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Panther Parkway Noon Headlines: Trades, Callahan, Zuccarello, Divorce, Crosby, and More!
What better way to spend your lunch break than catching up on all of last night’s amazing NHL action that you may have missed! Here are the top stories and videos from the all of yesterday’s action around the NHL.
- Check out Ryan Callahan’s amazing shorthanded goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
- The Buffalo Sabres have traded Robyn Regehr to the Los Angeles Kings for two 2nd round picks. [TSN]
- The Calgary Flames have traded Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues. [TSN]
- The Maple Leafs open talks with Flames’ goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. [Puck Daddy]
- Scott Hartnell takes to twitter to congratulate his wife on the end of his divorce payments. [Puck Daddy]
- Jesse Spector gives us some insight on Rangers’ forward Mats Zuccarello. [Sporting News]
- Will Sidney Crosby still win the Hart Trophy? [The Hockey News]
- NHL Power Rankings [The Hockey Writers]
- The Canucks are reportedly talking to 4 teams about acquiring Roberto Luongo. [TSN]
- Check out NHL.com’s 3 stars for the month of March. [NHL.com]
Follow All Panther Parkway writers on Twitter: Me @JamesonCoop, Frank Rekas @FrankRekas, Josh Luecht @eyesonsunrise, Scott Mullin @GreatScottsman, Paige Lewis @PaigeLewisFL, Gabby Kiger @gabbykiger, Amanda Land @HockeyGirl2530 and David Lasseter @davidlasseter. Visit our Facebook fan page here and give us a like and share anything you wish with us.
Ex-Panther Roberto Luongo Is Lights Out On After Hours
Former Florida Panther goaltender Roberto Luongo appeared on Hockey Night In Canada’s late Saturday night segment called After Hours yesterday, and it was quite an interview. Luongo looked relaxed, had fun, and was expressive. All elements which make the episode a must see.
As you will see, Scott Oake turned in another outstanding job as the host with Craig Simpson as his co-host for the evening. Oake has a way of always asking a question or two that may be difficult to ask, but words in a way that it fits in so smoothly, you don’t even notice how direct it’s really going to be.
If nothing else, this gives everyone (myself included) a look into the personality of one of the league’s most talked about players.
Thank you for reading & watching. We welcome your comments and opinions.
Follow the Rat Pack on Twitter: me @TheRatTrick , David Lasseter @davidlasseter , Josh Luecht@joshluecht, Patrick McLaughlin @PatrickRattrick, Scott Mullin @GreatScottsman, David Rodriguez @davidbub_2, Paige Lewis @RatTrickLewiz Gabby Kiger @gabbykiger, Adam Reid@AdamReid Chrissy Parente @chrissaay44, Justen Rosenberg @justenrosenberg, Lori Carpenter @lmcangel13, and Amanda Land @HockeyGirl2530. Also, please join our FaceBook Fan Page and hit the like button, send us photos, and tell us what’s on your mind.
Top Ten Panther Players Of 2011-2012. Number 3: Jose Theodore
Photo Credit: Hockey Photography by Yuri Peralta
Coming into last season there wasn’t a lot of hype going around about the Florida Panthers, unless you call season long negativity hype. Although some people did believe they would be a much improved team with the additions of players such as Tomas Fleischmann, Brian Campbell, and Kris Versteeg, no one really expected such a big turnaround. The Panthers went onto shock the National Hockey League and a large part of their success was due to veteran goalie, Jose Theodore. Read the rest of this entry
Top Ten Florida Panthers Of 2011-2012 #10
Photo Credit: Hockey Photography by Yuir Peralta
The lockout has officially taken over anything hockey. While you can blame both the owners and the players, it doesn’t matter at this point. Whether you put the blame on the owners or the players is up to you. I personally just want hockey back and by the look of things, it looks like we all are just going to have to patiently wait it out. Since the main topic in hockey is the lockout, us here at Panther Parkway are trying to come up with new ideas to keep each of you entertained. I have come up with the idea to do a series of articles explaining who I believe the top ten players were on the Florida Panthers last season. I know my list isn’t going to be perfect and you are definitely going to disagree with some. But with that being said, let’s kick off my list with number ten on the countdown; Shawn Matthias.
2011-2012 Statistics:
Games Played- 79
Goals- 10
Assist- 14
Total Points- 24
For Shawn Matthias last season was his best season in the NHL. In his 79 games played he set career best in just about every category. Even after what was a much improved year, there were still many questions left to be answered. One of the big questions to be answered was, after the amount of time on the team, was Shawn Matthias actually worth what we gave up? Well, if I had to answer that question, I would say yes. When the Panthers first traded away Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi, Shawn Matthias wasn’t even on the Panthers radar. However, after Bertuzzi only played a total of seven games in Florida, before falling victim to a herniated disc, the Panthers needed to do something. Bertuzzi was in the final year of his contract, and with no guarantee that he would re-sign, the Panthers traded him to the Detroit Red Wings for draft picks and Matthias.
After splitting time between the AHL and the NHL, Matthias became a main stay for the Panthers two seasons ago playing in 51 games. Despite missing a good part of the season due to injury, Matthias showed tons of potential for the Panthers. Just last year, Matthias saw his role on the team improve dramatically. One of the biggest things for Shawn last year was the ability to stay healthy. The Panthers have tremendous depth within the organization when it comes to forwards, so if Matthias wasn’t able to produce and stay healthy, he might not still have a spot on the roster. Not only was he able to stay healthy, but he also produced quite well. Matthias also showed his worth in other aspects of the game. He is listed as 6’4 220lbs on the Panthers website. With good size, Matthias didn’t let anyone push him or his teammates around, as you can see below.
With his potential, his physical ability, and his knowledge of the game; I believe that Shawn Matthias will continue to grow into a really good player for the Florida Panthers. If he could stay healthy and continue to work, don’t be so surprised if you see his point total go up quite a bit whenever hockey begins.
Thanks For Reading!
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Does The Lockout Finally Squash Roberto Luongo Rumors To Florida?
Roberto Luongo. Image source: Wikipedia commons, by Orlandkurtenbach
I have been trying for some time to see if there’s any silver lining in the black cloud of the NHL lockout. Looking for something, anything that would provide a moment of pleasure, or relief in knowing that something good just might come out of all this. As the NHL and NHLPA meander their way to a resolution, which doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight at the moment, I have taken solace in determining that finally, the rumors of ex Florida Panther goaltender Roberto Luongo making a return to South Florida have not only been quieted, but hopefully “sqaushed, and possibly for good.
Removing himself from the Canadian hockey hot bed of Vancouver has admittedly been a desire of the netminder all summer, however in an article that appeared in the Vancouver Province by Jason Botchford it seems to indicate that Luongo may now feel otherwise. It’s no secret that talks between clubs are now off limits, as no player trades can be made during the work stoppage. Thankfully the current labor strife gives both sides (Vancouver and Florida) a rest period from the situation, and allows the Panthers to hold on to what they have, and not make a financial mistake. I applaud Panther general manager Dale Tallon for sticking to his guns and not mortgaging the future for a goaltender that is likely on the way down, and looking for an “escape”. Players need to know that coming to South Florida isn’t just about the weather, beaches and golf courses. Dale Tallon is here to win hockey games, and each and every player who walks into that dressing room better be prepared to do the same. The country club atmosphere is over.
Will A Lockout Force Certain Players Into Early Retirement?
Teemu Selanne. Image Cheryl Adams/Hockey Broad. Wikipedia Commons
In what will be a very tense week of apprehension amongst fans, and anxiousness between both players and owners, the ticks on the clock to Saturday September 15th will be louder as each day passes with no resolution. There were mild discussions this weekend, and though both sides indicate they want to start on time, this has become a typical labor negotiation. There is a lot at stake here for both players and owners. We’ve examined each side over and over, and looked at the angles a number of ways, as had everyone else. A question that looms in my mind however is, should there be a lockout, even for a portion of the season, will certain players be forced into early retirement?
The longer the stalemate goes unsettled, the further back the beginning of the season will be pushed. While being sent to the AHL is an option for some younger players, and playing in the KHL is under consideration for others, there are some aging veterans who may be forced to seriously consider their future if a significant amount of games are cancelled. After the last lockout which came in the 2004-2005 season, players throughout the league handled the off time a number of different ways, however for the aging veteran a completely different thought process evolves. Playing in a foreign country for even a brief period of time must be carefully analyzed for a player in the twilight of his career.
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