|
Panthers vs Jackets - Cats Going for 4-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
The Cats downed the Jackets in OT to set a franchise record of going 3-0 to for the first time in their existence.
Game Notes
This was by far the Cats’ best game of this (very) young season. The major reason being...they showed some perseverance and fight - something we’re not used to seeing from this group.
The game started out the exact opposite way they drew it up and Florida quickly found themselves down 2-0. Panthers fans wasted no time throwing Bob under the bus after those first two goals.
I couldn’t disagree more.
The first goal was pure bad luck when the puck was slightly redirected off a sliding Gudas (who was trying to break up a pass). The second you can place on a lack of effort by the defense and forward support low in the Panthers zone. They were simply out-worked along the boards and allowed CBJ to maintain possession and get a fluky shot on net with Ekblad inadvertently screening Bob and a CBJ forward also in Bob’s face.
Now, if you want one to have a gripe with, yes, the third goal is the one. Nothing worse than giving one up short-handed on a pretty non-threatening shot. No one wanted that one back more than Bob - as evident by his reaction afterwards.
Despite the fact the Panthers controlled the majority of the game, once it was 3-2, I pretty much assumed they were done. Why not? That’s how we have been conditioned with this team.
But last night ended differently than what we are used to and I think that’s due in part to the “tougher team to play against” that has been advertised coming into this season.
While it’s never easy for Florida when it comes to the Jackets, there were two major difference-makers for the Panthers Tuesday night:
1. The first line
2. Patric Hornqvist
Credit to the Jackets for playing that strong defense that they have become known for. They did a really good job at keeping Panthers shooters to the outside for good stretches and key points of the game, but it was that first line and Hornqvist that really chipped away and found the twine.
First off...Verhaeghe remains hot and proving he is the best signing so far from this offseason- notching another goal and assist Tuesday to continue building his impressive Panthers resume. It’s obvious he was a gem that was buried in a loaded Lightning lineup that probably made it hard for him to stay in the lineup.
Then you had Barky getting that important first goal of the season to get that confidence going. This is the guy that we need to score often. He’s the one that needs to be the difference-maker each night, and when needed, put the team on his back when they need it. These are some things he’s struggled to do in the past, but with this new-look squad and attitude, I have hopes he will become this guy.
How ironic was it that we talked in the comments section of the last blog hoping Duclair gets it going and he does just that? Sure, he didn’t put the biscuit in the basket, but he got himself two assists. More importantly, he was generating a lot of offensive opportunities. That speed is no joke and he had it on display a lot last night - often getting CBJ defensemen on their heels, catching them flat-footed, or just blowing by them. Keep it up, #91.
And then there’s the hero of the game...Hornqvist.
Hey, this is why you trade for a guy like him. He was making the CBJ’s crease his home Tuesday night and paid the price for doing so when he was digging for a puck (that was clearly covered by Korpisalo) and took a body slam for it.
Never deterred from doing his job, Hornqvist continued to go to the front of the net and was rewarded when he tied the game with a second left on the clock to force OT. The thing that I love most about this play - outside of the fantastic hand-eye coordination - is the fact that Hornqvist was the one that gets the puck back to the point off the faceoff, then hurries to his position out front.
Oh yeah, then there’s this...winning the game in a shootout in total “old guy” no-move-just-wicked-shot fashion. No big deal.
Keys for Tonight
- Keep that first line moving and shaking
- Need more production from lines 2-4 than what we saw Tuesday
- Win board battles, especially in the defensive zone
- No more “Cardiac Cats,” get a convincing win in regulation
- Special Teams: The PK was great at killing off six Power Plays, but the PP unit struggled, going 0-3 and giving up a short-handed opportunity
- Get Physical: The Cats were out-hit 23-17
- Make sure Q is saying this after 60 minutes:
_______________________
Make it 4-0...Go Panthers!
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»