All-Star Weekend (FLA)

You probably won’t find a bigger Larry David than me when it comes to the All-Star game and the skills competition that precedes it.

I know, I know…it’s all about fun and you’re supposed to just enjoy the spectacle. In the end, it’s for the kids and that’s OK.

But I just can’t get into it.

I actually have a fuzzy memory of when and why I checked out of the ASG. Maybe I’m making this up in my mind, but I’m pretty certain I remember it being the 1996 ASG and Beezer wearing a mic. The announcers and Beezer would periodically chat throughout the game while he was in net. It was such a cheesy look to me and it seemed to magnify the lackadaisical product on the ice that makes up the All-Star Game.

Over the years, the pageantry has grown in stature and I’ve tried to get into it, but fail every year. Take tonight for example. I decided to tune into the Skills Competition just to see what was going on.

*Click* the TV turns on.

Voice command acknowledges “ESPN.…

The screen goes black as it pulls the broadcast through its motherboard.

Admittedly, my interest is peaked for a split second as to what the competition might hold.

An image takes the screen…it’s Jack Hughes dressed as a magician - complete with top hat and cape - skating around a giant magician’s box. Eventually a Pee-Wee aged player pops out of the box and races down the ice to score on a breakaway.

Whaa..?

*Click* the channel is changed.

I’m not going to spend the rest of this blog dogging the ASG weekend. If you dig it, that’s great. If you don’t, I get it.

But we do have two members of the Florida Panthers family being represented this weekend and it’s worth giving them a congrats.

The first is Andrew Brunnette. While he never made it to the ASG as a player, he finds himself there this weekend as a coach. Admittedly, I was one of the guys saying that Brunette should have probably been replaced when the Cats were going through that rough patch. I didn’t think he was “the guy… to get them to where they need to be. But he really has done a nice job with this team when you factor in all the stuff with Q’s departure, extremely high expectations for Florida, etc. Some people might say that you really don’t have to do much with a stacked roster like Florida’s, but I don’t always agree with that. There’s a lot of factors the skip has to account for, whether you’re on top of the league, or in the basement. The ASG nod acknowledges the work he’s done this year. The guys love him, too.

Then there’s Jonathan Huberdeau. AKA “Huby.… Or as I call him, the T-11. The guy is an absolute machine this year!

I don’t need to tell you, but in 47 games, the T-11 has a crazy 64 points (17G, 47A). It’s a career year for Huby and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. I hope he enjoys his ASG weekend because he deserves it.

In fact, I hope the whole Panther squad enjoys the next two weeks off, rest up and come back ready to cap the second half of this season off by keeping their impressive level of play up (hopefully raising it even higher) as they head into the playoffs.

Remember that the Cats’ 73 goals this past January are the most by any NHL team in a month in the last 25 seasons. So don’t come out of this break flat, boys!

In order to keep improving, they will have to seriously consider all options with the TDL on the horizon.

I’d keep an eye on this…

_______________________

Maybe I’ll be more inclined to watch next year’s ASG?

Have a great weekend, guys! Go Panthers!

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