Something STRANGE is going on... | Florida Panthers News

There is something strange that has been going on with the Florida Panthers, and it dates back to last season. What is it? I'll tell you guys in just a moment. And the injuries that have piled up in the last two games have come to bite the Panthers in the butt. What is head coach Paul Maurice going to do in game number five to close out this series? And hopefully all those guys will be healthy and ready to rock and roll tomorrow night at 8 o'clock and rally. Guys, thank you so much for joining me on this episode of Panthers Digest. I am your host, Greg Andrews. Hit that subscribe button down below so you can stay up to date with anything and everything that has to do with your defending Stanley Cup champion, Florida Panthers. Well, that was a tough loss last night, and the Panthers didn't look like the normal quintessential Panthers who would come right out of the gate, bashing heads, being physical, getting into the heads of their opponents, and just playing their brand of hockey. It looked like a different team last night. It looks like they put their guard down for just a second, took their foot off the gas, and they were like, you know what? We're up 3-0 in this series. That is something that is scary, though, because the Panthers have had trouble closing out series. When I say that, I'm not saying they have failed to close them out, but in that first chance to close out a series, they have not done the best of jobs, and it dates back to last season in the Stanley Cup Finals, being up 3-0 on the Edmonton Oilers, who stormed back, tied the series 3-3, but the Panthers, in game seven, fortunately, were able to pull out the W, and it didn't pretty much look like the worst collapse in the NHL history. So, thank God that did not happen, but they have had this horrible thing happen where they just can't close out the first time around, and they don't do it at home for some reason. Am I really saying closing out the series in general? I'm just saying, in terms of big home games that can make a big statement, put them in the driver's seat to either close out a series or really take control of the series. Game number three for Tampa Bay this season, game number six this postseason against Toronto, and then last night against Carolina at home, faltered in each one of those spots, and then last year, well, we're not even going to talk about that because guess what? It's history, and the Panthers won the Stanley Cup, so yay for that, but we're going to get into all of these in a minute in terms of what is the reasoning behind, especially these last two series and then last night, the games where they weren't able to get the W to either close out the series or to put themselves handily in the driver's seat. They just seem to have something going on when they play on home ice that they're just not capable of putting the pedal to the metal and really taking control of the game, but we'll get into that into a second, just a second. So, right now, I put injuries on here because that is the biggest reason why this Panthers team struggled last night, besides the fact they just kind of looked lackadaisical and they took, they just looked like they had their guard down. They weren't flying around like they normally do. They weren't nearly as physical, but there is something that the stats in this game, as well as the Tampa Bay series in game number three, and then game number six of the Toronto series that they all have in common, and we're going to get to that in just a second, but pay attention here. The Panthers are always the more physical team. Almost in every single game they have played this postseason, they have been the most physical team, or if they weren't the most physical team in terms of the stat lines where it shows hits, they were close enough with the other team, maybe two or three hits below, but I'm digressing. Look at that faceoff win percentage. Last night, they only won 43% of their faceoffs. That's not going to win you a game. I've said this before, when you're being able to control the puck off the faceoff, you can set up your offense, or if you're in your defensive third, control the puck, and if you're especially on the PK, throw that thing down the ice. I mean, they've done a great job of really being able to kill off these penalties, and they have, as you can see here, they had three of them last night, so they did a good job there, and the game was closer than it actually looks, obviously because of the two empty netters in the third period, but we'll get into more things in just a second, but it wasn't as big of a loss, as lopsided as it is. Carolina played a better game, yes, but it was closer than I think people think. Again, I just think that there's a lot that has been happening in this series that have been happening against the Panthers, but I'm not going to cry like a baby about it and get my panties in a bunch, get my boxers up my butt. That's not what's going to happen here. I want to tell you guys that there have been missed calls and made calls that have been bad for all sides in every series that we have seen in the playoffs. The embellishment call from Kachuk, where's the embellishment? The guy had his stick around the waist of Kachuk, and he pulled him down. How is that embellishment? I don't get it. Same thing with the Rodriguez, when he got smashed against the boards and went down for a bit and went to the locker room and was out for a couple of games. Where's the embellishment? I don't understand what the referees are looking at. To me, it's just because of Kachuk's reputation, maybe that has something to do with it. I don't know. I don't know. But to me, there's embellishment, I think, on the Carolina side a lot. We see guys going down, holding their faces, looking around. I've seen certain things, and you guys know it too. If you're a Carolina fan, don't cry foul and say, well, you're calling him out. Come on, man. Guys, give me a break. I'm seeing it on both sides, but more so the taunting part of it too from the Hurricanes when Kachuk was taken down, just putting his hands in his face. Are you kidding me? How is that embellishment? And I think it was Stahl or was it Hall? I can't remember which of the two was trying to mock Kachuk. That might come to bite you guys in the butt in game number five tomorrow, and I think the Panthers are going to come out. No holding back. They're going to come 100 miles an hour right at Carolina, and they're going to close out that series. Anyways, let's keep moving forward here. The injuries. Sorry, not the injuries. This is, yes, the injuries here. The guys that I've circled here are the guys that were out, okay? Reinhardt was out. Mikula was out. A.J. Excuse me. Wow, A.J. Greer, excuse me. I'm so sorry about that. Was out. These guys are all big-time players that have a lot of weight that they pull. Reinhardt, his offense is incredible. He really is able to generate some great offense. He does a great job on the forecheck when they're on that offensive third. These other guys, Mikula's a big body, 6'6". He throws his weight around. I think he's got 40 hits or something so far in the playoffs. He has been spectacular. Greer has 44 hits. I mean, these guys are impact players, especially on the defensive side for Mikula as well as Greer. Both of them are great forecheckers. They're great on the back check as well. Like I said, they throw their weight around. They add to that physicalness in every single game that the Panthers need to bring. That is their identity. That is who this team is. I said this in my last video. That's what this team is. That's why people are sick of the Panthers. That's why people get frustrated with them. That's why every single person cries foul when your player goes down from your team and you say, oh, it was a cheap shot. It was this, this. They're just a more physical team. And guess what happens when teams are physical? Injuries are going to happen. Guys are going to go down. It's going to look like it was intended, but it wasn't intended because that's just their style of hockey. They play physical hockey, guys. So cry foul. Do whatever you want. It's hockey, guys. Don't be babies. This is playoff hockey. If your team is not more physical than the Panthers, that's on your team. Talk to your coach. Talk to the GM. Write a nasty e-mail, whatever it is, and say, guys, play more physical hockey if you want to win. That is their style of play. That's who these guys are. That is their identity now as this team. The bad boys of the NHL are now the Florida Panthers. Let's keep moving on. These are the updates. Morning skate today. All three of these guys skated. And Paul Maurice gave his quintessential, well, we're just going to have to see how these guys go out there tomorrow on the ice and we'll make a decision then. That's pretty much what he has said. The same thing he always does whenever there's an injury. It's day to day. Let's see how they are the next day and go from there. But I would say, almost safe to say, I think we're going to see Mikula back and Greer back. Reinhardt is still, I think, a 50-50 shot with the knee. You know, I mean, they're saying lower body, and the other ones are not disclosed. But, you know, the knee, it's going to be tricky. I would rather see him sit and get the rest and rehab it a little bit and just be in the training room and be that support. I mean, they did just fine in game number three without him when he was taken out. All right? Let's keep moving on. So, here we go. This is what I was saying, what the Panthers were missing last night. Reinhardt, 11 points this postseason, excuse me, four goals and seven assists in 14 games. He's been great. He's really helped that offense. He's actually really helped on defense as well. And he's just a great presence that players from the opposite team have to pay attention to whenever he's on the ice and they're on their offensive third. They have to watch wherever he is. And on the power play, excuse me, they need to know where he is at all times because he can score at will from anywhere. And then Mikula, you see here. He has five points, three goals, two assists, 40 hits in 13 blocks. They are really, really missing him on the ice. Hopefully, he will be back tomorrow to keep contributing to the blocks and to the big time hits and to the forward checking as well as the back checking because he is a key component to this team's defense and the success that they've been having. And then fourth line, Greer. He might be on the fourth line, but man, he has made an impact. Two goals, 44 hits. Mind-boggling for a guy on the fourth line. I mean, he gets out there. He might not put up 20-plus minutes or so or close to 20 minutes in a game, but again, another guy who will throw his weight around, another guy that will play great defense. He might not score a million goals or have a million assists, but hey, man, he contributes defensively. He helps this team do what they need to do to win games. Everybody pulls their weight. Like I keep saying to you guys, it might sound so quintessential, but this is the ultimate team. People say, analysts have said, it's annoying because it just seems like this team was built for the playoffs, like the plethora of a team that is built for the playoffs. That is how deep the roster is. That is how they play the game. They are selfless in every aspect of the word. Excuse me, they're selfless players. So this is what I wanted you guys to look at. Remember back to what I showed you from last night's game where we took a look at the stats. Look at the face-off numbers in this game, number three, where the Panthers lost to the Lightning. They're almost exactly the same. 40, I think they are the same, sorry. 42% face-off win percentage for the Panthers. That's not going to get it done. And the other team is also blocking 20-plus shots. Your opportunities are going out the window. Even though they did have a bunch of shots in this game, last night they didn't. They weren't shooting the puck a ton. They made Anderson look like the greatest goalie in the world. And hopefully he doesn't bounce back and kind of get his bearings straight and starts blocking every single shot that we're shooting at him. Hopefully that doesn't happen. And hopefully Bob, he still had a great game last night. He only had one goal against. I think it was 967 save percentage. So he's still playing solid hockey. He's still a phenomenal goaltender. He's still standing on his head and playing. But let's keep moving on. Look at this, game number six. Face-off win percentage is even lower in this one. Shots were low in this one. Big time with the hits. Look at the blocked shots. The pattern is when the Panthers have a very low, like just above, you know, about 43% to 45% face-off win percentage, 46%, they're not winning games. When they're around a 50-50 split or just below it, they're winning. They're winning. And then when they're blocking shots, they're winning too. If they have, I would say, 17-plus blocked shots or 15-plus blocked shots in a game, I think that's the average when they're winning. The combination just works for them. But I'm digressing because I would just say last night was a little bit of an anomaly because they just didn't seem to vibe last night. They just didn't feel – it didn't seem to me like they were like, yeah, you know what, we're just going to keep the gas pedal down and we're just going to roll with this and close it out tonight. They just – they looked lackadaisical, a step slower. The Hurricanes were flying all over the ice. You know, they just looked like a better team last night. That was obviously the best game of the series so far for them. But it's still been total domination by the Panthers. It's one game. Tomorrow night, I think everything changes and shifts right back to where we were because this is the thing that I love. The Panthers have won seven out of their nine games on the road this postseason. They play better on the road than they do at home, which is a good thing because of this. They're going to be the road team in the finals if they make it there. They still have home ice advantage here. Don't forget that in this series. They still do. If they play the Oilers in the final, which is what it's going to look like, and the Panthers make it to the final, they're going to be the road team. So if that's the case, I like our chances more so than if we're the home team. So I'm excited. I'm a little nervous tomorrow, but I'm not that nervous because the Panthers just literally, if they get healthy, all their guys are back, even if Reinhardt is a missing piece still, but they still get Mikula and they still get Greer back. I think our chances are through the roof tomorrow night, and I think we're going to win. I don't think we're going to win it by a goal. I think it's going to be a three-goal margin that we're going to win by tomorrow night. Do I say pull away with it right away? I don't think so. I think it might take a minute or a period, period and a half, for them to get their bearings straight and then start rolling. But anyways, so yeah, 7 of 9. Incredible numbers, guys. Oh, sorry, wrong thing right there. So let's keep moving on. Let's get some graphics, some quotes. Here's Paul Maurice. Sorry, wrong guy. Alexander Barkov, excuse me, talking about what just happened last night. They had their best game of the series, and they're a really good team, so they played really well. They deserve to win today, but that's okay. We'll learn. We'll recover from this and move on. And that's what they always do. And that's the thing I love about this team. They learn from their mistakes. They readjust. Their coach works on the game film with them and says, hey, man, this is what we did wrong. Here's what we got to do to fix it. Let's go back to Panthers hockey. This is what we're going to do. Iron out the details. Let's do it. Let's get back to Panthers hockey. Paul Maurice. This is him a little PO'd with the team in there. That's why I found that great shot of him. He was a little PO'd about the performance. It's competitive sports, so I'm past seething. I got rid of that before I came to see the media tonight. At the end of the day, I have a job to do. Get them to play a certain way, look a certain way. I don't think I got that done. And here's Sam Bennett. I think just a little jump. We were a little hesitant tonight. The last three games, we were aggressive. We had more pace to our game, more jump, and I think just a little sitting back tonight. I agree. I think they got a little bit too complacent. I don't think they did enough, obviously, and it looked like they didn't do enough. I mean, I saw massive, massive differences from the first three games just by the eye test than what I saw last night. They just looked like they weren't in it to win it, and they were hoping that maybe Carolina was like, you know what? Series is over. We're done. That's it, and we're not going to play that hard, and that was the polar opposite. They came out ready to go against the team that let their guard down. So there's one thing that I want you guys to listen to. I love Coach Paul Maurice because his, any quotes that he gives are just things of gold, and this one here that I listened to the other day had the hairs on my arms stick up because he's talking about the guys in his locker room, how they are off the ice versus how they are on the ice. He's talking to reporters. I'm going to play this for you guys right now. This is awesome. This is the epitome of a great coach talking about his locker room, talking about the passion that these guys have on and off the ice, but that they turn into this different animal when they're in the game, and he's trying to do this because he's trying to tell everybody out there these guys are all business on the ice. That's what they do. They're going to beat people up. They're the bad boys. They're going to be out there, but they're not intending to hurt people. They're out there just playing the game harder than everybody else right now, and that's what's drawing all of this ire from fans and other people just saying, hey, oh, they're intent to hurt you. See that cheap shot? You see this? They're playing playoff hockey, and they're playing rougher, tougher, fight them hockey better than anybody else, and that's why people are getting frustrated with this team because they're just more physical, and I'm going to keep saying it, so here is coach Paul Maurice. Have you ever shotgun? Have you ever been to church? Something spiritual? Yeah. Would you shotgun a beer in church? That doesn't make you a hypocrite. Right. There's a context that plays for all things. I will tell you they're honest. These men are honest, so that personality makes sure that it's all real. I hated Matthew Kachuk. It's a little too strong. When I was in Winnipeg, right, like, and then you meet him, and you go, oh, my God, what a wonderful human being. I've said these guys are different. Like, Barkoff's personality is our room, right? And then there's, like, Sam Bennett. Sam has done his way for, you know, raising money for cats and dogs. Like, they're really, really nice people, and then the puck drops, right? Sometimes you say a prayer, sometimes you shotgun a beer. It's kind of like our team. I absolutely love that quote. That is just gold. If you're a reporter, sportscaster, whatever it is, that is pure gold, and that is Paul Maurice at his finest talking about his team, and he's right. He is right. When that puck drops, these guys are all business. But off the ice, they're the coolest, nicest dudes you'll ever meet. That's why I'm saying, yeah, they're bad boys. They're the rough team in the NHL right now. Accept it. There's a reason why people are looking at this team, analysts, reporters, other NHL coaches and players, and are saying, this team's dangerous. It's because they are. They're physical. They're not out to kill people in terms of purposely injure. They're out there to win a championship, and to do that, you've got to play physical hockey in the NHL playoffs, because if you don't, you're going to get chewed up and spit out, and they're not going to let that happen. No way. I think they're out for blood this year. They don't want to go to the finals and go through seven games. It's a different team, different year, and a different mentality of how they're handling their business on the ice. I think they bounce back tomorrow night at 8 p.m., and they get the big W, close out this series, and head to their third straight Stanley Cup final. All right, guys. Thank you again. I'm Greg Andrews. Thank you for watching Panther's Digest. Again, subscribe, like, comment, and share. Please be respectful when you do comment. Thank you guys so much for tuning in. I will see you guys tomorrow with another episode. Go Cats!