What a whirlwind it’s been for the Florida Panthers organization and its fanbase.
It wasn’t too long ago we were complaining about this team’s frustrating “Jeckyl and Hyde” performances (and with good reason). To more recently when it seemed they would miss the playoffs entirely.
Then they string a bunch of wins together on the back of a journeyman goalie, while getting help from the other teams like the Penguins losing, to all of a sudden finding themselves in the WC2 spot set to take on the #1 Big Bad Bruins in the first round of the playoffs.
Many believed Florida would not make it beyond the B’s — hey, even I had my doubts. But somewhere along the way this Cats team found their snarl and defied the odds, beating the Bruins in OT of a Game 7 thriller.
This was me throughout the entire game. HA!
However, the time for celebrating will have to wait, as Florida has to quickly turn its sights to its Round 2 foe: The Toronto Maple Leafs.
This series could be a real doozy. The Leafs loaded up at the deadline to bolster and already-talented lineup that knocked out the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1.
Keys to Game 1
This is actually a very easy game plan in my eyes. The Panthers need to do what they have been doing in Games 5, 6, and 7:
1. Be Aggressive
As mentioned earlier, Florida found their snarl and really dictated play via a heavy/strong forecheck. Rather than play timid and let the game come to them, the Cats more times than not took control and guided where the game was going.
2. Strong Goaltending
For all the criticism he’s recieved (some justified, some not) since putting on a Cats sweater, Bob has been fully locked in since taking over the starting spot in Game 4. If he can continue this level of play, he gives Florida a big chance to keep winning.
3. Take Advantage of Mistakes
Something new we saw Florida do in Round 1 was capitalize on mistakes Boston made in the form of turnovers. This key ties directly into key #1 because aggressive play puts teams on their heels and causes them to make mistakes. When those mistakes are made, you need to take advantage of them by turning them into scoring opportunities.
4. Penalties
While Florida has not been good in this area, I want to put it as a key to the game (and series) because staying out of the box as much as possible this time of year is so important; especially against this offensively driven Leafs team.
Batman and Robin
Can we just take a minute to appreciate Tkachuk and Montour. Both of these guys have been playing out of their minds.
Montour has been great offensively and I really don’t think the Panthers are in the position they are in right now if not for Tkachuk — the guy just wills this team to win. He is the heart and soul of this bunch. What an outstanding pickup he’s been!
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Can’t wait for tonight…GO PANTHERS!
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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