Zito gets Montour from BUf for a 3rd Rounder.
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“
We tried, but we weren’t very good.” - Q
That’s about the best summary for Thursday night’s 3-0 loss to Carolina that I could find.
What an awful game...maybe one of the worst (if not the worst) games the Panthers have had this season.
I think what bothers me so much is the fact that they weren’t in it at all. I mean, here’s a real test for the squad to go up against a team that has dominated you all season, with an ex-player that currently owns real estate in every Florida player’s mind. I (like all of us) expected them to come out flying and finally make a statement against these guys. Instead, we had to watch a game where it was painfully visible that the Cats wouldn’t be getting anything going.
Here’s an excerpt from an article on the
Panthers website that frames the game in a slightly different light:
“
Despite the final score, the game was played pretty tight at even-strength.
When it was all said and done, the Panthers led 17-15 in shots on goal and 11-9 in high danger shot attempts, while the Hurricanes held a slim 30-29 advantage in total shot attempts at 5-on-5. The two teams also finished tied in scoring chances with 16 apiece, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
So, once again, the game came down to special teams.
Finding the back of the net on the man advantage in both halves of their two-game set with the Panthers, the Hurricanes, who rank first in the league on the power play, went 1-for-4 tonight.
“Their power play has been lethal against us," Quenneville said. "It starts getting them excited in the game. At 5-on-5, I thought we played them decently. Whether that's the difference or not, special teams are something we've got to make sure we're better at.”
Unless I was watching a different game, I really don’t think this one boiled down to just special teams. Yes, the Cats’ Power Play continues to be awful - going 0/4 in this game and 0/11 in their last four games - but I didn’t see even-strength play exactly lighting it up either. The whole game was an exercise in the Panthers being “off.”
Time to Panic?
No. But I think it’s totally acceptable to be frustrated.
We know that this is a different Panthers team than what we’re used to. We have seen the tougher play and the battling. Maybe it’s the shaky confidence of a Florida fan, but games like this always give me a mix of the below and I hate it because I don’t want to be “that guy”:
1. Just one of those nights
2. Carolina just has their number
3. Maybe they’re “bum slayers” and aren’t who we think they are
I’m not always seriously in #3 territory, but the thought does sometime cross my mind. While there’s been some jumbling position-wise, for the most part, Florida, Tampa and Carolina have secured three of the four playoff spots in the Central Division throughout the season.
I don’t think it’s a fluke that they’re there and have managed to maintain a top four position. They’re better than they have been in past seasons. Sure, they have probably benefited a bit from their schedule and that’s OK - they should be taking advantage of that. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned when it came to these Hurricanes games as well as their losses to Tampa.
I wish we weren’t in this division-only play because I would like to see how the Panthers stack up to teams across the league like a normal season. This setup is hard to get a good gauge of where the team truly stands.
How would Florida do against teams that are Carolina caliber or better?
Trades
Hall and/or Subban coming to Florida? That’s what a lot of the rumor mills are saying. Always some wild stuff around this time of year, and Florida needs a legit defenseman and forward, but I hope neither guy mentioned above is true. I think they would require an overpayment (which I think Zito is too smart for).
While we continue to soak up all the potential deals that might be in the works via those rumor mills, let’s take a look at the official words from yesterday’s
press release regarding the trade with Chicago:
“
Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Lucas Carlsson and forward Lucas Wallmark from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Brett Connolly , defenseman Riley Stillman , the restricted free agent rights to forward Henrik Borgstrom and a 2021 seventh-round draft pick.
Carlsson, 23, has appeared in 12 games this season with Chicago, recording one assist. The 6-foot, 189-pound native of Gävle, Sweden, also appeared in seven American Hockey League (AHL) games with the Rockford IceHogs, producing three points (1-2-3).
Originally selected by Chicago in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 2016 National Hockey League Draft, Carlsson has played 18 career NHL games, all with Chicago (2019-20 to 2020-21), registering two assists. Over 124 career AHL games, Carlsson has amassed 62 points (15-47-62).
Prior to his career in North America, Carlsson played 136 games in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), posting 38 points (14-24-38) for Brynäs (2014-15 to 2017-18). On the international stage, he represented Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording three points (1-2-3) over seven games and owning a tournament-best +9 rating.
Wallmark, 25, has appeared in 16 games this season with Chicago, posting three assists. The 6-foot, 178-pound native of Umea, Sweden appeared in seven games with Florida during the 2019-20 season, registering two points (1-1-2). He appeared in two postseason games with the Panthers during the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
Originally selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round (97th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Wallmark has appeared in 183 career NHL games with Chicago (2020-21), Florida (2019-20) and Carolina (2016-17 to 2019-20), recording 59 points (23-36-59). He has played 17 career playoff games, posting five points (1-4-5).“
I read a lot of people saying Chicago fleeced Florida. I think it was a good move for both sides. I assume Zito did it to shed some salary in order to make room for a bigger move before Monday.
I had no attachment to Connolly. I didn’t think he brought much to this team, but I was bummed to see Stillman go. I think he has a lot of upside and will eventually unlock his skills and bring a game that’s becoming extinct (but very desirable) in the changing NHL: a stay-at-home defenseman. I think he’ll do well learning from Keith and Murphy in Chicago.
Nice to see Wallmark back for some depth and I’m happy to get Carlsson. I liked what I saw of him when he was in for the Hawks. Thought he had some sandpaper and skill to him. Let’s see what he does in cat head sweater...
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Time to bounce back against the 14-14-10 Dallas Stars who had a big 5-1 win against the Hawks Thursday night.
Keep moving forward - Go Panthers!
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