"Who are these Florida Panthers and what have you done with the real ones?!" -Every Panther Fan
Don't look now but the Florida Panthers have won four in a row and are one of the hottest teams in the NHL. While it is sad the Cats have not achieved this streak for two years, the circumstances surrounding this surge are especially intriguing.
After their 3-1 win in Toronto last night, the Panthers have won 5 of their last 6 and are on the verge of becoming relevant in the playoff discussion as the New Year approaches.
When Peter Horachek replaced Kevin Dineen as head coach on Nov. 8th, it looked like an interim hire at best to finish out the rest of the season that was spiraling out of control. Now it looks like Horachek might be the guy they needed all along.
In speaking with sources around the organization, the biggest difference in the new regime is the players WANT to play for Horachek. Dineen had lost the locker room. For those that know of Dineen's playing career, he played with fire and aggression. When he was upset as a coach, which was often, his tirades and chair throwing were quickly lost on the players.
They started to tune him out.
Horachek came in and installed a system of trust and a fast, north-south style of play. Several players mentioned Dineen's was more east-west and did not play into the skills of the few playmakers the Panthers have on the roster.
Scottie Upshall, who is experiencing a career resurgence under Horachek(Upshall played for him for 5 years in Nashville), is very pleased with the new direction of the team. "Peter demands a fast pace game with no spectators," said Upshall. "He wants everyone involved, playing north, and getting pucks deep. One thing we've been really good at is limiting our turnovers and chances against."
Not only is Upshall enjoying the breath of fresh air, but the young core is also flourishing. Nick Bjugstad, Aleksander Barkov, and Jonathan Huberdeau have been freed up to be the offensive studs they can be. Dylan Olsen and Jimmy Hayes, the two young players acquired in the Kris Versteeg trade, have exceeded expectations with very solid play from day one. Olsen has been especially surprising, which will be discussed in a later post.
It has been a long time since it was smiles all around in the Florida locker room.
If seeing is believing, and scoreboard means everything, then Panther players have to be really happy with what Horachek has brought to a floundering team that couldn't get out of its own way.
As Panthers color commentator Bill Lindsay told me, the best coaches he ever had were the ones that never got too high or too low during the long NHL season. It was hard for Dineen to fit that bill. However, Horachek brings a stern yet calming force that this team apparently needed in dire ways.
This holiday season might be more joyous than expected for the players and fans of the Florida Panthers.
Dan Spiegel... Florida Panthers Media Follow me on Twitter Join the Florida Panthers Insiders FB Page Connect with me on Google Plus