As the Panthers prepare to play game number 42 in New Jersey tonight, the roller coaster that is this season has revealed several things. If you ask the fan base almost all of them would be negative, but when using logic instead of emotion the sky is not falling.
Here are the five things we've learned so far:
1) There are injuries, and then there are INJURIES- Eventually it gets to a point where injuries truly are a reason for a team's struggles. No team in the NHL can suffer the types of injuries the Panthers have endured this year and be at the top of their game.
With well over 100 man games lost at just the half way point, Florida has yet to have a healthy roster for even one game this season. Currently on the shelf are Jonathan Huberdeau(Achilles), Nick Bjugstad(groin), Sasha Barkov(mysterious lower body), Seth Griffith(concussion), Greg McKegg(upper body) and Alex Petrovic(broken ankle).
This is Bjugstad's second time on the IR after missing the first quarter of the season after breaking his wrist in Dallas during the preseason.
Each of the above players should be back within the next 3-4 weeks, if not sooner. That should be just the shot in the arm at just the right time to make a stretch run.
Also missing time this year are Jussi Jokinen(10 games), Jonathan Marchessault(8 games), Reilly Smith(2 games), and Colton Sceviour(2 games).
The Barkov injury is the most damaging to this team as he is one of the best two-way centers in the league and takes pride in shutting down opposing top lines. Without him opposing shots go up and the Panthers are forced to score more to stay in games. With so many missing players that makes the mountain even steeper to climb night to night.
When it gets to a point where 3-6 starters are missing at all times, it is no longer a "next man up" situation. It's rather survival mode in the hopes of getting a point here and there until the reinforcements arrive.
No coach, including Gerard Gallant, could win consistently with this patchwork team and lines. Until health arrives it will be struggle.
2) Penalty killing is shining- Last year the Panthers finished 24th on the PK and that was an obvious concern when constructing this roster. The Panthers now rank 6th in this department, killing 84.8% of the opposition's chances.
This is arguably the most important unit on the team while this team struggles to score while banged up. If they can keep up this performance as they get healthier they will be very dangerous during the second half.
3) Power play is a mess- When the Panthers brought in Keith Yandle it was a clear message they wanted more out of their power play, which finished 23rd last year. To this point it has not happened. Florida currently sits in the same position and has rarely shown the chemistry these new additions were supposed to create.
To be fair, Yandle leads the team with nine power play points, but as a unit they are falling way short of expectations.
I know many people poo poo when plus/minus is discussed, but it is worth mentioning that Aaron Ekblad has BY FAR the worst rating at -15 to go along with his seven goals and 4 assists in 41 games. After getting a franchise record contract extension he has not been the player we've seen over the last few seasons. He is another key power play contributor that needs to pick it up.
He is the ultimate competitor and surely no one is more frustrated about his struggles than he, but the clock is ticking on this season and getting in gear for a push. He has averaged 38 points and a plus 15 in his first two seasons with the Cats. Not only has he taken a step back, he is woefully short of matching his previous totals.
For what it's worth, you know who was putting up similar types of numbers as Ekblad before he was lost for the season? Erik Gudbranson in Vancouver(30GP, 1G, 5A, -14). Interesting.
Looking back, it's amazing the Panthers had their best season in franchise history last year(103 points) with the 24th ranked penalty kill and 23rd power play. It's shocking, actually.
4) Fans emotions getting the best of them- Not one person on the planet can accurately determine whether the firing of Gallant and replacing him with Tom Rowe was right or wrong.
It doesn't matter if most people "liked" Gallant or not. Management didn't like what they were seeing and decided to make a change.
Gallant came out today and said he wasn't completely opposed to the analytical approach of management but he was stubborn and probably said too much. As I've said in previous posts Gallant did himself in by publicly stating he couldn't play "tough" in games if he wanted to, taking a passive aggressive shot at management for trading Gudbranson.
Management didn't approve of such swipes, and did something about it. Gallant had as much to do or more with his dismissal than most will accept.
Regardless, a team that has not been healthy for even one game is an unknown commodity. Seemingly every game there are different line combinations, injuries, and adversity.
Add to that tweaks to the system and it's extremely difficult to maintain any consistency. It could be argued that the Panthers are the best team in the NHL with where they stand in the divisional standings and factoring in all they've been through.
While the struggles against Boston have really hurt, the Panthers still only remain four points out of third place and five points out of second. They sit here with a largely AHL squad...a situation that will only get better in the coming weeks with the horses returning.
There is no question missing the playoffs after last year would be a devastating disappointment, but certain types of adversity are TEMPORARILY too much. This could be one of those seasons, but I still expect this team to be very much in the thick of the playoff race come April.
5) Jaromir Jagr defies belief- Jaromir Jagr will turn 45 next month, and he continues to be an enigma. With all the injuries to such young players on this team, he is one of the few that has played every game. He recently passed Mark Messier for second in all-time points and Paul Coffey for fifth all-time in assists.
He is an invaluable coach and mentor to the other players in the locker room. But his health has been key in staying afloat during the waiting game of getting key players back. Jagr currently third on the team in points with seven goals and 18 assists.
Playing with many different linemates this season hasn't deterred him from producing. It looks like his new offseason workout regiment and weight loss is paying big dividends.
In summary, there is still work to do. There are still players to get back. The Panthers have yet to hit any stride at all without their full compliment of players. Whether it's this year or next, there will be a time to judge the effectiveness of the roster changes many deemed unnecessary.
For management's sake positive results better come this season or there will be gaggles of angry fans and emails coming their way. But again, there isn't enough data to determine who the Panthers are. Level heads are needed until that time comes.
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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