Goal Line Report
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Why the Panthers Deserve to be Where they Are Now
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/18/09 at 12:30 PM ET
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The last time the Florida Panthers made the playoffs, they had some guy named Pavel Bure and had Mike Vernon as their goaltender. This happened during the 1999-2000 season when they were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils.
Nine years later, the Panthers find themselves in unfamiliar territory as March approaches: a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Since the new year, the team is 13-4-2 and is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 66 points, just three points behind the fourth-place Philadelphia Flyers. So, you might ask, how are they doing this?
First off, they have a terrific first year coach in Pete Deboer, who has given the team a system that fits their style of play. They attack teams, they utilize their speed, they forecheck, they tighten up their defense at the right time and they get quality goaltending on almost a nightly basis. This system was executed perfectly last night in a 4-0 win over the Devils.
Secondly, while they may not produce a lot of points, the team has had relatively balanced scoring. Stephen Weiss currently leads the team with 41 points followed by David Booth (37 points), Nathan Horton (36 points....he’s not even playing to the best of his abilities), Cory Stillman (35 points), and Jay Bouwmeester (30 points). You also have pleasant surprises such as Gregory Campbell (26 points), Michael Frolik (29 points) and even Richard Zednik (25 ponts), all of whom are providing offense when the team calls upon them to.
While the team may allow a shots, they are sixth in the league in goals allowed. This is a testament to the strong play of defensemen Bouwmeester, Bryan McCabe, Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton, and Karlis Skrastins. They’re not afraid to block shots, clear rebounds, and contribute offensively.
Lastly, the club’s goaltending has been exceptional. Starter Tomas Vokoun has 19 wins with a 2.45 goals against average, .925 save percentage and five shutouts while backup netminder Craig Anderson’s numbers are just as good as he has 10 wins, a 2.29 goals against average, .929 save percentage and three shutouts. This is exactly the goaltending you need to succeed in the playoffs.
Yes, there is still a lot of hockey played but right now, the Panthers are playing great hockey and there is no reason to think that it will stop anytime soon.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Bryan+McCabe, Cory+Stillman, Craig+Anderson, David+Booth, Florida+Panthers, Gregory+Campbell, Jay+Bouwmeester, Karlis+Skrastins, Keith+Ballard, Michael+Frolik, Mike+Vernon, Nathan+Horton, New+Jersey+Devils, Nick+Boynton, Pavel+Bure, Pete+Deboer, Richard+Zednik, Stephen+Weiss, Tomas+Vokoun,
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About Goal Line Report
The Goal Line Report will focus on all things Eastern Conference. Do I have a bias towards the Eastern Conference just because I am a New Yorker? No, but it certainly does make things easier! I’ll make my opinions known on Eastern Conference news bits (as often as I can), big games, hot and cold players, trades (I don’t make things up) and anything and everything else related to the Eastern Conference that I think is important for hockey fans to know. I will, in every sense of the word, be the beast of the East while also making sure to drop my thoughts on other hockey news items.
I, Patrick Hoffman, have covered the NHL since 2003 and have worked for a variety of hockey media sources including: Stan Fischler, Spector’s Hockey, TheHockeyNews.com, HockeyBuzz.com, McKeen’s Hockey, Blueshirt Bulletin, XM Home Ice Channel Hockey Blog, HockeyPrimeTime.com, FantasyHockey.com. NY SportsDay, and HokejaVestnesis.com.
For questions, comments or to talk hockey, feel free to send me an e-mail at .
It’s the East. A hot two weeks can move you 4-6 spots, and there aren’t any juggernaut teams to really worry about.
Vokoun is the real deal, though.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 02/18/09 at 03:29 PM ET