Last year Jose Theodore's knee injury forced youngster Jacob Markstrom into a starting role he may not have been ready for. Call it deja vu this season as Tim Thomas continues to struggle to stay healthy.
A few weeks ago he hurt his groin, and now he is hampered by a lower body injury that is reportedly not the same injury. But whatever it is, it is worse than the previous injury because Thomas has been placed on the IR.
Head coach Kevin Dineen said he is confident that it is not a long term injury, but either way Jacob Markstrom is now back as the starter while Thomas heals.
Last season Markstrom was lit up frequently with a patchwork defense in front of him and little NHL experience on his side. He also showed his potential in a few dominant performances as well. Now a bit older, stronger, and smarter about what the NHL game entails, never has there been a more important time in his career.
The 3-6-1 Panthers are showing signs of improvement. Their win against Minnesota Sunday and their shootout loss to the Blackhawks Tuesday says as much. After winning one game and getting blown out in the next to start the season, it seems the Cats are more fundamentally sound recently and all the new personnel is starting to gel.
But any chance of success this season is perilous right now. There is a massive difference between 4-8-1 and 6-6-1. With three games left on this six-game homestand against Buffalo, Tampa, and St. Louis, five points are mandatory.
While it is possible for any team to make a run, the Panthers are not constructed to win 10 of 12 at the moment. It's possible, but unlikely. So the time is now to string together some wins/points at home. And it likely is up to Markstrom.
Hopefully the Panthers will have a few "easy" wins over the next few days, where the offense just clicks, but it looks to be another year of dirty goals and gritty efforts for success.
What do you think? Can Markstrom carry the load for the time being and get the Panthers heading in the right direction? I certainly know there are varying opinions on this...
As always your comments are welcome.
Dan Spiegel...
Florida Panthers Media
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