Now, before you jump down my throat for creating such an "insulting" headline, I did not create it at all. After the Panthers' incredible 4-3 comeback win against New Jersey Monday night, the clever song played in the Bank Atlantic Center was by Stryper entitled "To Hell With The Devil." I will not admit as to why I know this cheesy hairband or song so well, and there is no proof that I have the vinyl a few feet away from me as I write this. But the song selection struck a chord.
That is a pretty brash song to play by a franchise known as a doormat for a decade, don't you think? Almost too "in your face" to be comfortable for diehard Panther fans. It is sadly the conditioning in this hockey market. But those days are coming to an end, and if there is any more evidence needed as to this team being in it for the long haul it was tonight.
There were many reasons this game meant so much to both teams. Devils Head Coach Pete DeBoer returned to South Florida for the first time since his firing last summer. Don't be mistaken. Of the few players that are left from last year's Panther team, they all disliked DeBoer. Some of them vehemently. The new guys wanted this game for those guys after the stories they heard. Before the media was allowed in the locker room there was a thunderous roar from the players regarding this past issue.
DeBoer said he wanted this win for many reasons, but it had to look like more of the same for him in that building. His team squandering a lead, giving up the lead late, and a relatively solid effort was wasted.
On the flip side, the Panthers (aka Cardiac Cats), came back once again on an opponent in ways that fans in South Florida haven't seen since the mid-90s. This was the first time in franchise history the Panthers overcame a 3-0 deficit to win in regulation.
For anyone that was doubting the Panthers having a bonafide #1 line those doubts can be put to bed. The Tomas Fleischmann-Stephen Weiss-Kris Versteeg line is smoldering right now, and their chemistry is so good they are a threat seemingly every time they are on the ice. They accounted for all four goals tonight, including Weiss' spectacular shorthanded goal that changed the momentum of this game for good.
Only health can derail this line from setting many franchise records this year. Speaking of records, here is floridapanthers.com's Carly Peters' excellent roundup of records set tonight:
Postgame Notes vs. New Jersey
Monday, 11.21.2011 / 11:29 PM / News
By Carly Peters - FloridaPanthers.com
The Panthers seem to out-do themselves with each win they compile this season. Take a look at the many records broken in tonight's 4-3, comeback win against the Devils:
The Panthers earned their largest regulation comeback victory in franchise history, taking the 4-3 win after being down in the second period. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was only the second time Florida has ever come back from three goals down to take the win, previously coming back from a 4-1 deficit to earn a 5-4 overtime win against Toronto on Feb. 10, 2009.
At 11-6-3 on the year, Florida is off to its best start to the season since posting a 11-5-2-2 record through 20 games in 1999-2000. Florida has taken points in eight of its last 10 games (5-2-3).
With the win and 25 points on the year, the Panthers remain in first place in the Southeast Division, ahead of Washington (23 points), and moved to second in the Eastern Conference standings, jumping the Sabres (24 points), who did not play tonight.
The Panthers are on a two-game win streak, their first win streak at home this season. Florida also tied a season high for most goals at home (10/22 vs. NYI).
The Panthers top line contributed on all four Florida goals, combining for seven points on the night (4-3-7). The Fleischmann-Weiss-Versteeg line has now accounted for more than half of the team's goals (30-of-59 goals this season, 50.85%) and 66 (28-38-66) of the team's 161 points (59-102-161), good for 40.99% of the team's offensive output. Fleischmann and Weiss are T-4th in the NHL with a +14 rating, while Versteeg is T-8th with a +12 rating.
Stephen Weiss tied the game with the Panthers second shorthanded goal of the season (Bergenheim, 10/17 at TBL). He notched three points on the night (1-2-3), earning a +4 rating. Weiss now has 19 points (6-13-19) in 29 career games against New Jersey, 10 points (3-7-10) in his last six games and moved into second place on the Panthers with 21 points (8-13-21) this season.
Kris Versteeg tied a career high with a +3 rating, added to his team lead with his 10th and 11th goals of the season, and assisted on the game winner for his team-best 25th point of the year. In just 20 games, he's halfway to equaling his career high of 22 goals, set in 78 games with Chicago during the 2008-09 season. It took 38 games for Versteeg to total 11 goals last season. He had his team-leading sixth multi-point game of the season, and Florida is now 5-1-0 on the season when he tallies more than one point in the game. He has 12 points (6-6-12) in his last six games.
Tomas Fleischmann netted the game winner and tied a season high with a +3 rating. He has 20 points (9-11-20) on the season to rank third on the Panthers.
The Florida blue line continued to contribute, adding to their NHL lead in points from defenesmen with four assists on the night. The Panthers d-men have now compiled 58 points (12-46-58) on the season. Jason Garrison matched a career high with two assists, while Kulikov and Weaver also added helpers.
Florida allowed only three Devils shots on goal in the third period, a new season best (4 shots allowed; 2X, MR 11/15 at DAL 1st period).
Florida earned its first victory of the season when trailing after two periods and are now 1-5-2 on the year, while the Devils picked up their first lost when leading entering the third period, now sitting at 4-1-0.
The Panthers are now 9-1-2 on the year when totaling at least three goals in the game.
The Panthers allowed three goals in a period for the first time this season. They had previously allowed two goals in a frame 10 times this season. The Panthers have only given up two goals in the first period once this season, ending the opening frame in Tampa Oct. 17 tied, 2-2. Florida also tied its season-best for fewest shots allowed in a game, (25, 11/15 at DAL).
Florida continues its Thanksgiving Feast four-game homestand when it hosts the New York Rangers in the third contest of the week at 7:30 on FS Florida and 560 WQAM.
Postgame Quotes
Panthers Head Coach Kevin Dineen on the close game:
"I think tonight we got our tails handed to us for about 10 minutes and there are decisions to be made then and I think what happened was over a 20-game span, you learn a little bit about your people and about your team and felt that staying the course was a good play and had nothing to do with coaching, it has to do with the quality of players and people that you have here. They have found a way numerous times to this year and tonight was a really good example of that, so I give the players a lot of credit. They just kept coming at them; they started the second period with a lot of tempo to our game and kinda got back to our game plan. We really came out flat when they scored a couple of goals. We certainly have made some entertaining nights at the Bank Atlantic and tonight will certainly fit right in with that."
Panthers Head Coach Kevin Dineen on the three-goal deficit and not using a goalie change or timeout:
"Well, I don’t like burning that timeout. I don’t hang those goals on my goalie, I just felt that Jose has put a pretty good body of work together for us the last two weeks and he deserved a chance to rally with the team as we rallied around him. I think, at the end of the day, our push back was very strong tonight and continued through the final 40 minutes."
Kris Versteeg on the motivation to beat former Panthers coach Peter DeBoer:
"Sure, but like I said, that’s out the window. If you start worrying about that, your head's not in the right place. We've got bigger things to worry about, like getting wins at home and continuing to get points and increase our lead."
As we pass the quarter pole for this season, the Panthers sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with two home games left this week against the Rangers and Lightning. Six of eight points on this homestand would have been outstanding. Now with four points in hand a sweep might just land this team on the forefront of this region's sports consciousness. Wouldn't that be something...
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