Got ‘’em right where we want ‘em…

Just kidding.

The Panthers took a 7-2 beat down in Vegas on Monday night to go down 2-0 in the series. In a scary twist of events, Florida looked like the Cats of November/December, and not the confident, tenacious group we’ve grown accustomed to seeing this postseason.

Not only is Vegas beating the Panthers on the ice, but the Panthers are beating themselves out there. Hard-nosed, level-headed play has been traded in for frustration and penalties. What’s more, I fear Bob may be losing (or lost) his confidence.

It looks all but done for Florida…

But it’s not.

Suffering an embarrassing loss can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. In a way, the Panthers have hit rock bottom. As such, the only way to go is back up. Is there the possibility of them getting beat again and eventually losing the series? Of course. But for the sake of this blog, let’s try and take the positive route.

Both teams have had two days off. For the Cats, it’s a chance to come home, lick their wounds, and reset. Most people didn’t expect Florida to win and at this point they really don’t expect them win. In some ways the pressure then grows a bit on Vegas to tighten the stranglehold.

The Knights are a team who continuously use the “Misfits” moniker and pretend to be some kind of underdog every year, despite having a stacked roster and ripping through the league year after year. Now they find themselves two wins away from making good on their owner’s comments about winning Lord Stanley by year six.

Ironically, an actual underdog team stands in their way. The Panthers have taken their fair share of lumps over their 30-year existence. In fact, they had one of the biggest falls from grace after winning the President’s Trophy last year.

I refuse to believe that they have “met their match,” or whatever other cliches the sports pundits are using. If VGK ends up taking this series and you want to say that, then so be it. But not now. Not while the Panthers still have breath. Don’t forget that Florida wasn’t supposed to win Round 1, Round 2, or Round 3. These guys have something special that they need to find again.

While it Lou still being out stings, getting Gudas back should be a big boost:

Maurice said he expects Gudas to suit for Game 3. He doesn’t expect Luostarinen to play. Bobrovsky back in net.

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) June 7, 2023

There’s a lot of examine in terms of figuring out how to get back on track. Here are a couple of the more major ones as I see it:

1. Find that Postseason Identity Again

I feel the Panthers have been overthinking Vegas. Yes, they’re a big/physical team that has tons of skill. But that hasn’t deterred the Cats in previous rounds. While BOS,TOR and CAR didn’t have the same makeup as the Knights, it didn’t matter to Florida because the Cats had the same game plan for each one: attack, attack, attack, hang around.

Florida hasn’t even really tested Vegas yet because they’re trying to adjust to VGK rather than bringing their game to them. Yes. That’s a testament to Vegas’ ability to get teams running around, but the Panthers have had spurts of play that shows they are plenty capable of hanging with these guys. They need to sustain that play and get Vegas on their heels.

2. Cooler Heads Prevail

Much like the Boston series, you cannot give Vegas the man advantage. While penalties will undoubtedly happen, Florida needs to clean up the unneeded ones. While I appreciate Florida trying to win the psychological warfare aspect of post-whistle scrums, etc., it’s obvious Vegas isn’t going to bite on anything and the result more times than not is a Panther going to the box.

Last game the Cats had 84 PIM. Outrageous.

I love Tkachuk and what he brings to this team, but we need him to calm down. He’s essentially missing periods of games due to misconducts. He’s too valuable to miss time out there. Everyone taking stupid penalties needs to stop. I would love to see these guys do a 180. Give Vegas a taste of their own medicine and don’t bite on anything.

3. Get to Hill

Adin Hill has made some great saves so far, but he is far from unbeatable (at least in my opinion). Florida has hit posts, not taken shots when they should have, missed the net, etc.

Let’s see the Cats pour the puck on relentless tonight!

4. The Foreman Effect

I’ve mentioned it before, but I want to say it again if only to give myself some hope.

At 45-years old, George Foreman defeated 27-year old Michael Moorer for the heavyweight title. At the time, Moorer was 35-0 with 30 KO. Moorer was smaller than Foreman, but was extremely quick and agile.

Knowing he couldn’t compete with Moorer’s speed, Foreman baited the champ by landing soft blows on him. After a time, Moorer believed Foreman had nothing left and let his guard down. Believing there was no real threat, Moorer turned away from his speed and decided to face Foreman head on. This is when Big George struck. After landing a thunderous blow that knocked Moorer to the mat, Foreman once again became the champ.

I write this because I hope that a trap of sorts has been inadvertently laid by the Panthers. I hope Vegas feels so confident after Game 2 that they come into Florida relaxed, thinking there’s no threat.

And I hope in this moment the Cats strike just like George Foreman did.
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GO PANTHERS!!!

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