...how long does it take to say "I'll do what he's doing?"
Head coach Gerard Gallant has been saying it. Color commentator Denis Potvin has been saying it. Practically everyone has been saying it.
SHOOT THE PUCK!
Jimmy Hayes apparently is the only one who got the memo.
After sitting out the first two games of the season as a healthy scratch, Jimmy Hayes was called to duty against Ottawa Monday night. Even though the Panthers lost the game 1-0, Hayes proved to be the spark plug the team needed when on the ice.
The problem was that time was only 8:33. His four shots lead the team and he was far and away on the ice less than any other player. That in and of itself is the problem regarding the Cats' offensive woes to start the season.
When Hayes is leading the team in shots, that is a problem. When he is arguably the best player on the ice for the Panthers on any night, that is a problem. That is not to say Hayes is not a good player. He is. He uses his huge body to his advantage to create his offensive opportunities. He is excellent in creating traffic in front of opposing goaltenders on the power play. But even he would probably say the team is likely struggling if he is creating the most offense.
Like former head coach Kevin Dineen used to say, it's imperative to get the "cute" out of the player's games. So far, that is exactly the problem. Guys are taking too much time to let the shot go. Everyone seems to be looking for the great pass first. Not enough one timers. Very few bang-bang plays. Too much thinking and not much reacting. Squeezing the sticks too tight. On and on it goes in a very familiar world for Florida.
You look at the roster and think scoring shouldn't be a major concern. Three games in and only 3 goals scored makes it mandatory to fix it right away. The special teams, especially the power play, look every bit as bad as last season's debacle. There doesn't seem to be any decent chemistry between lines yet.
However, when you talk the team and coaches, they are all upbeat. As far as they are concerned the first period against New Jersey was the only bad period they've had so far. That is fine and dandy, except for the scoreboard. Call it bad breaks, bad penalties, or lack of skill. Whatever it is, the Panthers are already in a hole.
Shawn Thornton and Tomas Fleischmann are the only two players to have as many as 4 shots in a game. That has to change. Whether they are going against the other team's top lines or not, Barkov, Bjugstad, Huberdeau, and Boyes have to get going. Absolute bombarding the net with shots is the only way to get out of this slump.
The four game, 10-day road trip to Buffalo, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona the Panthers start tomorrow night is an extremely important stretch. Go 1-3 and the playoff mountain becomes even steeper.
The best pass in hockey is a rebound. The Panthers have to start using that approach. If Jimmy Hayes is the only player that can be counted on to just let it rip, struggles are inevitable.
Dan Spiegel... Florida Panthers Media