For a recap of Tuesday’s 4-3 OT loss to the Edmonton Oilers, I could easily link to any number of the Florida Panthers twelve total losses because it followed a familiar pattern: A two-goal, third period deficit overcome with a late rally, only to lose in overtime.
[Read more...]
Same As It Ever Was For Florida
November 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Game Day Preview: Panthers vs. Predators. Scratching And Clawing
October 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
FLORIDA PANTHERS: 2-4-0 (4 PTS.) vs. NASHVILLE PREDATORS: 2-3-0 (4 PTS.)
GAME DAY SONG: Cage The Elephant: Come A Little Closer
After six games the Florida Panthers have proved to be very good at one thing. Inconsistency. It’s not meant to be a slap in the face, but the bitter reality is that the Florida Panthers are their own worst enemy. Strong effort, followed by poor effort, followed by good effort, followed by…….. You get the idea. The frustrating part is that it’s been their track record for quite sometime, not just this season. Even when they won the division in 2011-2012, the tail end of the season found them to be lacking something. Fortunetly that season, other teams weren’t playing much better, allowing them to clinch the Southeast division. It was however built by their early season success.
The team that lost to Los Angeles on Sunday by a score of 3-0, looked nothing like the team that beat Pittsburgh 6-3 Friday. Even with a couple line changes for Sunday’s game, the results weren’t there. Coach Kevin Dineen put Scott Gomez on a line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Kris Versteeg. A move that this writer felt was overdue. The line was for the most part the best offensive line of the night (despite a -3 plus/minus), but couldn’t bury their chances. The move allowed Marcel Goc to slide back to the third line, and have Tomas Kopecky and Scottie Upshall on his wings. That line also had some good moments, and is really where Goc belongs because of the strength of his defensive game. Of the 20 shots that Florida tossed at Kings goaltender Ben Scrivens, less than one of them were challenging. Well, maybe a couple, but you get the idea. There has to be more net presence, better quality scoring chances have to be generated, and instead of being cute and waiting for the perfect shot, more shots on must be generated. [Read more...]
Observations Of The Florida Panthers After Two Games
October 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Florida Panthers took the day off Sunday following Saturday night’s thrashing at the hands of the St. Louis Blues by a score of 7-0. Seven different Blues players scored, and the game ended in an ugly fashion with 15 different penalties assessed to the two teams, that included eight various misconducts, two fighting majors, and a penalty for an illegal check to the head that was given to Tomas Fleischmann.
The play of the Panthers compared to their victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday was a total 180, as Florida looked overmatched from beginning to end. If you read my preview, you knew that the Blues would be physical, and use their muscle to not only set the tone, but dictate the pace. They were obviously successful. It didn’t hurt either that the Blues penalty killing unit squashed numerous chances for the Panthers as well. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak now sports a 8-1-0 career record against the Panthers, who must not let that get into their heads.
Drew Shore: “I don’t think I have ever worked harder in a summer than I have this year.”
July 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Drew Shore (Kelsey Hinds)
Coming off a season in which injuries gave way to his unexpected rookie campaign, Florida Panthers’ sophomore forward Drew Shore is heading into the 2013-2014 season with enough confidence for the entire roster. While Shore may not have garnered nearly the amount of attention as his fellow rookie teammate, 2013 Calder Trophy winner Jonathan Huberdeau, he still proved to be a pleasant surprise in an otherwise forgettable year in South Florida.
Prior to joining the Panthers, Shore spent last season’s lockout playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. In 41 games for the Rampage, he compiled 30 points (10G-20A-30P) and was named an AHL All-Star. Given the amount of promise he showed in the AHL, Shore was the easy choice to fill the Panthers’ void at center that had been created by injuries to players like Stephen Weiss and Marcel Goc.
On January 22nd, Shore made his NHL debut in a 4-1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens. Aside from briefly being returned to San Antonio to compete in the AHL All-Star Game, Shore would remain with the Panthers for the remainder of the season.
“After getting a taste of it last year I don’t think I have ever worked harder than I have in a summer than I have this year,” Shore said of his time in the NHL last season. “Once you get a taste of it, you kind of see some of the good players and the things they do well and are that much more motivated to work hard.”
Panther Report: 2013 IIHF World Championship
May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
With the preliminary round winding down and the quarter finals set to begin this Thursday, the action is just starting to heat up at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. With each team already having competed in at least 6 games, Team Canada and Team Russia have risen to the top of their respective groups. Although no Panthers’ skater has grabbed any headlines throughout the tournament, there have still been some exceptional performances worthy of noting.
Below, I have listed the current statistics for each Panther player represented at the World Championship as well as adding a brief comment on their play.
Brian Campbell (Canada)
GP: 7
G: 0
A:2
Note: As he was for the majority of the season in Florida, defenseman Brian Campbell has been a workhouse for Team Canada so far this tournament. Through 7 games played, Campbell is 2nd on the team in total TOI with 140:23 minutes played. Also, Campbell’s +7 rating is good enough for the best +/- rating on the entire Canadian roster.
Panthers Attending 2013 World Championship
April 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
With the Florida Panthers’ season officially over, Panther players will now be moving on to whatever the offseason may hold for them. Some players will take time to nurse nagging injuries, while others may simply take time off before preparing for next season. However, a select few Panthers will have to hold off on hanging up their skates as they get ready to represent their respective countries at the upcoming IIHF World Men’s Championship, May 3-19 in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland.
While Panthers’ rookie Nick Bjugstad was already announced to be participating in the tournament earlier this week, news broke recently that five of his Panther teammates would be joining him overseas.
Florida Panthers Participating in 2013 World Championship
D - Brian Campbell (Canada)
F - Tomas Kopecky (Slovakia)
F - Nick Bjugstad (United States)
F - Marcel Goc (Germany)
F - Tomas Fleischmann (Czech Republic)
G - Jacob Markstrom (Sweden)
Panthers Find Consistency In Their 2nd Line
April 17, 2013 by 1 Comment
Tomas Fleischmann (Wikimedia Commons)
In what has been overall up and down season for the Florida Panthers, the team continues to find their most consistant play from an unlikely source. While players like Jonathan Huberdeau and Shawn Matthias have given the Panthers several “wow” moments this season, it has been the reliable play of the team’s 2nd line that has been helping the team stay in most games this season.
While names like Tomas Kopecky, Tomas Fleischmann, and Marcel Goc might not jump off of a stat sheet or turn any heads, the combination of this European trio has shined for the Panthers in an overall somber season. Although a brief injury limited Marcel Goc early in this season, the eventual teaming of these three skaters has been one of the lone things to work for Kevin Dineen this season as he has constantly had to tweak his roster to adjust for countless injuries.
While Jonathan Huberdeau may be the team’s individual MVP this season, the team’s 2nd line as a unit has been the Panthers’ most valuable weapon. Through 42 games this season, the trio of Kopecky, Fleischmann, and Goc have combined for a grand total of 73 points - the most by any line on the team. In fact, even with Huberdeau’s fantastic rookie season and Matthias’ goal explosion in March, it is Fleischmann and Kopecky that currently sit atop the Panthers’ scoring list.
Jameson Cooper
David Lasseter
Amanda Land
Paige Lewis
Frank Rekas
