It was a big night for the Panthers on Thursday when they downed the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-0.
It started in the blue paint where Bob morphed into a wall - turning away all 37 shots the Hawks peppered him with - to earn himself a shutout and put him at 7-0-0 for the month of March.
He’s 33-6-3 and tied for second in the NHL in wins. Bob is three games away from breaking Lou’s franchise record of 35 (2005-06 and 2015-16).
Sergei Bobrovsky has been named the NHL's 3rd Star of the Month after going 7-0-0 with a 2.13 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and two shutouts in March.
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) April 1, 2022
Lomberg appears to be turning into a legitimate offensive threat..? This guy’s motor has propelled him to top line minutes and he keeps finding a way to produce each game.
Then there was the cavalcade of milestones:
But perhaps the highlight of the night came in the form of an old school Gudas hip check on Kirby Dach that rocked the house.
Gudas: “I take pride in playing physical. I never thought I’d be leading the league [in hits], but we’re playing a pretty good system for that type of game for myself. I’m enjoying playing here. Getting the support from the fans is all I need to get going every game.…
The hip check is alive and well in South Florida! 💥 pic.twitter.com/WNWOGXgQVo
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) April 1, 2022
It was an important win to help keep building the confidence at this juncture with the post-season looming on the horizon.
They should have another chance this afternoon to build on that momentum when they faceoff against the recently-eliminated-from-the-playoffs New a Jersey Devils.
New Jersey…what can you say? Before the season started I had them pegged as dark horse. They made some really good moves and it felt like they could be a sneaky, under the radar team.
But the exact opposite happened.
They have had an awful season. Their 24-38-5 record is a reflection of just that. Injuries, uninspired play, etc., have all contributed to their current campaign.
As the Cats’ site points out:
“Last in the Metropolitan Division, the Devils (24-38-5) have lost six of their last eight games and enter this afternoon's contest reeling from an 8-1 beatdown in Boston on Thursday. Trailing 2-1 after the first period, New Jersey surrendered six unanswered goals to the Bruins in the second.
With the lopsided loss, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention.
"We all had a part in this one," New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff said.
Of course, a team with nothing to lose is sometimes even more dangerous.
Looking to prove themselves against the Panthers, the Devils are led up front by the trio of Jesper Bratt (65 points), Jack Huges (55 points) and Nico Hischier (48 points). Over the last eight games, those three players have combined for 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points.
Getting the bulk of the starts as of late, rookie goaltender Nico Daws, who was pulled during the second period against the Bruins, has gone 8-9-0 on top of a .894 save percentage this season.…
While Acciari and Hornqvist won’t make the trip to New Jersey, it sounds like we could see Lundell back in the lineup.
Hopefully Weegar gets over this little slump he’s hit. “Slump… as in poor decision-making with the puck. It’s almost like he’s overthinking it when he has the puck. He seems rattled or something. There have been a number of uncharacteristic flubs where he turns the puck over either by coughing it up or through poorly judged passing attempts.
He’ll het it ironed out.
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Nothing like some Saturday afternoon hockey…Go Panthers!