The Panthers split their games this past weekend with a loss to Buffalo and a win over Pittsburgh.
The Sabre loss was an exercise in frustration, as it felt like they could have won, but came around a little too late with the clock working against them. It’s also hard to get an advantage when your starter (Bob) stops 4 of 7 shots before being pulled and you go 0-3 on the PP - wasting all those man advantages.
In Bob’s defense (somewhat), those goals were set up really nicely – especially the first two. But the woes continue for the highly paid netminder. I tend to agree with what Rats often says in the comments section regarding Bob, but the reality is, at least to me, that #72 just doesn’t have it right now and it’ll be hard to stay on the playoff path with the combo of defensive struggles and a shaky $10 Million Dollar Man in the blue paint…
The Pens game was a lot better. It seems like the Cats respond well with Driedger in net. I think there’s a confidence Driedger has that the players pick up on. It could be a sense that they know the guy behind them is capable of making the stops and bailing them out when needed. That can loosen guys up and allow them to play a more open/confident game.
Aside from that, they just looked good all around against Pittsburgh. A great team effort combined with smart play and solid effort from start to finish. This is how you want/need them to play on a regular basis.
Shynes57 the GM
I enjoy your guy’s activity in the comments section. Shynes57 wears his heart on his sleeve and I appreciate that. I like his hot takes during the games and recently some of his discussion has focused on Hoffman.
And I’m with you on it.
Provided they could, I had actually wanted the Cats to move him earlier when his stock was presumably higher. My hope was that they could trade him for defensive help, which I don’t think would have been unrealistic. Aside from his goal the other night, I think his recent scoring struggles have hurt his value. He just doesn't do enough when not scoring to make him a very desirable asset in my opinion. There’s teams out there that could benefit from his services when he's scoring – especially around the deadline to bulk up for the playoffs – but can he get back on pace for Florida to find the right deal?
Ideally, I’d love to move 68 for help that could slot in on the backend. Maybe with him moved you let Tippett slide into the roster? Have Q fire up the blender to figure out some combos that work. The Cats have benefited in the past from call-ups injecting a spark into the lineup. We’ve heard for a long time that Tippett is in the plans to be a fixture for this club. If he’s not going to be used as a trade piece to help get a big return, why not bring him into the fray now?
Sitting on 30 points in 38 games this season for the Thunderbirds, I’m down to give this guy a longer look with the big club. Not trying to dog these guys, but I think Tippet could probably do the same job as a Malgin or Scevs, if not better, so why not take a chance?
I still think a bit of a shake up is in order here…
Coyotes Roam East
Arizona comes into town riding one of the better seasons in their history and on the vapors of going all in on Taylor Hall.
This is no longer the non-traditional market team that people used to crack jokes on. These guys have built up an impressive roster and are holding their own in second place of a competitive Pacific Division. Youth, speed, and skill is flanked by veterans like OEL, Hjalmarsson, Kessel and Hall.
The Cats PP struggles could hit even more of a wall against AZ, who currently sit fifth in the league for Penalty Kill percentage at 83.1.
Add to that goaltender Darcy Kuemper’s 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 GAA average and it should make for an interesting night (if he’s starting).
The Panthers should be in good shape if they can suppress the amount of shots the Yotes get like they did against Buffalo - allowing only 18. Keeping the speedy forwards and active defensemen of Arizona to the outside will be clutch for the Cats' defense tonight.
My prediction is fast, back-and-forth action. I'm excited to watch because I haven't seen what this new look AZ team is like since the T Hall acquisition.
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Cats 4, Yotes 3
Let's go Panthers!
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