Florida Panthers

Bring Your First Aid Kit

The Florida Panthers will be bringing their NHL roster that is being held together with ace bandages, bubble gum and double face tape to Ottawa tonight in what starts a 5 game road trip.  The Panthers for whatever reason seem to never be able to get through a season without injuries mounting to their soft… I mean regular players, and are forced to deplete their minor league franchise.

For tonights game the Panthers have recalled Tanner Glass who has been to the big show before, and Michal Repik, who will be making his NHL debut.   The Panthers are still playing without Cory Stillman, Richard Zednik, Nathan Horton, David Booth and Rostislav Olesz, as well as Brian Allen who is out for   the year with knee surgery.  Therefore this team of youngsters is being asked to play with the big boys and maintain some level of competitiveness. They did produce a 3 game winning streak only to be stopped by the hotest team in the NHL, the Boston Bruins.  Some actually thought that the Panthers had a chance that night against Boston, however being shutout 4-0 once again tells the story that we still lack offense.  I hope JM is reading!

Craig Anderson gets the start tonight again which will be his sixth start in a row for the Panthers while $5.5 million dollars per year Tomas Vokoun backs him up.  Granted Anderson has been playing better, and maybe the team has been playing better, but Vokoun could have been the benefactor of all that as well.  Since Vokoun has “lost” his job as number one, the team has been more responsible defensively and has been playing the system that Coach Peter DeBoer wants them to play.  However don’t be fooled.  This team will revert back to it’s old ways.  They always do.  Go on a hot streak and put together 3 or 4 wins, then start a losing streak.  This road trip which starts in Ottawa, then goes to Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and then all the way back to Carolina (who made the schedule?) will probably determine the season. Their are 10 points to be had.  Ideally the Panthers need 7, anything less will be a dissappointment.  They don’t have much luck in Ottawa, haven’t won a game in Edmonton for quite some time, and struggle against Calgary and Vancouver, so their backs are really against the wall here.

It will be interesting to see the lines for tonight and also to see how long, or how many games DeBoer stays with Anderson.  He has commented in the papers a couple times about Anderson’s strong play, yet also mentioned how deficient the Panthers are, and how on paper they really shouldn’t be competitive.  I am sure that’s going over real well with the front office.  But, I like it.  You have to call it as you see it, and as a head coach he doesn’t have much to work with, so he’s telling everyone who will listen that there are holes that need to be filled.

There have been rumours that trades are being looked at with Ottawa as one of the suitors.  Jay Bouwmeester as we all know is a hot commodity, and now Nathan Horton has been mentioned in potential trade talks along with Olesz and Brett McLean.  Can’t imagine that there’s anything that can be had for McLean who has yet to score a goal this year.  As for the others, it will remain to be seen what happens, and if Anderson maintains this number one status, Vokoun could be on the block as well. Although Tomas has a no trade clause, I can’t imagine that if he were given the chance to get out of here, he would’nt take it.

My prediction, and I generally don’t like to make those, is Ottawa winning 4-1.  Alex Auld, whom I am glad to see is playing rather well for the Sens will not be severely tested, but will make the saves when he needs to.  The Panthers goal will probably be on a deflection in which Alex has no chance to save anyway.  I am happy for him as I think he was given up on here in Florida.  After coming over in the Luongo deal he started out well, struggled a bit, then hurt his knee and lost his confidence.  Uncle Jack can do that to you, especially if he doesn’t like you.  So Good luck Alex.  I hope you’ve found a home in Ottawa. 

Notes:  The Panthers are still without a captain.  At a time when leadership is needed more than ever,
isn’t there a healthy player that can take this role?  Nick Boynton? Keith Ballard?

Thanks for reading.