the back post and the winger raked in the all-important leveler.

Going in to overtime the momentum was firmly with the Cats and it was here that Bryan McCabe stepped forward to haunt his old club; scoring the winner 3:30 in to the OT.

Overall it was a lucky escape for the Panthers, they had put themselves in a tough spot by not working hard enough in the first half of the game, but in the second half they created their own luck and with gritty determination tied the game late and finally got an overtime win.

But what a breathtaking Hockey spectacle it was for the Florida fans watching! From despair to ecstasy and the playoff dreams resurfaces again on cloud nine. With a little help from other teams in the league, the Panthers are in eighth spot and looking up!

After that despondent NY Islanders game, Head Coach Pete DeBoer tried to downplay the loss – claiming the side played with heart, but overcomplicated things and tried to get too nifty. Whilst the latter is true, the former is more likely a comment that should be seen as a “coach’s answer” – one intended to keep the players confident and not risk tamper with team morale. You have to admire DeBoer for this, as anyone else might find it difficult to keep their cool after such a frustrating display. I certainly did!

Fact is, that it wasn’t a good enough performance and it was clearly seen on the scoresheet; the Islanders fully deserved their 3-1 victory and goalie Yann Denis was, despite the high number of Florida shots, rarely tested. So, a better game against the Leafs is needed to get back to winning ways. Good is that one bad game doesn’t determine a season, as frustrating as they may be, and there is plenty of time to recover from any dire spell encountered along the way.

The trick is to minimize any poor run of form and obviously have more committed, hard working games – than the slacker kind. Players are only human and will sometimes relax or simply have a bad spell. The season is ridiculously long in the National Hockey League and it will happen to everyone. Just look at Detroit – who recently had 5 straight losses!

It’s how you rebound from adversity – that is important.

Now, losing to the NY Islanders is more the stick in the wheel – kind of difficulty – than the flat tire Ottawa type. But, we are in an increasingly difficult part of the season; when wins don’t come easy or without considerable effort, so it does feel like we have a rebound game on our hands in Toronto.

The Maple Leafs helped us by beating Pittsburgh in their last contest, but that makes it two straight now and Toronto will be a thorny opposition for the Panthers tonight. There is no room for underestimation or lassitude if we want to win. However, committed hard work and determination should go a long way in seeing off the challenge.

Toronto are a vulnerable team, with all the speculation surrounding the club. If the Panthers can have a good start to the match – the Leafs may very well wilt as the tie progresses.

So; a good start, the right attitude and more straightforward north-south style of game will be key for Florida in this contest. And while the Islanders may not be the kind of opposition that inspires player to give their all – a matchup with Toronto (the heart of Hockey) usually does. Therefore it seems that the Cats should be able to rebound in this fixture and continue its winning/playoff/tilting ways.

David Booth meanwhile is doubtful for this game, still suffering from a bout with the flu. If he doesn’t play Kamil Kreps will fill his spot on the first line as left winger; next to Horton and with Zednik on the opposite wing. Brett McLean, who got the initial chance to fill in for Booth in the last contest, will again be moved down to the fourth line. With Kreps moved up, McLean will center that energy line with Stewart and Tarnasky on the wings. Otherwise no changes to the starting line-up are to be expected.

Thanks to the Ducks in Anaheim, Florida remain a mere 3 points behind Buffalo in 7th spot (Ducks beat Sabres 3-2 yesterday and ex-Panther Steve Montador got two assists in the match), while Carolina are only one ahead of us. Again we have games in hand on all opposing playoff contenders, which obviously is good, but only counts for anything if Florida wins them…

Leading up to tonight game the Eastern Conference Standings are as follows:

Chad Kilger was traded to Florida at last year’s trade deadline from the Maple Leafs. But, he never showed up. The unsolved veil that hangs over this case obscures the facts and brings out the speculation – full force. Has he indeed retired, as the Ottawa Sun reported last week, or is there a chance he’ll come back to Hockey one day? Fact is that he’s still suspended by the Panthers for not fulfilling his contractual obligations and it seems implausible we’ll ever see him suiting up in South Florida anyway.

The General Manager of Toronto, Cliff Fletcher, was the one who pulled the trigger on the trade last season, but he did it with some hesitation, as he told the paper: “We talked to Florida late in the day, almost at the deadline. We said no at first. Then I said: ‘What the hell, we’re getting a third-round pick for him.’ So we made the deal, reluctantly. I never thought for a moment that he would retire.” If indeed he has retired. No official news or statement has come from the player himself or his agent to clarify the situation.

The withdrawal from Hockey seems to have come as a bolt from the blue to everyone involved in the trade; Fletcher, his team mates in Toronto and of course the Panthers, as reported by the Ottawa Sun:

"The whole thing caught us by surprise," Mike Kitchen, assistant coach with the Florida Panthers, said. "We wanted Chad because of his size and his speed. We thought he would be a great addition for us. […] I don’t know Chad as a person or the reasons behind what happened. I think he had at least a year left on his contract. You’re playing in the best hockey league in the world. You don’t often see somebody walk away."

Indeed, a situation quite like this one has probably never unfolded in the National Hockey League, certainly the Panthers haven’t experienced anything quite like it.

Chad Kilger was a top prospect and pick from his year group, but never quite materialized into a luminous star of the game. Yet he did play some 714 games in the NHL and would have been projected to have a few more years in him, if he had decided to keep on playing.

Undoubtedly this is one of the more bizarre stories we are likely to see. Of course it could be even more bizarre if some of the massive speculation is correct. Whether he has disappeared together with a former Leafs massage therapist, ballooned to 250 pounds and moved back to his hometown in Cornwall, or left purely for family reasons, we may never know. No point in speculating too much either, even if it is a tantalizing mystery, fact is he’s not here and – that’s that – as far as Panther fans are concerned with the matter.

Bryan McCabe made his much anticipated return to Toronto and quickly silenced the boo boys with an assist and otherwise assured display. After his trials and tribulations last season as a Leaf, it must have been a satisfying game indeed for him. For Florida he has been magnificent so far, not least at the point of the power-play; leading the early stumbling Cats to excellence in this important aspect of the game. His leadership in the dressing room and affable character has also been a much needed and appreciated; both essential ingredients for a Panther team that is again on a roll.

The Florida Panthers were coming off two good games against Pittsburgh and Montreal and were looking to come away from this latest road trip with plus points. That they did by beating the Maple Leafs convincingly 4-2; taking 5 out of 8 possible points on the tour. The Cats are now one of the most travelled teams in National Hockey League and can finally return to Sunrise for some games on home ice. Considering this, it is exciting to see the Panthers embroiled in the playoff race already and if they can rack up a good home record – they could very well take a spot among the top eight. It is that close…

As for the game itself it was a sparkling display by the Florida team and a lame showing from the home town club. Before Toronto could even get a shot off in anger, the Panthers had got 10 quality shots at net and one (by Weiss) had sneaked in. Clearly the Cats had done their “home” work and 3 out of 4 goals were in the top shelf against the small butterfly Leaf goaltender, Vesa Toskala. In the Florida net Vokoun made not only an increasingly rare start, but was also allowed to finish the contest this time. No wonder, as he looked like he was back to his best again; playing with confidence and making all the necessary and important stops.

The Panthers led the Leafs 3-0 coming in to the third, due to Peltonen and Frolik adding to the goal tally in the first forty of the contest. Toronto players now tried to mount a belated resurgence and got one back through an Alexei Ponikarovsky power-play effort. However, the Cats soon hit back in a power-play goal of their own; Campbell making a nice re-direction in front of the net – grabbing the all-important 4-1 lead going in to the final 10. Not even a Jason Blake shorthanded goal, a couple of minutes later, could spoil the Panther party. 4-2, and back to Sunrise it is!

The resurgence shown by the Panther players, and team as a whole, these last three games (after four previously alarming showings) seems to indicate that this Florida club is finally starting to fight its demons and display some gusto and bravado. Being three points ahead of last season and seven of the preceding one, it is a statement reflected in results, and can clearly also be seen in the on ice performances this season. Especially if one considers the slow start of the Panthers in October/November, it really is a turnaround that brings back confidence and hope to players and fans alike.

Now the formerly disillusioned fans need to get back behind their team, these Cats have some bite to them and can make a realistic run for a playoff berth this time around. But, there are no grounds to get carried away just yet. The Panthers still need to collect regular points, beat rivals (starting with Carolina on Thursday) and above all; perform on a consistent basis. With players like McCabe in the fold, a winning mentality is starting to appear in South Florida and it is important that the fans hang on along for the rough ride too.

No one can blame Panther fans for being disillusioned, but if you are a true fan you don’t really have a choice do you – winning or losing – your heart still beats for Florida and the Panthers. So let’s let ourselves be overwhelmed by naïve hope and optimism; believe in the Panthers once again and lend our voice and support to the cause. Worst thing that can happen is that we feel the thrill of competition and lose out on the prize (playoff) in the end.

But even so, we would experience the ecstasy of fandom and professional sports, the rapture of winning and hope of something better and improving. There is after all no sport as rousing as Hockey; full of flying tackles, magnificent skill, raw fights and roller coasting scores. And chanting for a team; even if they are underdogs or perennial losers – it still only enhances the experience – especially when that long sought after goal is finally, long last, achieved.

The Florida Panthers are again finding their stride and the Toronto game was a great win, not only because we got the two points, but because we fully dominated the game and deserved them. McCabe said it best in his post match comments:

"They were really flat […] We really outplayed them, got up a couple, and we really didn’t look back from there. It was a good game."

It was, and he’s right you know; from now on we shouldn’t look back, but rather look forward at all that which is possible. And almost anything is – if you let yourself believe.