Panthers stop their skid, and come out on top! It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done.
The Panthers were handedly outshot through the first two periods of play. They trailed in the shot attempt count 45-25 after two periods of play. However, an 18-14 count in favor of the Cats, a fortunate deflection for Reilly Smith, and the legendary prowess of Jaromir Jagr were able to turn the tide. These are the kind of games I like to point to when describing why people value things like Corsi. I will be writing a lengthier column on the subject, so I digress.
GREEN: We witnessed history tonight. The 2015-16 Florida Panthers are the fastest to 80 points in franchise history. They beat out the 1999-2000 Panthers for that distinction, who did it in 66 games. This year’s Panthers did it in 63. Go Cats!
YELLOW: Great debuts for Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell. The former did not hit the scoresheet, but appeared to fit in with Jaromir Jagr and Sasha Barkov. Purcell, however, did hit the scoresheet, assisting on Reilly Smith’s game tying goal on the power play. I really dug Purcell’s game, he was decisive when shooting the puck, which goes to show why his shot rate was as high as it was in Edmonton. This Panthers team, which has struggled with generating shots, can definitely use a presence like that up front.
RED: 133 career game-winning goals. 2 points shy of Gordie Howe. Its truly awesome to witness Jaromir Jagr, The Legend, night in and night out. I feel very privileged to see such a special player breaking historical marks. I’m sure the rest of you do too.
