A bit under the weather so I’ll keep this one pretty brief…
I thought it was a great game from the boys in the cat sweaters. Going into the lion’s den of Toronto is no easy task, especially when they boast some serious talent with a lot of firepower.
The Leafs got off to a really hot start, driving the pace and taking the game to Florida. The Panthers did a good job weathering that storm and getting on the board first. They even stayed composed after the Leafs tied things up at two and had that arena rocking.
The difference maker?
Bob.
No doubt about it…#72 was absolutely stellar turning away 34 of 36 shots - many of which were quality opportunities as the game went on. I hope Bob can stay in the zone he’s in because the Panthers needs him to continue being their best player each night.
If I’m Florida I’m not changing anything heading into tonight in terms of overall scheme, lines, and defensive pairings. The Panthers’ PK unit was on point Monday, stifling Toronto’s man advantage at 0/4, but Florida needs to be better at staying out of the box in general. This has been the constant thus far in the postseason for the Cats. The one positive in this realm (if there is one) is that Monday’s penalties weren’t a result of stupid/selfish play but more so guys getting tangled up or misplaying a speedy Leafs player. Either way, being in that box is eventually going to catch up to Florida in a bad way, so they have to clean that area up.
My take could be off but something that opened the game up a bit for the Cats was that it appeared a big part of Toronto’s game plan was to really key in on Tkachuk. No.19 took some big hits in Game 1 and it was clear the Leafs were trying to make a statement by continuously wearing down Florida’s best player - connecting with several jolts. Their physicality towards him gave Tkachuk an opportunity to take an hit and make a play, which opened up the ice for other Florida players to operate. In some ways, Tkachuk felt kind of like a “decoy” at times. Knowing his I desire to do whatever is needed to win, I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to play this role every game if it means Florida ending up in the win column.
Along with lead actors like Tkachuk, Monty, Verhaeghe , et.c, playing great, supporting cast members like Nick Cousins have been stepping up to make a difference and it’s great to see. You need a full team effort come playoff time and the Cats are hopefully starting to get everyone involved.
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It’s a long road so let’s keep this thing moving…GO PANTHERS!
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