stand corrected from previous comment...TSN is reporting that Hawryluk has been claimed by OTT

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An early game to kick off the week as the Panthers start their California swing in San Jose this afternoon.

The Cats are in serious need of some wins and have a real chance to do this on the road against some weaker opponents in the Sharks, Ducks and Kings. If ever there was a time to step up and get some points, it’s now.

There was a little more emotion in Saturday’s game from Brown and Acciari, but ultimately ended with the same result as of late with Florida winding up in the losing column.

Q’s words following the loss:

“It’s just not good enough. At the start of the game we didn’t dictate the tempo or the pace. We didn’t have the puck at all. We had the puck, and then we’d give it away or lose it. We didn’t protect it. We didn’t support it.”

Can’t say I disagree with him. The flat, uninspired play has gone beyond worrisome and entered the legitimate issue category.

Yesterday I watched the Bruins and Rangers game. It was awesome. Now, the Bruins are the Bruins, they’re a great team. But what’s interesting is that the Rangers sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division at 30-24-4, and one spot behind the Panthers in the wild card race.

What really impressed me watching that game was New York’s ability to raise their play to keep pace with Boston. It was one of the most fun games I’ve seen in a while. The pace was high, both teams moved the puck well, there was a lot of physicality and hard-nosed play mixed with skill that was ultimately decided by one goal (if you omit the empty netter by BOS at the end).

Despite the Rags losing, I couldn’t help but note their spirited play. Now, I don’t really know how they’ve played throughout the year, but against a rival in Boston, they seemed to ramp it up. They sit at the bottom of a tough division, just above the Devils (one of the worst teams in the league). I bring this up because a team like NYR, that’s on the outside of the playoffs looking in right now, has the ability to elevate their play and give one of the best teams in the league a real challenge.

Yes. The Cats have played and beat the top dogs in the league earlier in the season, but have been on a nose dive since the All-Star break. They’ve lost their game at the most crucial time of the season. They’ve even lost the identity they were starting to build. Not good.

I sometimes feel they think they should get into the playoffs simply because they had so much hype coming into the season. It’s as if they think it’s their time to make the post-season and they’ll simply get in because of some kind of default due to their offseason moves, Q, etc., and not actually putting in the hard work every night and grinding it out.

There’s a real softness to this team. They have no edge or snarl to them. No grit. No determination. Watching yesterday’s tilt with NY and BOS really had me question if Florida went up against either of these clubs now, could they respond the way both teams did to the adversity they faced through the 60 minutes they clashed?

The answer is: No. I don’t.

I don’t have to tell you guys. You already know it. The games only get tougher from here on out and lack of effort gets exposed.

The beauty, or curse (depending on n how you look at it) of keeping a positive attitude is that I do think the Cats can get back on track, but some things need to change.

1. No doubt about it, these guys need to get tougher. They need to throw the body more and stick up for each other. We saw a little bi of that on Saturday. Let’s keep building on that.

2. They’re not going to have a stellar defense. We know that. But they can do things to improve that. One of the main things? Clear the opposition from the front of the net. Don’t let guys camp out there. If they’re going to try and setup in front, you need to make their lives miserable. Push, jab, jockey for position, do whatever it takes to keep them from getting comfortable,

3. With the weak defense the offense needs to step up in a big way. Before the ASG the Cats found the back of the net the most on average per game. That has since stopped. They need to get that going again. For all the firepower and weapons they have/we hear about, they sure have gone quiet. What’s the deal?

4. Special Teams. Q has been talking about it a lot. Getting the PP and PK working should help boost the team’s overall performance - but the tricky part is getting them working...

5. Bob or Monty, but especially Bob...gotta be better, guys!

On Waivers

Hawryluk was placed on waivers yesterday but has been unclaimed so far. I’m guessing he’ll pass through and join Springfield.

Sharks

The Panthers have gone 2-6-1 in their past nine games. The Sharks are a sub-.500 team at 26-28-4. They’ve won four of their last five games but will be missing four of their top six scorers:

Erik Karlsson (40 pts) - Broken thumb
Tomas Hertl (36 pts) - Knee
Logan Couture (36 pts) - Fractured ankle
Evander Kane (37 pts) - Suspended

Martin Jones has faced his fair share of criticism as to whether or not he’s really the right guy to own San Jose’s blue paint. If he’s between the pipes today, the Cats need to get to him early and often. Set the tone and pace for once since the ASG break.

Again...if ever there was a time to get a couple points, this afternoon is that time. Q said, “We lost all our gravy going into the break, and now we’re chasing it,” . This is a good opportunity to start catching up with it.

It’s also fun playing against former Cats coach Bob Boughner.

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Let’s get it done today... 5-3 Panthers!

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