Every Thursday, I’ll be discussing 5 different topics that are currently on my mind regarding the state of the Florida Panthers.
1. 20-Round Shootout
Personally, I am on team #3on3overtime because I think the shootout is a pointless skills competition. HOWEVER, to witness a 20-round shootout was one of those generational sports moments where you’ll never forget where you were when you were watching it. It was amazing. The suspense of watching the Capitals sink the go-ahead goal only to watch Florida come back every time and equalize it. It’s almost poetic how Nick Bjugstad, who has arguably been the best Panthers player all season, scored the game winning goal too. I will say though, I’m pretty sure I grew my first grey hair watching it.
2. Unnecessary criticism of Barkov
In Barkov’s first game back against the Washington Capitals (12/16), he posted a Corsi For of 71%. For those of you unaware of FancyCats, what that means is that the Florida Panthers controlled 71% of all shot attempts when he was on the ice. It’s also important to note that this was accomplished while he matched up against Backstrom and Ovechkin. This is why I feel that analytics are a helpful tool. Was Barkov held off the score sheet? Yes. However, he managed an incredibly strong game from a shot attempt standpoint and shutdown two elite players. That’s ridiculous. He was also 54% on the faceoff dot and the ice slid the Panthers way when he was on the ice. I look forward to see how he plays against the Philadelphia Flyers on (12/18).
3. Playoff Push
The Florida Panthers are asserting themselves in the Eastern Conference. With two wins over Eastern Conference playoff teams in the past three games, the Panthers are holding steady in the standings. It will be hard to make the playoffs with so many great teams in the East (10 teams could make it IMO), but if the Panthers keep up this pace we’ll see the Cats playing in more than 82 games this season. I would really contribute this to the emergence of some young players, Ekblad’s impressive rookie campaign, and the addition of some players this off-season.
4. UFAs
I’m really liking the lines that we saw last game against Washington and I hope we see something similar against Philadelphia. The team has structured itself in a way where the top 9 forwards are all offensive presences that can contribute defensively and the bottom 3 play a heavy game while still managing to chip in some offense. What I like most is how we are starting to see pending UFA’s playing well (Bergenheim, Fleischmann). It’s almost like they’re trying to show management they’re still serviceable and want a spot on the roster. It’ll be interesting to see which UFAs will be re-signed by the team come free agency.
5. Taylor Hall Rumors
These Taylor Hall rumors are a bit ridiculous. In order to receive a player of high value, you need to send back high value. You can’t just send a point-per-game AHL forward, a decent defenseman, and a random pick expecting to receive back an ELITE left winger. If you want to get a big name, you have to give up a big name. I would love to see Hall paired with Barkov so the team could have the combination of Hall/Barkov and Huberdeau/Bjugstad but realistically, I’m not sure if I could see the Panthers making that move. Also, it’s important to note that it Hall’s availability is still a rumor for now. If the Panthers were to make a move, I’d expect it to something on a much smaller scale. Possible trading one of the pending UFAs for a pick or maybe a prospect.
If you’d like to discuss any of these thoughts, hit me up on Twitter!
Patric M. can be reached for contact on Twitter.
