I’m not sure how many people are fans of Seinfeld (I’m a huge one), but watching the Cats lose to the Senators instantly reminded me of Jerry dropping the line for which this blog is titled after.
What can you really say about the loss Sunday night?
Not only were the Panthers beaten by the worst team in the Eastern Conference, but with 51 points, Ottawa is the worst team in the league.
Granted, any team can be beaten on any night. We know that. But this isn’t one of those fluky situations where a good team happened to lose to a team they should beat…this is a continued pattern of losing that is frustrating to watch.
Sunday’s loss left fans asking the same question they’ve been asking for a long time now:
“Who exactly are the Panthers?…
To me, I see a team with no real identity when I look at these guys. What’s their direction? There just doesn’t feel like there’s a game plan in place.
There’s a lot of talent in this lineup, but for some reason, it’s failed to find consistent success. Yes, a lot of that falls on the players, but sometimes it falls more to the men behind the players – the coaching staff.
After being defeated by the lowly Senators, there was quite a bit of blowback from Panthers fans calling for Boughner, his staff and Tallon to be removed.
I’ve always believed that as pro athletes, guys should be motivated enough to compete and win. You don’t get to that level without being a competitor. After all, these are grown men, not PeeWees.
While there should be leadership coming from the players in the locker room, you can’t underestimate the impact of solid leading from a coaching staff – especially the big cheese.
Before the season started, NHL Network did their 31 Teams in 31 Days feature where they preview/break down each team for the upcoming season. They look at the team’s past and give their opinions on the future and where they think the team will end up, etc.
One of the points they brought up was the Panthers bringing Boughner into the fold in 2017.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I think a lot of the current situation harkens back to the Gallant firing. Yes, it’s in the past and I don’t want to keep bringing it up (because that’s annoying to do that), but I think it makes sense to mention it one more time, as it’s one of the bigger blunders this organization has made.
I wrote the below in a blog from a couple months back, but wanted to share it again before touching on the current coaching situation:
Back in November of 2016, the Florida Panthers made a move that left many people scratching their heads, when they fired (then) head coach Gerard Gallant. They were 11-10-1 and only 2 points out of the playoff picture when Gallant got the axe. What made things stranger was that he had led the Panthers to a franchise-record of 103 points the season before (helping make the playoffs) and cementing him with the best head coach record in Panthers’ history at 96-65-25.
Many believed at the time that Gallant and the front office were at odds in terms of the direction the team should move in. Florida had shifted gears to a more numbers-heavy mindset and a causality of that was moving Defenseman Erik Gudbranson (whom Gallant really liked, Dale Tallon saw as a future Captain and was a major part of the Panthers nucleus) to the Vancouver Canucks, as well as making other moves to bring in guys that statistically looked good. This decision coincided with the analytics vs. ‘gut feeling’ debate that has raged across pro sports – most notably in baseball. There’s obviously a place for both and there needs to be a balance between the two.
It’s also important to note that in the summer of 2016, the Panthers had unveiled new sweaters and a complete marketing overhaul. The explanation by the front office was that the inspiration for the new look came from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division (hence the new logo looking like military insignia). This is interesting/ironic to note because after Gallant was fired, Brian Lawton mentioned on NHL On the Fly that it seemed like Florida may not be looking for leaders so much as they would be looking for soldiers. Maybe Panthers brass had made a decision that they wanted guys in there that would keep their heads down and follow orders and not necessarily guys who might push back by offering up their own ideas, thoughts and opinions like Gallant? Who really knows?
So fast-forward to today…
Gallant has found a lot of success in Vegas, though this second season has been more of a wild card for them. Pure luck? Probably not. I think it’s a combo of having talented guys, but above all, solid coaching from a guy who “gets it.… Gallant has the Knights playing an up-tempo game; using speed and skill to their advantage. There’s no doubt he has his players believing in themselves and what they can do – as evident by their first (unbelievable) season.
Florida removed Gallant because they wanted to go towards the numbers game and try to find success that way. Analytics is important, but there needs to be a balance between stats and having a (gut) feel for the game and knowing what to do. The Panthers tried the money ball route after Gallant and didn’t quite work out.
Enter Boughner.
The other point the NHL Network mentioned was that Boughner was brought in as an answer of sorts to the failed numbers experiment. They were hoping his tougher style during his playing days would translate to the bench. Instead of having a ‘yes man’ (Tom Rowe) for the front office leading the team, they would now have a take-charge kind of guy (Boughner), but it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
While we’re not in the locker room, nor do we know what goes on behind closed doors, the insight we get into the philosophy of Boughner and his staff comes from interviews (practice, post game, etc.). The picture that’s typically painted is one of positivity and sometimes excuses coming from external situations (bad bounces, puck luck, etc.).
I know it’s a delicate dance between media and coaches/players and the latter never wants to give up too much for the former to run with. And while it’s always good to be positive, sometimes it would be nice to see some emotion and accountability – send a message and help give these players something to think about.
The reality is that the Panthers should be a much better team than they are and easily higher in the standings. However, if you listened to the post-game interviews, you would think they’re right where they need to be.
Thinking about what a lot of frustrated fans are saying…maybe a coaching change would help shake things up and bring in a fresh mentality/game plan?
With the Cats sitting 10 points out of the playoffs and playing how they are, I wonder (if a change is to come) if they wait for the summer or do it now.
I like Boughner and want to see him do well for himself, his staff and the organization. He seems like a good guy and in his defense (though not an excuse), he did inherit a shaky blueline (one that Tallon really needs to address come summer) and goalie situation. I just sometimes wonder if this group of guys would benefit from someone like a Joel Quenneville, type.
I’ll keep this as short as possible, because this blog has gone on way too long and I can go into a lot of detail about Q’s style, but…
I watched Q his entire time with the Hawks. I love this guy. Sure, he had much different teams (talent wise) to work with than what the Panthers had over the years and an incredible defensive core, but he also has a philosophy and personality that has helped him and his teams succeed.
I believe Q’s time as a defensemen certainly influenced his coaching style – as he is a huge stickler for defense. If you’re playing Q’s system, you’re expected to play defense. Plain and simple - regardless of who you are - he wants forwards getting back to break up plays. He expects his defensemen to be responsible and focused on their job. This is something that has lead to him bumping heads with GM Stan Bowman over the years in terms of bringing players in, who to play, drafting, trades, etc., etc.
It’s never a bad thing to have a coach and front office not always see eye-to-eye. A coach fighting for what he believes in and what he thinks is best for his team can help tremendously in terms of overall team growth and success. Gallant was rumored to be the same way and look what he accomplished with his time in Florida.
In closing… there’s not just one area the Panthers need to tweak. There are a few (as you know). I think the most important right now might be figuring out who they are and what direction they want to move in. That will help them know who to go after this summer, what trades to make own the line and so on. They have to get away from what feels like a never-ending transition phase that’s led to purgatory – hovering just above or below .500.
Let’s figure it out and get this thing moving in the right direction…
Go Cats!