Matt Ross: Battle of Florida: Game 2

Love that it's great hockey.

Hate that Tampa Bay circumvented the cap and added Kuch and Stammer to the roster.

Go Cats!

Nice read! It was a fantastic hockey game, l keep saying you guys stay out of the box and you win this series. Plus got to work the boards better, Tampa is trying to take the middle of the ice away. Looking forward to another great game.

Is Driedger getting the start tonight

Is Driedger getting the start tonight
- Buff36

Sounding like Driedger could be the starter based on the morning skate, but will have to wait for an official announcement from Q.

Nice read! It was a fantastic hockey game, l keep saying you guys stay out of the box and you win this series. Plus got to work the boards better, Tampa is trying to take the middle of the ice away. Looking forward to another great game.
- Buff36

Thanks, Buff! Trying to keep the blogs shorter and more concise.

Per Jamison Olive:

Wennberg taking Bennett's spot as 2C.

Acciari moving up to 3C.

Lammikko entering as 4C.

Morning skate forward lines:

Verhaeghe - Barkov - Duclair
Huberdeau - Wennberg - Tippett
Vatrano - Acciari - Hornqvist
Lomberg - Lammikko - Marchment

Morning skate D pairings:

Forsling - Weegar
Yandle - Gudas
Nutivaara - Montour
Connauton - Stralman

Besides the obvious talent level, the thing that jumps out at me the most is the swagger. This Cats roster has swagger. They know they can skate with this Tampa team. They know they can win this series. I haven't seen this level of talent and swagger since the 90's.

One area where the Bolts still have an advantage is cohesion. The Bolts have had mostly the same roster for the last several years. This squad has had several deep runs and a Cup. In contrast, much of the Panthers roster upgrades have been very recent. The chemistry is there, but it hasn't been tempered under the immense pressure of the playoffs. This year will provide that, regardless of the outcome.

One big wildcard here is (well, two really) are Kucherov and Stamkos. We haven't even seen Kuch's final form yet. He looks like he never left the ice (cue the cap circumvention comments) and his moves are as silky smooth as ever.

If I am Q, I am telling my guys to run the poop out of Stamkos, Kuch, and Hedman. Stamkos is made of glass. Hedman is playing hurt. Kuch has a freshly-repaired hip. I wouldn't take cheap shots, but just tell my guys to hit them hard and often. I'd also tell my team to crash the net hard - get in Vasi's face, make him have to work to see the pucks. Once he gets dialed in, he will stop everything he can see.

Looking forward to tonight's game and I hope it doesn't drive me to drink.

Thanks, Buff! Trying to keep the blogs shorter and more concise.
- Matt Ross

Nothing wrong with that, short and right to the point.

Sounding like Driedger could be the starter based on the morning skate, but will have to wait for an official announcement from Q.
- Matt Ross

Sorry but as a Sabres fan, Driedger is high on my list this offseason if he makes it to FA.

Besides the obvious talent level, the thing that jumps out at me the most is the swagger. This Cats roster has swagger. They know they can skate with this Tampa team. They know they can win this series. I haven't seen this level of talent and swagger since the 90's.

One area where the Bolts still have an advantage is cohesion. The Bolts have had mostly the same roster for the last several years. This squad has had several deep runs and a Cup. In contrast, much of the Panthers roster upgrades have been very recent. The chemistry is there, but it hasn't been tempered under the immense pressure of the playoffs. This year will provide that, regardless of the outcome.

One big wildcard here is (well, two really) are Kucherov and Stamkos. We haven't even seen Kuch's final form yet. He looks like he never left the ice (cue the cap circumvention comments) and his moves are as silky smooth as ever.

If I am Q, I am telling my guys to run the poop out of Stamkos, Kuch, and Hedman. Stamkos is made of glass. Hedman is playing hurt. Kuch has a freshly-repaired hip. I wouldn't take cheap shots, but just tell my guys to hit them hard and often. I'd also tell my team to crash the net hard - get in Vasi's face, make him have to work to see the pucks. Once he gets dialed in, he will stop everything he can see.

Looking forward to tonight's game and I hope it doesn't drive me to drink.
- GalacticStone

Great breakdown and I agree on these points, Galactic.

For me, there has to be a guy, stick, etc. on Kuch at all times. That fake one-timer he did last game was ridiculous. I thought he was going to rip it for a one-timer, but passed it off to the middle (all in one motion) for someone else to bury it.

Getting to Vasi is key, too. No flybys, gotta throw on the brakes and not let him get comfortable. I think Hornqvist will be working overtime in that department tonight.

The plug needs to get pulled on the Yandle experiment. If they need him to eat some minutes, keep them protected and in period 1. No excuse for having Yandle on the ice in the third period and in particular, the last 2 minutes. He just doesn't have the speed or moves to keep up with playoff hockey. His passes and shots are mostly into traffic making him a turnover machine.

Panthers need to sit on Kuch and Hedman like a mother hen guarding eggs. Lightning were doing that all night to Barkov--and they called a penalty on Barkov!

Honestly, if the Panthers can properly channel the emotion and enthusiasm tonight, they could drop 7 on Vasi. Gonna be a battle. On the other hand, they could easily give up 9 power plays.

Go Panthers!

The plug needs to get pulled on the Yandle experiment. If they need him to eat some minutes, keep them protected and in period 1. No excuse for having Yandle on the ice in the third period and in particular, the last 2 minutes. He just doesn't have the speed or moves to keep up with playoff hockey. His passes and shots are mostly into traffic making him a turnover machine.

Panthers need to sit on Kuch and Hedman like a mother hen guarding eggs. Lightning were doing that all night to Barkov--and they called a penalty on Barkov!

Honestly, if the Panthers can properly channel the emotion and enthusiasm tonight, they could drop 7 on Vasi. Gonna be a battle. On the other hand, they could easily give up 9 power plays.

Go Panthers!
- JimboCoppertone

Totally agree. Similar to a comment I made here earlier, there needs to be a guy, stick, etc., on Kuch/Hedman at all times.

Let’s get this win!

Driedger is starting

This series could be the highlight of the entire exhausting asterisk filled season.

Driedger is starting
- Ratsreign

Next Sabres goalie 😉😉

Next Sabres goalie 😉😉
- Buff36

You may need to get him from Seattle.

You may need to get him from Seattle.
- JimboCoppertone

He's a UFA at the end of the season I believe, could be wrong.

Let's make some wild-ass unfounded predictions.

I predict the following :

1) Florida takes this game on a late power play goal and pad it with an empty netter.

2) Bad blood boils over and we see three fights and several scrums. Acciari and Cernak drop the mits. Gourde and Lomberg scrap. Hornquist and Maroon have a heavyweight bout. At least one player from each team gets a game misconduct.

3) Low-scoring goalie duel. Both goalies are sharp and deserve to win.

4) Kucherov does Kucherov things. We get a highlight reel goal from him.

Let's make some wild-ass unfounded predictions.

I predict the following :

1) Florida takes this game on a late power play goal and pad it with an empty netter.

2) Bad blood boils over and we see three fights and several scrums. Acciari and Cernak drop the mits. Gourde and Lomberg scrap. Hornquist and Maroon have a heavyweight bout. At least one player from each team gets a game misconduct.

3) Low-scoring goalie duel. Both goalies are sharp and deserve to win.

4) Kucherov does Kucherov things. We get a highlight reel goal from him.
- GalacticStone

If the refs let all the borderline bullpoop go again, it’s going to get even crazier. I imagine the refs will be quick to put guys in the box tonight, at least early in the game.

Let's make some wild-ass unfounded predictions.

I predict the following :

1) Florida takes this game on a late power play goal and pad it with an empty netter.

2) Bad blood boils over and we see three fights and several scrums. Acciari and Cernak drop the mits. Gourde and Lomberg scrap. Hornquist and Maroon have a heavyweight bout. At least one player from each team gets a game misconduct.

3) Low-scoring goalie duel. Both goalies are sharp and deserve to win.

4) Kucherov does Kucherov things. We get a highlight reel goal from him.
- GalacticStone

Lol predicting is fun but i see some things that have issues. 1 we arent that good at getting powerplay goals. 2 we arent that good at getting empty net goals. 3 (hopefully) you are wrong about kucherov getting another one tonight

Don't blame BriseBois for out smarting the league he didn't break the rules.

let's go catssssss

Don't blame BriseBois for out smarting the league he didn't break the rules.
- Shady1962

Look tool... I certainly wouldnt call it outsmarting. If it was outsmarting, no one would realize he did it. In this case everyone knows he did it. Nothing anyone can do now but i would bet that loophole will become closed in the next cba

He's a UFA at the end of the season I believe, could be wrong.
- Buff36

You are not wrong but that doesnt mean seattle wont go after him first