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 play comes courtesy of the Panthers 5 man unit each playing their part to tickle the twine.
We open in St. Louis and look who’s in net, it’s Marty Brodeur! Congrats Nick Bjugstad, you scored against a goalie who used to be amazing!
I really like this play because it took all 5 skaters to play their roles well for it to come to fruition. It shows how good the Panthers are at transitioning from defense to offense and really highlighted their skill.
It starts off when David Backes makes a terrible pass behind his own net to his defenseman, Chris Butler. Instead of Butler picking it up, it’s Nick Bjugstad who intercepts the pass.
You don’t do that.
Bjugstad has the puck and you can see Jonathan Huberdeau wide open in front of the net for the feed. Bjugstad goes with the flow and hits Huberdeau with the pass. Butler realizes Backes’ blunder and rushes to the goalmouth to prevent the shot.
Backes is admiring his handywork.
This is as close to a gimme as you can get. Huberdeau has the shot and the wide open pass to Fleischmann for the tap in. This is where this breakdown ends right? Wrong. Brodeur makes the save here. Good for him!
Marty’s still got it.
The puck rebounds right to Steve Ott who initiates the Blues quick transition breakout.
A rather fortunate bounce.
Let me correct myself. The puck rebounds right to Steve Ott who tries to initiate the Blues quick transition breakout but is almost immediately stopped by a pinching Erik Gudbranson who neutralizes Ott’s breakout attempt.
A really great play by Gudbranson here.
Gudbranson funnels Ott’s angle away so Ott is forces to chip the puck weakly out of the zone, where Dylan Olsen is waiting for it.. Gudbranson then hustles back to his position to initiate the regroup. If Gudbranson doesn’t make this heads up pinch and execute it to perfection, then the Panthers don’t score here.
That’s good hockey, folks.
Olsen waits for his mates to get onside then slides the puck over to Gubranson. Then, Gudbranson tries to flip the puck up the boards to move the play forward but a pressuring TJ Oshie tips the pass.
He’s good at things other than the shootout, I guess.
Gudbranson follows up on his own pass to make sure that the puck gets through. At the same time, the Blues really overcommit here, trying to prevent the Panthers D from getting the puck forward. Backes collapses in from the middle of the ice and Butler takes a stand at his blue line instead of dropping back.
Chris Butler could be a better hockey player.
Gudbranson gets the puck to Flash who immediately flips it to Bjugstad, who is in motion. Chris Butler has no chance.
No chance in hell.
Huberdeau is there to create the 2-on-1 and opens himself up for the pass. Alex Pietrangelo does a good enough job at making sure the pass doesn’t get across, which is exactly what he is supposed to do in this situation.
You cut off the pass? Ok, fine by me.
Bjugstad realizes this and switches to shoot mode. He absolutely rips a shot to the far blocker side.
Faster than a speeding bullet and also Superman.
More accurate than Robin Hood and Bullseye combined.
I spy with my little eye…something that Martin Brodeur can’t handle.
So, I said that 5 Panthers played their roles perfectly?
1. Erik Gudbranson for pinching in and breaking up the breakout. He also made the great effort to get the puck to Flash.
2. Dylan Olsen for being in position and starting the regroup.
3. Tomas Fleischmann for that nifty feed to Bjugstad.
4. Jonathan Huberdeau for making sure Bjugstad could get the shot off.
5. Nick Bjugstad for finishing it all off with a shot that makes lasers jealous.
Mike Obrand can be reached for contact on Twitter or via email at mikeobrand@gmail.com.
