Naysayers and "experts" be gone. The Florida Panthers are whipping boys and the punchline no longer. After storming through Toronto and Winnipeg 2-0 and out scoring them 10-3, including Kris Versteeg's first career hat trick, Florida sits atop the Southeast division and is off to their best start in franchise history.
Through all the criticism about the "Blueprint" and maligned contracts GM Dale Tallon offered in free agency, it looks as if there is a specific plan after all and not just a hodge podge of hopefully successful parts.
The blend of finesse, grit, and leadership is showing through in this young season, as well as new Head Coach Kevin Dineen proving he is NHL ready.
As with any overhauled team trying to build chemistry, there have been a few lackluster efforts. But by and large the Panthers are no longer the soft team they have been over the last several years. Known as notorious slow starters, the Panthers' early success is a breath of fresh air for a franchise that has been ailing for over a decade.
The defensive unit, lead by All-Star Brian Campbell and Jason Garrison's 6 goals, leads the NHL in points, and Campbell leads the league in assists. This unit added 10 more points on this short trip and is providing offensive punch even diehard Panther fans could not have predicted.
Campbell also leads the top-5 power play unit that is so improved from last year it really puts in perspective how weak this club was in the 2010-2011 season.
The masses can get off goaltender Jose Theodore's back as well, who is coming off two solid games where he stopped 63 of 66 shots and continues to be everything this team needs while the offense continues to improve.
Dineen is the real deal, and his clever use of timeouts this season has proved to be invaluable in a pinch to give his team the time it needs to regroup in tough situations. He has rolled four lines almost every game with confidence, as Tallon has assembled a trustworthy group that is blossoming before our eyes.
Reality is reality, and the season is a marathon, not a sprint. But if this season has shown anything to this point it is that these Florida Panthers just might be built to make some noise, as well as reverse the playoff drought that has been the black cloud over this organization for many years.
Twitter @DanSpiegel
danspiegel.net
*********
KINDLE USERS: Please subscribe to Panthers Buzz; a one-stop feed for all things Panthers-related on HockeyBuzz. Content is updated automatically whenever a new Cats-related blog is published. For more information,
click here.
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»