Where was Panthers' on-ice response to Booth hit?
by Donny Rivette on Oct 25, 2009 11:14 AM EDT
12 comments
Much of the discussion around the Mike Richards / David Booth incident has begun morphing from "Was it dirty?" to "Why did Florida remain passive in the aftermath?". In light of the event, it seems a fair question. The league will do what it sees fit by burying its head in the sand, no doubt sticking close to the rule book and judging Richards on his history of gentlemanly play. No argument there.
But indeed, where was the expected emotion by the Cats after the hit? When the stretcher was removed, the players reassembled on the ice, awaiting the imminent next dropping of the puck...we got blank stares. Obviously, the Panthers were first and foremost concerned about the fallen camrade, as we all were.
But then? What about that which inevitably follows an incident such as this? Typically, it's a foregone conclusion that most clubs on the losing end of a check of that magnitude are going to "respond", whether right or wrong. This is hockey after all. Call it a barbaric (wink, wink) line of thought with no place in today's game, but the spectre looms overhead, as it has for decades: an eye for an eye, and all that.
We've obviously evolved much of that out of the "modern" version of the NHL, but c'mon: there was nothing from the Florida Panthers once Booth was removed.
Of course, Dominic Moore (busy stuffing his nose with enough tissue to entice day-traders into Kleenex territory), Radek Dvorak (gone after being helped off the ice following the losing side of a knee-on-knee), and Dmitry Kulikov (still seeing blue diamonds after a faceplant into the glass) were all exempted from any retaliatory action. But where was Gregory Campbell? Where was anyone? Not a soul was willing to mix it up with the Flyers in defense of their own honor?
No doubt following the orders handed down by coach Peter DeBoer, the players probably subscribed to a collective thought that the game was not out of hand, still within reach, blah, blah. At 3-1, it wasn't unrealistic, and the Cats were matching the intensity of their hosts.
This wasn't a late-round playoff game, however. Some on-ice anything would have been preferable to sitting back on their paws, awaiting a predetermined fate.
Shoulda mixed it up. In addition to a nasty record of 2-6-1, Florida now faces the ugly labels of "passive", "weak", and "uninspired".
All the best to Booth, of course, but what's left of this club if they won't make the effort of standing up for each other?
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Its a symptom of the lack of spirit this team has currently. The appropriate response for such an incident involves some sort of retaliation – whether its improved play or taking it out on the other team.
That toughness is missing, they’d better go find it, the NHL is not a kind place.
by coasterg on Oct 25, 2009 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t see it as any of those things.
I simply think the team was gassed. They played their asses of against Pittsburgh and then had to face a very tough Philly team the next night. A Philly team that no doubt was a little embarrassed by their showing a week ago in Florida.
I think this had a lot to do with the Panthers looking passive.
Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com
by HockeyOutsiders on Oct 25, 2009 11:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No respect....
Looks like the cats are playing roller hockey….I can’t BELIEVE there is no price to pay for the Hit on Moore,Devorak, and Booth….
I don’t like Goon hockey, BUT you can see that teams have NO respect for this team….and WHY would they ???
Who is going to make them pay for cheap shots? Macabe ? I thought he would set the tone for this team as a Captain , but I have not seen it..
Horton ? he gets fired up when somebody hits him, but he either takes a stupid penalty , or is mentally taken out of the game.
by marvelgoalie on Oct 25, 2009 12:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
ps
You would think….take the 5 min penalty , try to make them pay for the booth hit on the scoreboard.
But when your down 3-1 late in the 3rd…They should have “sent the message”, by checking anyone with the puck…
BUT just like in the 3rd period in Pittsburg,,, it was the other team dishing out the hits…
Philly was up 4-1 with 5 min to play…and they were STILL trying to put goals in the net…Florida??? they didn’t do anything about it…
Roller hockey has more physical contact than the Panthers seem willing to play with…
One exception usually Ballard…
by marvelgoalie on Oct 25, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
thank you for calling this out Whale. this has been a problem with this team for the last two years….absolutely NO HEART. we always got on Horton for being lazy as could be but it’s not only him. Captain McCabe has done NOTHING to earn the “c” this season, physically or even by his quality of play (or lack thereof). Ballard is a shell of last season and not even close to as physical as he was then.
You’re last line sums it up. If they don’t even go after someone when their star goes down, why should we expect a quality showing any other time? so disappointing.
by alterego6487 on Oct 25, 2009 12:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Panthers are in disarray - Name Change to Kittens - Press Release coming! love AC
Welcome back Florida Kittens!
New Motto:
Florida Kittens
“Feel the disaster”
“Feel the diapers”
“Feel the destruction of South Florida’s hockey team”
Tickets almost free! We give away tickets to make sure that we still retain our sponsors.
By the way, Kittens did you guys enjoy your trip to PA? Your style of play can be equated to sleepwalking and zombie like movements. The kittens have zero emotion and heart. They don’t stick up for their teammates nor do they come over to see off their best player on a “stretcher” unlike the opposing side’s Pronger.
Last year, the month of November was horrendous, to best that statistic the kittens have decided to start the losing streak earlier with the month of October. Must be because of the name change, they need to do better at losing!
by Heartbreaker on Oct 25, 2009 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Want to meet an asshole?
… visit Pennsylvania. The state is apparently full of them.
by OldDave on Oct 25, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eastern PA, that is…
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
by FrankD on Oct 25, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Forced to agree. Especially since the majority of Pens fans have since moved out of the sewage system ghetto known as pittsburgh. An sad state when the cities fans won’t even live in their own city.
Anyway, I think it was more a sadness from the Booth hit. It takes a really dumb prick to get angry over that, after the solemnness shown by both sides. If Booth got up afterwards? Yeah. Send someone out. It’s what Carcillo did after Timo took a hit. But Timo didn’t spend 15 minutes on the ice not moving.
by BroadStreetBully on Oct 26, 2009 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There is something to be said for that, BSB.
by Donny Rivette on Oct 27, 2009 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have to agree here, even though i am a devout flyers fan, i feel like if this happened to a member of my team i would expect some sort of retaliation. I expected it last night and for some reason was not delivered, im not sure if this is a cause for alarm i just feel like somebody should have been sticking up for their team mate last night. Even as a flyer fan, im still shocked nothing came of this.
by Nolbs13 on Oct 25, 2009 9:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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