Panthers Season Preview

The Florida Panthers enter tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, coming off a resounding 6-0 win to finish off the preseason versus the New York Islanders. The Panthers finished the preseason 3-2-2 and with some surprises making the roster. Both Anthony Stewart and Michael Frolik had strong preseasons and have made the team. Shawn Matthias also made the team but was sent down to Rochester to make room for Radek Dvorak, David Booth, and Stephen Weiss coming off the IR. Shawn Matthias will be back on this team in short time.

Offense: The Panthers traded away captain Olli Jokinen this past summer, who could always be counted on to provide at least 30 goals worth of offense. Nathan Horton, Rusty Olesz, and Stephen Weiss need to step up their production in the absence of Olli. Cory Stillman should help provide some much needed leadership and expect him to play on a line with Nathan Horton. Of note, both Eric Staal and Erik Cole credit Cory Stillman with their development into complete players and dangerous scorers, perhaps Nathan Horton will be able to mature into the immense talent he possesses.

Defense: This is the most improved unit on the team. Jacques Martin stated he wanted to improve the defensive unit, and he has done that and then some. He added Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton, and Bryan McCabe to a defensive unit already led by superstar-in-the-making Jay Bouwmeester and tough defensemen Bryan Allen and Karlis Skrastins. It is so deep that because of Jassen Cullimore's superb preseason, Cory Murphy was waived and as soon as Jassen signs to an NHL contract, will be sent down to Rochester. Expect Jay Bouwmeester to have a tremendous year with the onus of the defense not on him all the time.

Goaltending: Expect Tomas Vokoun to be as solid as ever and for Craig Anderson to have a career year playing for a possible starting job. Easily the best unit on the Panthers.

Rookie of the year: Shawn Matthias will be the Panthers rookie of the year when he is called up later this October as I believe will happen.

Outbreak Player: I believe Stephen Weiss under his former junior head coach Deboer will finally have that breakthrough offensive year. He's already one of the best all around players on the team and his offensive talent is just bubbling at the surface.

Surprise of the year: Anthony Stewart. If he can keep up his newfound work ethic, the Panthers will see a tough as nails, power forward develop right in front of their eyes.

Playoffs? I won't say anything. I just hope we finally break through with an attacking style of play and a constricting and bruising defense.

Panthers Summer in Review

After a long sabbatical, I have returned to the realm of the Panthers. I was finishing up school, in Europe, and starting a new school in a new city. Now that I am settled in, I will be able to write more frequently again for the blog.


Well, this summer has been quite the doozy. No more Jokinen, a new coach, Panthers sign Cory Stillman, Rusty Olesz and newly acquired D-Man Keith Ballard are locked in for another 6 years (both at very affordable prices for their upsides to boot!). The acquisition of Bryan McCabe is seemingly a head scratcher to many. The Panthers also picked up their goalie of the future in the draft (first round talent, which makes up for the lost first round draft pick).

The Jokinen Trade
I am a big fan of this trade, if for the simple fact, that Jokinen gets to move on and we as Panthers fans get to move on. Jokinen was a great scorer, no doubt, but there were too many murmurs of discontent among the players and sources around the league to not believe there is some truth to the long held belief that he was only in it to pick up the points. I am not here to judge him, though, that's for Yotes fans to do now.

The return for Jokinen: Ballard and Nick Boynton. Ballard is someone Cats fans will love to watch for years to come. He plays with his heart on his sleeve. Boynton also brings additional depth and toughness to a blue line that was severely lacking it until the arrival of Karlis Skrastins last year. I believe that Ballard and Boynton will be good pickups for this year. It is nice to see that this team does have a plan as evidenced by locking up the "core players" to long term deals, that could prove to be steals. We also have an elite goaltender in the back end. Champions in this sport are built from the back end.

Overall Rating for the trade: B

Peter DeBoer is the new coach

I really like this move. DeBoer comes to the team with high regards as well with a reputation for playing an up-tempo, exciting game. In the game as it is currently today, up-tempo styles are sorely needed, unless you are the New Jersey Devils, of course. I really think that allowing the team to be more free flowing will help exploit the talents of Booth, Horton, Weiss, and Olesz. With possibly Frolik, and definitely Matthias joining the team this year, I am eagerly looking forward to how this team will progress.

Jacques Martin gets high marks for this hire because he could've easily gotten someone who was a coach like him with a defense-first mentality; instead, he went outside the box and got a coach who rightly deserves a chance at the big game.

Overall Rating for the hire: B-, with the possibility of turning into an A if everything turns out well.

Cory "Panther Killer" Stillman now a Cat

Cory Stillman is now a member of the Cats. Many Panthers fans know him well because whether it was with the Lightning or the Canes, he always seemed to kill us. Erik Cole and Eric Staal attribute much of their development to his influence. With the murmurs that Jokinen was negatively influencing Horton, this could only be a good thing. I believe that Cory will be the Captain next season. His leadership and his consistency have won him high marks throughout his career. The length of the contract is a little iffy for his age, but he is very much into conditioning so I am not sure if that will matter as much with him.

Overall Rating for the signing: A

Panthers Trade for Bryan McCabe

This blockbuster deal set the hockey world on fire for most of August until it finally happened. McCabe is a talented defensemen whose ability on the PP will make up for losing Jokinen. However, the Panthers had to give up Mike van Ryn. Ryno was hugely popular both on the team and in the community. He will be sorely missed and hopefully, will return to the team someday in another capacity.

Look for McCabe to also help Cory Murphy develop more. I think that if Murphy can stay healthy, he can play up to the potential that we all saw in him in the preseason and at the beginning of the year.

If McCabe can provide what he can from the backline, it may convince JayBo to stick around with the team.

Overall rating for the trade: C, there is no guarantee that McCabe will be healthy again.

Panthers lock up Rusty Olesz and Keith Ballard

Jacques Martin has identified a core. He is acting on it and doing it before costs get too out of control. Both of these guys are hugely talented. In Peter DeBoer's uptempo game, perhaps we will finally see it capitalized for both of them.

Overall rating for the signing: B for now.

No contact extension for JayBo

The only true problem with this summer. I am happy that the Cats did not end up at Arby with Jay, thus signaling there is still hope. I understand Jay's position but he is one of the top defenseman in the game right now. The Panthers NEED to lock up JayBo to truly take the next step.

Overall rating for the nonmove: F, F, F. GET IT DONE.


I will return soon as the final roster develops throughout training camp. Go Cats!!

Panthers Recap: Panthers 3, Thrashers 2

Video Highlights

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -Olli Jokinen and Rostislav Olesz scored power-play goals and the Florida Panthers tied a franchise record with their seventh consecutive victory, 3-1 over the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday.

Radek Dvorak added a goal for the Panthers, who haven't lost since they were beaten by Minnesota 3-2 on Feb. 29. Florida also won seven in a row in the 1995-96 and 2005-06 seasons.

Jokinen added an assist, and Brett McLean extended his point streak to six games with two assists. He has four goals and six assists during the run.

The Panthers are only two points behind eighth-place Philadelphia and the postseason cutoff in the Eastern Conference.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored for Atlanta, which has lost nine straight on the road and 12 of 14 overall.

Atlanta outshot Florida 30-25, the first time in 24 games the Thrashers held an edge.

All-Star Tomas Vokoun made 29 saves for Florida, and Johan Hedberg finished with 22.

Florida was 2-5 on the power play, compared to Atlanta's 0-for-4 effort.

After Dvorak gave Florida a 1-0 lead with his first goal since Jan. 15, Jokinen made it 2-0 with his second in two games.

He took a short pass near the boards before firing a slap shot from just outside the circle that beat Hedberg to the stick side.

Kovalchuk scored his 49th of the season exactly 1 minute into the second period to cut Florida's lead in half. He tipped in Bryan Little's pass from the side of the net.

Olesz restored Florida's two-goal lead 17 seconds into the third when he one-timed Jokinen's pass across the crease.

Notes: Florida D Bryan Allen sat out because of a hand injury sustained Friday when he was checked into the boards from behind by Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan. ... Florida D Branislav Mezei replaced Allen in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous four games. ... Atlanta C Todd White missed his sixth consecutive game because of a shoulder injury. ... After hitting the post twice against the Rangers on Friday, Olesz did it again in the first period. ... Atlanta hadn't held a shots advantage since a 31-24 edge over Edmonton on Jan. 20 in a 4-2 loss.

Panthers Recap: Panthers 3, Rangers 2

Video Highlights

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -It took the streaking Florida Panthers to cool off the New York Rangers.

Olli Jokinen's tiebreaking power-play goal 7:12 into the third period stretched the Panthers' winning streak to a season-high six and handed the Rangers their first regulation loss in more than a month, 3-2 on Friday night.

"They're playing great hockey," said Rangers forward Scott Gomez, who scored one of New York's goals. "They stuck to their game plan. Certain guys over there are stepping up their play. Give them credit."

The Rangers had been 10-0-3 since a 4-1 home loss to Anaheim on Feb. 7. One of those victories was a 5-0 shutout over the Panthers on Feb. 24.

"The way we played in New York was kind of embarrassing," Jokinen said. "They outplayed us, they outworked us. We wanted to redeem ourselves."

Florida's winning streak is the third longest in team history.

Rostislav Olesz and Jassen Cullimore also scored for Florida, which is making a push for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Panthers have 76 points, three fewer than eighth-place Philadelphia.

"I think our best games are still ahead and we keep getting better," Jokinen said. "We're a confident group right now, but the bottom line is we can't get too high."

Dan Girardi had the other goal for the Rangers, sixth in the East with 83 points.

Florida's Tomas Vokoun stopped 32 shots, five more than Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers.

The game, played in front of Florida's fourth home sellout crowd of the season, had a playoff feel.

"It was an awesome game to play in," Panthers center Stephen Weiss. "There was a lot of emotion. It's nice to come out with two points."

Jokinen's game-winner was his first goal in nine games.

"I'm not going to lie to you, of course it's nice to score," he said. "But the bottom line is we've been winning games and I think every line has been able to chip in and play pretty good hockey. But it's always nice to score."

With Martin Straka in the penalty box for hooking, Steve Montador took a shot from the point that Lundqvist couldn't glove. Jokinen dug the puck out of a crowd in front and scored his 31st of the season.

"There was a couple rebounds there, and they finally got it in," Lundqvist said. "I picked up (the initial shot) late and kind of reacted late to it. We got stuck with a rebound there and they just kept banging. It was just under my pad."

The Rangers had chances to tie the game late as Florida was called for two penalties in the last 5:34.

The first power play ended after only 13 seconds when Rangers defenseman Fedor Tyutin took a penalty. The second started with 2:06 left, and New York pulled Lundqvist for a sixth attacker during the advantage.

Shortly after Olesz's shot at the empty net from just outside the Florida blue line hit the post with 30 seconds remaining, Rangers forward Chris Drury found himself alone in the slot, but Vokoun stopped his wrist shot.

"You had to like the looks," Gomez said. "We had Chris Drury in the slot there. What can you say? The guy just knows where to go. We did everything we wanted to do, give them credit.

"Their defense played great, there's nothing you can say. We got looks, it just didn't go in."

After Olesz and Girardi traded goals in the first period, the Rangers took advantage of a 5-on-3 advantage at the start of the second to take a 2-1 lead.

Gomez scored 28 seconds in when he banged in a rebound off Brendan Shanahan's one-timer from the point.

Florida tied it at 11:42 of the second on Cullimore's third of the season. Cullimore fired a slap shot from the point through traffic and beat Lundqvist low to the glove side.

"We're very disappointed considering we had a couple opportunities at the end," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "It would have been a big emotional lift to find a way against a very hot team. This is their sixth win in a row, and we knew going in they were going to be tough."

Notes: The teams split the four-game season series. ... Cullimore played in his 700th NHL game. ... Florida D Bryan Allen left the ice in the second period after behind checked into the boards from behind by Shanahan and didn't return. Shanahan was assessed a minor penalty. ... Because of Allen's injury, Montador moved from forward to defense in the third period. ... Florida won seven straight in the 1995-96 and 2005-06 seasons.

Panthers Recap: Panthers 4, Islanders 2

Video Highlights

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -Karlis Skrastins wasn't planning to shoot from the blue line until he heard an encouraging yell from a teammate. The result was another winning goal for the Florida Panthers.

Skrastins' second goal of the season 8:22 into the third period broke a tie and led the streaking Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the slumping New York Islanders on Wednesday night.

Skrastins stopped the Islanders' clearing attempt at the blue line and then fired a slap shot that beat Rick DiPietro to the far side after the goalie was screened by New York defenseman Matthew Spiller.

"I was just thinking about getting the puck back in the corner, but somebody yelled to me that I had a little bit of time, so I took my time," Skrastins said. "I was thinking maybe to pass over to (Jay Bouwmeester), but I just shot and it was a good shot."

Skrastins, acquired from Colorado last month at the trade deadline, scored his first goal for the Panthers. He has 23 goals in 589 career games, and six were game-winners.

"It's great to see a guy like that score a goal like that," Florida defenseman Bryan Allen said. "Ever since he's come in here, he's a guy that battles every night and sacrifices his body and does whatever he can to help the team. It's nice to see a guy like that get rewarded once in a while."

The Panthers won their season-high fifth straight game. Florida won all four meetings between the teams, completing its first season sweep of the Islanders since the Panthers' inaugural season in 1993-94.

Kamil Kreps and Stephen Weiss also scored for the Panthers, who moved within five points of eighth-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Brett McLean added an empty-net goal.

Florida has 74 points and is tied for 10th in the conference with Southeast Division-rival Washington.

Bill Guerin and Blake Comeau scored for the Islanders, who have lost six of seven and sunk to 13th in the Eastern Conference.

"To be how close we were a few weeks ago and to be where we are now is frustrating," Comeau said. "Until we're mathematically out, the guys in this room are going to keep pushing hard. Nobody is ready to lay down and die yet. We've got a great attitude in this room."

This was Florida's second victory over the Islanders in 10 days. The Panthers recorded a 1-0 road win on March 2 when backup Craig Anderson stopped 53 shots.

Tomas Vokoun was in net for Florida this time and made 27 saves.

Vokoun was particularly impressive early while the Islanders were outshooting Florida 10-1 in the first eight minutes.

"This game wasn't so good for us at the beginning," Skrastins said. "The only guy who played well was Volky. He kept us in the game."

DiPietro stopped 28 shots for the Islanders.

Weiss broke a 1-1 tie at 1:05 of the third period when his rebound shot from a sharp angle went off DiPietro's pad and landed behind him.

Comeau tied it at 7:18 with a power-play goal. He scored to the glove side with a wrist shot from the slot.

After a scoreless first period, the teams traded goals in the first 1:23 of the second.

Guerin gave the Islanders the lead 28 seconds in when he tapped home a pass from Richard Park on a 2-on-1. Kreps tied it 55 seconds later after taking a feed from Ville Peltonen on another 2-on-1.

"We got a goal, and then two shifts later give it back to them," Guerin said. "It's tough."

Notes: The Islanders fell to 9-5-1 in the second of back-to-back games this season. ... Islanders LW Ruslan Fedotenko sat out after injuring a knee in the third period of Tuesday's loss at Tampa Bay. ... Florida RW Nathan Horton extended his point streak to six games with an assist on McLean's goal. ... Five of the Panthers' previous eight home games had gone to overtime.

Panthers Recap: Panthers 3, Thrashers 2 OT

Video Highlights

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -The Florida Panthers are trying to make a push for the playoffs, and Nathan Horton is supplying the clutch scoring.

His second overtime goal in three games gave the Panthers a 3-2 victory over Atlanta on Saturday night and extended their winning streak to four games.

"It's a huge win for us," said Horton, who gave the Panthers a 1-0 victory over Boston on Tuesday. "We need to keep this thing rolling, keep getting points."

The Panthers, who have matched their season high with their four-game streak, moved into a tie with Washington for 10th place in the Eastern Conference with 72 points. Philadelphia is in eighth with 78 points.

The Panthers haven't made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season.

"We lose, we know we could be out and not have any chance," Horton said. "So we just need to keep winning. That's all we can control is winning games."

Brett McLean added two power-play goals for Florida. Both bounced in off Atlanta players.

Bryan Little and Ilya Kovalchuk scored power-play goals for the Thrashers, who snapped a nine-game losing streak Friday with a shootout victory over Minnesota.

Kovalchuk has scored in all five games this season against the Panthers.

But it was Kovalchuk who sat in the penalty box when Horton scored. He was called for hooking Jay Bouwmeester at 3:18 of overtime.

"We played pretty good early, we battled hard, we had a couple chances late," Kovalchuk said. "It was just a bad penalty by me and they scored the game winner."

Horton scored during 4-on-3 play during overtime when he put a slap shot from inside the top of the left circle over Kari Lehtonen's left shoulder.

Florida, which rallied from a 2-0 deficit, dominated overtime with a 6-1 shots advantage.

Florida went back to All-Star goalie Tomas Vokoun after backup Craig Anderson played three straight games, including recording back-to-back shutouts on the road. Vokoun finished with 25 saves after giving up a goal on his first shot.

Lehtonen stopped 38 shots for Atlanta but lost his ninth consecutive decision since a 3-2 shootout victory over Washington on Feb. 13.

"It's just frustrating," he said. "I don't even remember when I won a game last. There's only so much you can take of this. I just need to battle and come back strong back next game."

Little opened the scoring 2:12 into the game after Mark Recchi's pass from behind the net got past Vokoun.

Kovalchuk doubled the Thrashers' lead when his one-timer trickled through Vokoun's legs.

"The second goal was a straight shot from the blue line," Vokoun said. "I would stop that most nights with my hands tied behind my back."

Florida made it 2-1 at 18:32 of the first. Lehtonen made a pad save on McLean's wrist shot, but the rebound bounced in off the skate of Thrashers defenseman Ken Klee.

McLean scored again at 8:40 of the second when his flip from the back of the net went in off the back of Lehtonen's leg.

The comeback from a two-goal deficit was the Panthers' first since Jan. 2.

"The way we played in the first period was a little embarrassing," Florida captain Olli Jokinen said. "(Vokoun) has been carrying us the whole year, and the way we played in the first is not the way you should play in front of your No. 1 goalie. It was a big win for him and for our hockey club."

Notes: Florida also won four in a row from Nov. 19-28. ... Jokinen's assists on Florida's last two goals made him the Panthers' career leader with 230. Robert Svehla had held the mark. ... Atlanta C Todd White missed his second consecutive game because of a shoulder injury sustained Wednesday against Carolina. He had missed the previous two games because of an elbow injury. ... Florida is still without C Chad Kilger, who has been suspended by the team for not returning in a timely fashion after being granted a leave of absence.