Can't say it wasn't entertaining - Florida played a tight, dare we say responsible game - right up to the 2:43 mark of the third period which resulted in yet another golden opportunity missed in the Golden State. We're not going to rehash SOG, TOI, saves, or any other hard statistic. Why bother, when regardless of whatever positives might be gleaned from such numbers, when the final buzzer found the Panthers (10-14, 20 points, 3-7 over last ten) again coming up short in the only category that matters: goals-scored.

Perusing quotes by players after the game, it was all the same-old, tired, oft-repeated phrases, but what else can they say? They're justifiably not happy, strategies and lines implemented one minute are often discarded the next, and no matter the quality of effort they put forth inevitably isn't enough to get the job done, unless facing the sad-sack Isles or a confusingly labotomized Lightning club. It simply wasn't enough that Los Angeles was riding a staggering four-game losing streak before the Cats blew into town. Talk about ripe for the picking.

Leave it to alternate captain Stephen Weiss to summarize the situation honestly: 

"We played a good game but have said that before. Playing good games doesn't mean crap in this league."

You just know he wants to say more (time for a confetti drop, I say)...but are the right folks listening?