If you guys haven’t had a chance yet, I recommend checking out the latest
Territory Talk Podcast episode with Bill Lindsay.
Always cool hearing from guys who have been there and done that and Lindsay has some good insight as usual - with the bonus of being an original Panther.
One of the most important things he says is that for years the sentiment surrounding the Panthers was to just get into the playoffs. That has now changed to what can you do in the playoffs?
There’s no doubt about it that this team is structured for post-season hockey and could be setup for serious success for the next 5-10 years as Lindsay points out (though 10 might be a little long). As we’ve discussed before, anything short of at least a second-round appearance is a loss for this organization - it would symbolize/add to the Cats’ playoff purgatory they’ve been stuck in for years.
So how do they fare this season heading back into the Atlantic Division?
Despite it being a tough division, Lindsay believes they have a pretty good shot. When you look at the mix of teams in it, that feels like an accurate statement:
BOS - still very good, but has an aging core (as Lindsay points out)
TOR - can be strong upfront and do some damage but post-season is their Kryptonite
TBL - defending champs two years in a row, subtracted a lot of guys but will still be nasty
OTT - building up a team of the future but not there yet
MTL - question mark, like Lindsay said they could go from Cup Finals to missing the playoffs
DET - rebuilding with Yzerman’s wizardry pulling the strings
BUF - Eichel drama
It should be a fun ride watching FLA, BOS, TOR and TBL trade blows in the standings all season - each team battling for top spots in the division.
The best thing Florida can do is come out with a hot start like they did last season. Beat the teams you should beat and compete with the ones you should compete with. Build that confidence early.
Bill’s thought about goaltending being the biggest question mark on this team is valid, but not the biggest to me. Will Bob get back to form? Does the preview we saw of Knight show that he’s ready?
I personally believe Knight will drive Bob and there will be a healthy competition there. I don’t necessarily want to see Knight in just yet. Let him learn during the regular season in a true backup role. If something happens and he ends up taking over, so be it, but don’t rush it.
I know fans want him in but knee-jerk reactions in net by coaching staffs can be a bad thing. I think the handling of Bob and Driedger in round one was an example of that and a misstep by Q. Bob certainly didn’t lose the net in my estimation, yet was replaced. That turned into a three-man saga in the blue paint that was just kind of silly looking...My guess (hope) is that Bob will be using that situation and Knight nipping at his heels to propel him to be the #1 to somewhat justify that $10M a year. But we’ll have to wait and see.
The most interesting thoughts Lindsay shared revolved around Joe Thornton.
When the announcement was made about Jumbo signing with Florida, I was pumped, but surprised to see a number of fans dogging the signing. I know we were all thinking “another forward and not a defenseman?” But as Lindsay points out, the Cats have added a future HOF player for basically no money and one who is essentially a player/coach. Having him and Hornqvist in the locker room is going to add some serious wisdom and pedigree for these guys.
Lindsay adds that as Thornton has aged, he’s managed to adjust his game appropriately. When his scoring began to stop at the pace it once was, he changed his game to find a way to stay relevant and productive. The adjustment has come in the form of bolstering the defensive side of his game.
At his age and with this Cats’ roster, Thornton will not be playing every night, but the nights he does, he will certainly bring added defensive help from the front end - not to mention the ability to play up and down the lineup if needed.
Looking forward to Jumbo bringing his game and intangibles to this team.
Lastly, I really liked his story about coming into training camp as a rookie versus an established guy.
In all i found it to e a solid listen.
Lundell in Town
With the rookie tournament coming up, the destructor of European ice himself, Anton Lundell, is in FLA…who’s ready!?
Serious Question?
With many teams having third jerseys and the Cats often rumored to be getting one, I randomly found myself thinking about the ‘09 - ‘12 blue thirds…
I know the rumor is they were designed to be a big advertisement for Jet Blue - who had the colors the jerseys were modeled after - but I’m curious what you guys thought of them.
Until the recent marketing revamp, Florida stuck to their guns in terms of the main leaping cat logo, palm tree shoulder patch and color scheme - just making tweaks to the striping and Jersey layout. The 2009 sweater was a major shock to the system for Cats fans. Funny enough, I actually kind of liked it and then I hated it. Looking back on it again in 2021 and I can say I kind of like it again.
Don’t get me wrong…the main logo is atrocious. The leaping cat would have looked much better on it. But there are elements of this setup I actually like.
I think the general composition of the jersey with horizontal striping breaking up the colors was nice. I also liked the “FLA” shoulder/pant shell patch - though I would have stuck with the palm tree on just the jersey, left the “FLA” on the helmet and removed it from the shells. The pants had a nice touch with the vertical stripe and the socks were also a good throw back to the original sock composition (just different colors).
I think the most jarring thing is certainly the color choice. It had zero elements that were similar to the home and away jerseys at the time, making it look like a completely different team’s setup.
What were your guy’s thoughts on these?
[Image from nhluniforms.com]
[Image from BleacherReport]
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Have a great weekend and go Panthers!
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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