Good morning and happy Super Bowl Sunday, Cats fans! Looking forward to seeing the savvy vet vs new generation matchup with Brady and Mahomes...but before then, we have a Panthers game to watch!
There is a really good write up from Adam Gretz on
Pro Hockey Talk | NBC Sports that gives a non-biased view on the Panthers’ hot 6-0-2 start.
In fact, there’s a couple points that I feel like he plucked from my mind and put into his article - Total Recall style.
from Total Recall GIFs via Gfycat
My two biggest concerns thus far is the lack of convincing wins (by more than one goal) and the fact that they haven’t encountered the tough teams of the schedule yet.
He sums it up really well when saying:
“The other big concern is the fact that they have relied almost entirely on one-goal games, with most of them requiring overtime or a shootout. Of their first eight games, seven of them have been decided by just a single goal while five of them have gone beyond regulation. Winning a lot of one-goal games is not always the sign of a tough, gritty team that just figure out how to win. Sometimes it is the result of a lucky team, because eventually some of those plays that go your way in a one-goal game or going to bounce in the other direction. That is especially true when so many games get to 3-on-3 or a shootout.
They also have not yet hit the meaty part of their schedule yet, having only played Columbus, Nashville, Detroit, and Chicago. Only one of those teams (Columbus) finished the 2019-20 season in the top half of the league standings (and they were 14th). Obviously you can only play who the schedule says you play, and there is something to be said for beating the teams you are supposed to beat. Even if you are just sneaking by. With their next two games against Detroit there is an even greater chance to keep piling up points.
But then things get dramatically tougher over the next few weeks. After their upcoming two-game series with Detroit, 10 of their following 14 games are against Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Carolina. That is when we might really start to find out if this Panthers team is for real.“
I agree with all of this. Games against the CHI, DET, NSH (or whoever is weaker through this mad dash of a season) should provide opportunities to boost confidence and sometimes act as “tune ups.” Watching these teams take the Cats to OT/ST, or the Panthers hanging on to narrowly edge them out by a goal is concerning to me, because it has me wondering what happens when they finally face off against Tampa, Carolina and Columbus (again).
Will the Cats boost their game against the stiffer competition, or be the Panthers of old? I’m eager to see.
While I’m in agreement with the majority of the article’s points, surprisingly, I don’t see the Bob situation the same as him.
Funny enough...I have become somewhat of a Bob defender. Maybe it’s just me being punk rock and pushing back against the established idea of him, but I’m tired of all the complaining.
While I’ll never agree with the contract and I was disappointed with his play last year, I can no longer take the ridiculous fan reactions/criticism. Most of these folks tend to forget the play that leads up to the goal. I guess it’s easier to just blame the goalie...
Has he been playing like a $70 M goalie? No. But is it necessary to constantly harp about every goal he allows and talk about buying him out, trading him, etc., etc...
It’s exhausting seeing the level of complaining the fan pages /comment sections do - especially for his starts this season, where fans seem to ignore the fact that there were a number of defensive breakdowns that resulted in some of the goals he allowed. As crazy as this may sound, I also think he gets a little different defensive effort when he’s in net compared to Driedger. Whether that’s Driedger’s presence, the team believing they can take more chances with Bob in net (which would seem odd), or me seeing something that’s not actually there...it feels like Bob gets left out to dry a bit more often.
There are certain cities that guys struggle in due to the microscope they’re under from sports media and the fan base. These are typically New York, Chicago and Los Angeles - big markets with deep roots in their sports. While I understand wanting your highly-paid goalie to perform to the level you’re paying him for, I don’t know what that level is. If you’re expecting his contract to ensure a shutout every night, then you should be expecting to be disappointed every night.
And I get the fact that Driedger is obviously out-playing him. I’ve expressed my frustration in the past about a guy making a fraction of what “the” guy is making, but at some point, I think you have to let that go.
That being said, Bob is 3-0-1. If he gets the nod today against Detroit (eight straight losses), it should be an ideal game for him to continue build his confidence before they hit the tougher part of the schedule coming up.
Would love to see the Cats really handle these guys. Maybe another scrap from Bad Boy Huby (haha)? Just joking. But in all seriousness, Florida needs to keep building, and as previously mentioned, these are the games to do it. Don’t be the slump-busters for the Wings and let them catch you sleeping.
Florida did a great job of keeping NSH to 25 shots last game after allowing them to get 41 the game before. So that was a major improvement. Limiting the Wings will involve neutralizing their speed - something I think the Panthers can struggle with at times.
The Cats were great in the hits department last game, out-hitting the Preds 40-25. That’s one way to slow a team down...
They were also pretty dominant at the dot, with a faceoff percentage of 59.7 to the Preds 40.3. The last time the Cats and Wings met, Florida narrowly edged out Detroit with 51.8% to 48.2%.
Looking for the guys to stay hot and I have a feeling a Duclair nets his first goal today.
How about this guy, huh? Unreal.
Lastly, it looks like a number of the Cats’ prospects are making good down in the AHL.
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What’s everyone’s plans for the Super Bowl - or if you’re a fan of What We Do in the Shadows, “Superb Owl”? I’m a Brady guy, so I’m rooting Bucs.
Got the cold ones on ice and the dips ready to go...Go Panthers!
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