Egregious defensive flaws, guys scrambling around out of position, forwards not getting back, lack of scoring, streaky goaltending, mental mistakes...
This Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routine is so played out.
Thursday's 7-2 beating at the hands of the Las Vegas Golden Knights should scream to the front office that a change isn't something to shoot for at, or before the deadline, it's an absolute necessity.
A foot needs to be firmly put down, someone needs to say that these guys just aren't getting the job done consistently. Tough decisions will have to be made if improvement is to come.
Easy for me to say sitting at a computer, venting about a loss, but I think it's valid.
Aren't fans tired of sitting down to watch a game and wondering which Panthers team will show up that night? Why should anyone have confidence as they make a push for the playoffs? Is this a team that gives you that feeling that they can compete with the legit teams of the post-season?
I don't see it. Sure, they can go on a run, but if they haven't figured out how to put it all together yet, what makes you think they'll do it soon?
Thursday was an exercise in the Cats' standard deficiencies that was followed by a big collapse in the third.
One of the things that stuck out to me the most in the Knights game was softness - particularly in the middle of the ice.
There were multiple times Vegas players walked right into the zone and high caliber scoring areas completely untouched. The goal by Stone is a great example of just that. He comes through the neutral zone untouched and is given more and more ice by the defensemen - who just keep backing up. No one thinks to take the body. They just let him come in and go around them. This is a beer league play at the NHL level.
And what's going on here? Where are the defensemen to protect the front and tie up Patches? Why are they pulled over on the same side? That's Toninato down low...
Then there was the mental mistakes like this terrible line change. I can't find a longer clip for you to see how OPEN the ice was for Theodore to come down, but it was incredible.
Listen...getting your seat handed to you here and there in a season is bound to happen. The same with poor play, mental mistakes, etc. But this is crunch time now. They couldn't afford it in the beginning of the season and Florida certainly can't afford these kinds of games now if they want to stay in the hunt and be taken seriously. Last night reminded me of something Arnold said about a lack of focus and drive:
"When you're out there partying, or horsing around, someone out there at the same time is working hard. Someone is getting smarter and someone is winning."
Make no bones about it, hockey, especially the NHL, is no different than life in that respect. Players and teams are always nipping at heels. The minute you slip up, they'll sieze their opportunity and won't look back. that's just how it is.
Last night did not show a playoff team. Aside from the quickly above mentioned points, watching the Cats struggle to keep pace with the speedy Knights was very unsettling. The playoffs will have plenty of speedy/skilled teams capable of keeping/dictating a serious pace. What's more...allowing four goals in a period (especially the third) will not fly in the post-season.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of inconsistency being the norm with this team.
When Tallon gave that wakeup call a few weeks back, he basically said guys needed to shape up or ship out. Let's see that backed up. Everyone from the front office to the ice needs to be giving it their all. Whatever needs to be done to make these guys "get it" should be in play.
I want to see a shake up on the backend. Whoever you need to move to make that improvement happen, should be moved. There were guys I used to think were untouchable on this team, but that list has narrowed down significantly over the course of this season.
The fact of the matter is that this team has been mired in mediocrity for a long time. They've come frustratingly close the past couple years to getting to where you think they should be, but always seem to fall short.
The window is open for these guys be the real deal, but right now they feel more like pretenders.
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The Cats play a familiar foe in the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. Will they bounce back with intensity and that killer instinct? Or will they go through the motions and just try to keep up?
Let's turn it around and get this thing going in the right direction.
Go Panthers!
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