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Lack of Effort, Time to Bounce Back |
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It’s hard to win when when you surrender 48 shots (many of them good opportunities), can’t capitalize on the opportunities you get and play a generally flat game.
That’s the exact position the Cats found themselves in against the Lighting on Tuesday. Outshot by a margin of 48-28, the Panthers were actually lucky the score stayed at 2-1 and it wasn’t more lopsided. Props to Bob on a solid performance where his help was scarce at best.
I saw a lot of fans upset on the reversal (to a no-goal) on Connolley’s tip in. I was actually OK with this call and I think the refs got it right. What did you guys think?
Tuesday’s loss added to my feeling that a trade/move is probably in order and soon. This team is just not consistent enough (at least in my opinion). The defense, offense and goaltending seem to fluctuate with poor play on and off (together or speratley) too often. Something is needed to stabilize this team. I thought this roster already contained it, but I’m starting to wonder if it needs to be sought out elsewhere. While there’s still plenty of time, we can see the Cats are sliding in the standings.
The loss puts the Panthers at 3-2 on this current homestand. In order to bounce back, they’ll have to do it tonight against one of the leagues toughest teams in the New York Islanders. NYI sit at an impressive 20-7-2, good enough for second place in the Metropolitain - behind the strong Capitals.
The Isles boast a roster of young, talented guys. They use speed and skill to their advantage and have players with the ability to make something out of nothing. Not only that, but they’ve been getting some solid goaltending out of Varlamov of Greiss - something they ran into the last time these two organ-I-zations faced off.
While Brazal has been emerging as the guy on this Islanders team, one of the things that always impresses me with them is that their roster doesn’t contain a “star” in a sense of an Ovi, etc., but what they do so well to have the success they do, is play solid throughout the lineup. It seems like every guy knows his role and does his job. I admire that in a team and it makes for some good watching.
I’d like to see Florida bounce back in a way that sees them get back to where they were having their recent success: bodies out front. Both Varlamov and Greiss are in the zone, it’ll take disruption to get them off their game. Panthers defense also needs to try and keep these skilled N.Y. forwards to the outside and take away those high quality chances.
Lastly, I saw some talk in the comments of the last blog about Trocheck. I agree with you guys, I’d like to see him producing more, and quickly. He was such a spark of this team when he came back from injury last year. He needs to be that guy again, but I’m wondering if he’s maybe he’s not fully healed form that injury he suffered earlier this season...
C’mon, boys, let’s get this thing figured out and racking up those wins!
Go Panthers!
PS - Here’s some nice community work by the Cats.
PPSS - With DeBoer out in San Jose, it looks like Boughner might get another shot behind the bench. Hey, good for him. No hard feelings on this end.
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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