Welcome to Panthers Play of the Week! This will be a weekly column that breaks down a memorable Panthers goal from the week before.
This week’s goal will feature a beauty courtesy of some strong neutral zone play, excellent transition, a nifty pass, and a wicked finish.
We begin in Sunrise, Florida as the Florida Panthers host the Ottawa Senators.
It’s midway through the 3rd period and the Sens and Cats are all tied up at 2, for now.
It all starts off pretty innocently for the Senators. Erik Karlsson has the puck with a ton of time in his own zone and spots a wide open Kyle Turris who is poised to receive a perfect breakout pass.
This looks like it will develop into at least a controlled zone entry for Ottawa.
This is as far as Ottawa gets before making a mistake.
Instead of passing the to Turris so he has enough time to assess the neutral zone like a normal person (look for a pass, skate away from a defender), Karlsson waits until Turris has crossed his own blue line to send him the puck. Now, it’s important to note that Karlsson has all of this extra time due to a Panthers line change. He doesn’t take advantage of the open ice and sends Turris to his doom.
Turris is also at fault for continuing on this path despite the fact that two Panthers just jumped on the ice.
Why was this a bad move? It’s a bad move because the Panthers had just completed their line change and were pretty much just waiting for the breakout. Turris barely received the pass before being de-pucked.
Whoops.
Sean Bergeinheim and Jimmy Hayes sandwich Turris and the puck is now in the Panthers’ hands.
The play immediately goes the other way and here is where Karlsson commits unforgivable error number 2.
For some reason, Karlsson thinks he can break this play up. He skates though his entire neutral zone to get to Hayes but Hayes sees him coming from nearly a mile away and makes a pass to a streaking Vincent Trocheck (Who we all have to call G.I. Tro) with an open lane into the Senators’ zone. Kids, you just don’t do that.
He won the Norris.
Trochek has speed to burn, so naturally, he burns that speed and flies into the zone with the puck, catching an awkward Jarred Cowen off-guard. Cowen has the size advantage (6’5″, 228 lbs to Trocheck’s 5’10”, 182 lbs) but his pivot isn’t fast enough for Trochek, who pulls the puck in front of him with some impressive skill and gains the positional advantage.
It kind of looks like he’s going to fall. He doesn’t.
Trochek fends off Cowen who doesn’t look like he cares very much about what is happening right next to him, WITH ONE HAND ON HIS STICK. While this is happening, Jimmy Hayes streaks down the open lane left by Erik Karlsson, to the right of the net.
The other hand is solving a rubik’s cube.
Karlsson with the best seat in the house.
As Trochek fights off Cowen, Hayes gains position on Karlsson and Trochek makes a perfect ONE HANDED PASS right to Hayes for the tap in.
Money.
Here is the last move in a beautiful gif (Courtesy of myregularface on twitter/Hosted on GifGoldmine).
The Panthers won 3-2.
Here’s the full goal (The best part of the video may be the woman gracefully sipping her coffee in celebration).
Mike Obrand can be reached for contact on Twitter or via email at mikeobrand@gmail.com.
