Matt Ross: Barky-Less Cats Take on Devils

Not to sound like the jealous douche or anything... (we dont all have those hockey buzz benjamins rolling in) but it ticks me off a bit when these multi millionaires are like well we had better step it up. Excuse me but you should be stepped up all the damn time!

I agree with you 100%

I agree too but this is more like a cliche that they all say. Bottom line the team is so good they will do fine without Barkov. Barkov is a injury risk every year but he is a great player.

Not to sound like the jealous douche or anything... (we dont all have those hockey buzz benjamins rolling in) but it ticks me off a bit when these multi millionaires are like well we had better step it up. Excuse me but you should be stepped up all the damn time!
- Shynes57

Haha. I know what you mean. While it’s a standard thing to say, I do think there’s some legitimacy to it…

i think most guys serve a specific role on a team. When a guy goes down, the guys/coaching staff really do need to figure out how to fill that role. The Cats could lose a 2-1 game and maybe Barky would have been the difference-maker who scored to tie it or net the winner.

Now, this team seems pretty set offensively (knock on wood). I actually think a bigger glaring hole would be if someone like Hornqvist went down because they really don’t have anyone that plays the role he does.

The same goes for a team that has one or two big offensive guns where the majority of offense flows through them. If one of those guys is out, they might need others to change their role a bit and step up and try to generate more offense/scoring.

Haha. I know what you mean. While it’s a standard thing to say, I do think there’s some legitimacy to it…

i think most guys serve a specific role on a team. When a guy goes down, the guys/coaching staff really do need to figure out how to fill that role. The Cats could lose a 2-1 game and maybe Barky would have been the difference-maker who scored to tie it or net the winner.

Now, this team seems pretty set offensively (knock on wood). I actually think a bigger glaring hole would be if someone like Hornqvist went down because they really don’t have anyone that plays the role he does.

The same goes for a team that has one or two big offensive guns where the majority of offense flows through them. If one of those guys is out, they might need others to change their role a bit and step up and try to generate more offense/scoring.
- Matt Ross

Lol, ....waiting for someone to call you out for saying Hornqvist is more important to the Panthers than Barkov is

Let’s go Panthers!!

Hubie you gotta shoot that! Come on.

Atta boy hags!

Lol, ....waiting for someone to call you out for saying Hornqvist is more important to the Panthers than Barkov is

Let’s go Panthers!!
- Ratsreign

Haha - I didn’t mean it like that, Rats! I meant every guy has a role and the Panthers are lucky to have a lot of offensive power right now.

Haha - I didn’t mean it like that, Rats! I meant every guy has a role and the Panthers are lucky to have a lot of offensive power right now.
- Matt Ross

Lollol, I know you didn’t, Matt.

Great shot by Hubie!
You can back in over the blue line as long as you have full control of puck....
Guess they ruled puck was on Hubie’s stick before the final centimeter of his skate fully crossed the blue
Thought they were gonna call no goal...

Devs wont like the hubie goal but i do. Powerplay still blows massive chunks

Why, I do Duclair!! What a goal!!!!

Just imagine what they could do if they were not terrible on powerplays

Just imagine what they could do if they were not terrible on powerplays
- Shynes57

They might score 6 or 7 a game instead of only 4 or 5

Little too intense at the end

Good call. It’s factual in the sense that “stepping up” implies that players fulfilling responsibilities currently held will need to move up in the lineup and fulfill greater, more challenging responsibilities. I don’t think the effort changes, it’s the daunt of the task prescribed to them.
Additionally, it’s a nod of respect to what Barkov means to the team and the role he plays: #1C/PP1/PK1/+-goal 1min. He’s their all situations, highest pressure scenarios go to guy. Florida will be fine for now but they need that guy back, realistically, by the deadline if the playoffs are gonna be anything more than one and done. Not a knock. Just saying, #1 Selke Winning Centers are a hard loss to overcome.
That said, I love Bennett’s game, Lomberg has got wheels for days and is generating chances like crazy, Hornqvist had some jump I haven’t seen since his Year 1/Year 2 in Pittsburgh, Tippitt is starting to prove those who doubted his draft position wrong, and Ekblad has been much more assertive offensively. It’ll have to be diff guys on diff nights, but this group won’t be wilting anytime soon.