"The sky is falling" mantra once again fills the minds of Panthers Nation as an 0-3 homestand has the natives restless.
After beating Nashville, San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and St. Louis on their most recent road trip, the good fortunes that helped create that epic streak have disappeared.
Shots that were goals are now hitting posts. Passes that were tape to tape are now missing the mark. Roberto Luongo, by his own admission, has gone from a solid netminder to slumping.
After being one of the hottest teams in the league the Panthers can't find luck, or a win, when they need it the most.
There was reason to be cautiously, even extremely optimistic a week ago. Now after three tough regulation losses much of wind has left the sails.
It won't take long to find the anti-Rowe masses hanging these three losses on the coaching after praising the players on the last road trip. It's an interesting line of thinking when the system installed for the players works when they execute what is coached, but doesn't when they don't. Somehow beating five solid teams on the road is a testament to the players. Three losses at home is an indictment of the coaching.
Obviously it's all bias, unfortunately.
There is no question the systems in place work when executed. If the team hadn't experienced any success at all such systems could be criticized. Since that is not a reality it's a moot point.
There are roughly four gajillion armchair coaches out there who have every suggestion in the world about what is wrong with this team. None are actually qualified but feel the need to go out of their way to proclaim from the mountaintops that Rowe isn't qualified either. Well, he is an NHL coach with wins under his belt, so yeah, he is.
From the beginning of Rowe's tenure as coach to this moment, there is no guarantee he will coach next year or even be with the organization. No one who is objective can say with certainty he is a good or bad coach and/or GM. There simply isn't enough time with a healthy squad to know one way or the other.
The same objectivity is needed when discussing whether Gallant would have done any better with a decimated lineup. Hunches, gut feelings, and biased opinions have no merit in a logical argument. It makes no difference whether people liked Gallant more or dislike Rowe without knowing anything about him. The organization feels they are moving in the right direction and only time will reveal the answer.
These last three games have not been lost for a lack of effort. Energy has been high and the players have shown urgency. The same puck luck on the road has not visited them at home. Luongo's shaky play likely cost the team the game against Calgary, and posts and missed nets have been a bugaboo.
The coaching staff isn't hitting the posts. The coaching staff doesn't create a goaltender slump. The same voices and structure had the Panthers as the talk of the NHL last week. Even with little praise they know what they do works. Now with three consecutive losses it's all their fault. On and on it goes.
It has to be excruciating for Rowe haters to cheer for and against their team at the same time. They want the playoffs so badly, yet know that a playoff berth increases the odds of the man they loathe losing that "interim" term in front of head coach. Soon enough it will be time to decide.
With 21 games left Florida is four points out of 3rd in the division and three points out of the last wild card spot. The season is hardly doomed, despite what you might read.
After Sunday's tough 2-1 loss to the Senators Rowe mentioned they are going to win a lot more games than lose if they continue playing that way. The Panthers certainly played well enough to win the the game. Take the posts away and they win by two or three goals. But the fortunes have gone the other way temporarily, as they will for every team in the race over the next six weeks.
One thing is for certain. There is going to be a part of Florida's fan base that will be very happy, even if it's in defeat. Rowe haters and those that support the team no matter what desperately want to be right. In today's internet world everyone wants to tell someone they told them so. Missing the playoffs would give misguided validation to all the venom. Making the playoffs would be an amazing accomplishment after taking 51 games to get healthy, but would be labeled as something achieved in spite of Rowe. Not because of him.
Either way there doesn't seem to be any warm, fuzzy feelings on the horizon. Luckily the players, who are ultimately the ones accountable for winning and losing, have been good at blocking out all the noise on the outside. They'd never want to come to work if they did.
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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