All of a sudden, things look more ominous for the Florida Panthers. Jose Theodore came through with a stellar 3-0 shutout in Game 5, but tweaked the same knee he injured earlier this year so Scott Clemmensen gets the call. Jacob Markstrom, the goaltender of the future, is being called up from San Antonio to serve as backup.

Obviously Clemmensen's performance, and health, is vital tonight. As talented as Markstrom is, the moment might be too big for him and if there is any situation that brings him into the game it is probably time for a Game 7 Thursday night.

Jason Garrison still remains out with the mysterious "lower body" injury. Keaton Ellerby, Garrison's replacement in Game 4 that was also injured, is a game-time decision for tonight. San Antonio call-up Tyson Strachan all but assured his second start of the playoffs, and if you ask any Panther fan, they probably want him in the game more than Ellerby. He never looks out of place and definitely has a better nose for creating offense.

After game 5, one which the Panthers thoroughly dominated, a few Devils had some choice words for the Panthers. Zach Parise said Theodore "got lucky" on his way to a shutout, and Martin Brodeur said his Devils "were the better team." Well, being down 3-2 in the series says otherwise, and one can bet Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen has used those quotes as bulletin board material of sorts.

Any goaltender that posts a shutout in the playoffs probably had his share of luck, as did Brodeur in Game 4 when Sean Bergenheim clearly had him beat on the doorstep but failed to convert. Goaltenders can easily benefit from or get burned by luck in a flash. Such is the nature of the game. For Parise to mention luck regarding Theodore's performance is laughable, and unfortunate. Sounds more like sour grapes.

There is no doubt the Devils have better offensive skill on their top line, but the better team? Scoreboard. Scoreboard.

This has been one of the more underrated series with all the drama going on around the league during these playoffs. The fact that a 3-0 lead has been held by one of these teams in each of the first five games is amazing, and not without its share of intrigue.

Tomas Fleischmann has not been skating since Game 5, most likely to rest his banged up body. Dineen has routinely given him time off so there is apparently no need for concern regarding his status, nor does it have anything to do with his previous blood-clotting issues.

Should be a humdinger tonight as this game could go either way. It sounds like a broken record to say the Devils will come out flying and the Panthers need to be ready. But there is no question this will be the hardest game the Panthers have played in 16 years. The fourth win in any series is always the hardest to acheive. On the road in front of tremendous hostility even harder. A Panther win would shock the hockey world, and send them further in this Cinderella season. However, most of us probably think this series is going 7.

Twitter @DanSpiegel
www.danspiegel.net

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