Mental Capacity…Do the Panthers have it?
January 25th, 2008 by FrankFrustration, dissappointment, anger, you name it, I’m feeling it! For the 4th time this season the Panthers have lost a lead in the last minute of a hockey game. Unacceptable! Against Edmonton Thursday night the Panthers had a 3-1 lead with 1:23 left in regulation and figured out another way to lose the lead and ultimately lose the game in a shootout. A game in which they could have, should have won, but because of the lack of killer instinct they blew it!
This brings me to the title of this article! A few years ago when Mike Keenan was coaching the Panthers, they had just lost a very important game to the Carolina Hurricanes which would have tied them for the division lead. During his press conference he made the following statement: “This team does not have the mental capacity to play playoff type hockey when it’s needed”. I must say that that statement still rings true as of this very day. While the roster has changed somewhat, the results are still very similar. I’m going to create some controversy with this next statement, but here goes.. I like Mike Keenan, even though he has done an awful lot of things to make people and organizations upset, to me, I just like his style and his attitude of let’s win NOW! I was in Chicago when he came in and brought that franchise back from the dead. He has passion, he tells it like it is, and if he has the ability to build his roster with his type of players, he can accomplish alot.
That being said, getting back to his statement, the Panthers just don’t have that killer instinct. Good teams find ways to win, they find ways to put teams away when they have the chance, and they certainly don’t give up 2 goal leads with less than 2 minutes left. Sure once in awhile, but 4 times in the first 50 games? SAme story last season, and the season before. It’s like they have a disease. There is no passion from the head coach, there isn’t enough leadership from the players, and their style of play is too safe! It felt like as soon as they got the lead last night they spent the next period and a half protecting it.
Bad breaks… That’s an excuse. They have shown that they can play a complete game when they want to. Beating Ottawa was apparently a mirage. They are not able of being consistent. Are they afraid of success, or do they just not know how to win, or have what it takes to win?
A 50 foot slap shot from Jarret Stoll, brings the Oilers within one goal. Then a few seconds later Tomas Vokoun misplays a puck behind the net, when one of his defenseman should have called him off, and the puck finds it’s way into the net with Vokoun racing to get back in position to tie the game with 51 seconds left.
If they are satisfied with getting one point then therein lies the problem. Every game from here on is going to be a battle, every point is going to be precious, and they cannot afford these mental gaffe’s any longer. I know that you can’t trade the entire team, but something must be done sooner rather than later. Uncle Jack (Coach Jacques Martin) has had 3 years to improve this club and has done nothing to show me he is the answer. He displays no passion whatsoever, doesn’t have the guts to bench a player, or the guts to give young players like Shawn Matthias a real chance to compete. Yet he sticks with guys like Josef Stumpl, and Richard Zednick who hasn’t scored in a month! Sit their butts down for a game or two. Where is the accountability? I am waiting for him to explode, but it never comes! Does he have a pulse, a heart? If there are any Panther fans out there who really know hockey and care about this team, I know that you agree with me!
Uncle Jack can’t handle one job, let alone both. The Panthers kept the wrong man. Mike Keenan took the heat for the Luongo trade that everyone in the organization signed off on, yet Keenan is the one who lost his job, while the passionless one is still here! I don’t care how many wins Uncle Jack has, the game has passed him by, and he has no control of his players.
Alan Cohen, if you’re reading, FIRE JACQUES MARTIN AND THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF NOW!!!
Thanks for reading.
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4 Responses to “Mental Capacity…Do the Panthers have it?”
By jstainer on Jan 25, 2008
Last night we were sitting around during ball hockey and discussing what it would be like to play hockey in Florida. Great weather, the other gender is not so hard on the eyes, very little pressure be it from media or fans…
I sometimes wonder if the players there simply get too comfortable and happy living a lifestyle. Now…that being said, they are not home all the time and working as a pro hockey player is a crazy grind at times, so let’s not get too worked up over that idea, but I do think there might be a little something to that.
Jokinen is one of the top Centreman in the league, Vokoun is a stellar goalie and Bouwmeester is a stud defenceman that any team would love to have. They have a great surrounding cast of guys like Horton, Weiss, Booth, Stumpel, Murphy (when he gets healthy again) and a good selection of prospects on the way (Matthias, Frolik, Ellerby, Plante, Welch). You just have to think that it’s a motivation or coaching issue.
By zeroG on Jan 26, 2008
first of all, the “iceman” would have a bit more credibility if he could spell *any* of the panthers’ names correctly.
in response to the topic of the post and the comment above, i think there are probably several issues. for one, olli has become an elite scorer but a proven leader? we lost that to trades/retirements. what we have is a core of 22-24 year olds who’ve never played on a winner at this level. it’s going to take some time for them to develop the “capacity” and the collective will. they also don’t have all the pieces in place yet.
and “uncle jack” has been steering the team for just 1.5 seasons, NOT 3. you don’t build a complete team from scratch in 1 year (ahem *cough* unless you’re philly).
By The Iceman on Jan 28, 2008
Zero G. I apologize for the spelling errors. Must have been the cold medicine I was on, and my blood pressure reaching the boiling point after the Oilers game.
As for Martin, I was referring to his time behind the bench which is really 2.5 years.
05-06, 06-07 and up to now.
As for the issues with the team, I stand behind my comments. Our 22-24 year olds are not progressing as fast as others, and there is not enough veteran leadership on this team as it stands currently.
I am not looking for overnight success, but looking for the organIzation to make strides and move forward. With current ownership and coaching staff I am having a hard time believing that it will happen.
By morshaldock on Jul 11, 2008
A mentioned in my previous blog, no one here really knows anything for sure other than the rum ours that we read. If a players wants to stay and they have been talking long term deals you would think that this one is about money.
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morshaldock
Addiction Recovery Florida