What's next for rudderless Panthers?
by Donny Rivette on Feb 9, 2010 10:44 PM EST
18 comments
Typically this space is reserved for a couple of comments, some stats from the game, and a little banter to close it out. Not this time.
Why does it appear the Panthers have not a single "signature" play, i.e. one that works regularly? Or roster cohesion - beyond Stephen Weiss, David Booth, and sidelined Nathan Horton - which occasionally results in a productive line once a month or so? How about some lineup consistency, as in not consistently recalling bodies from Rochester (thereby depleting the already drained local stock) before they're ripe? We're all aware of the burnout a prospect can suffer when spending a dominant amount of his time away from the game in airport terminals, but has any group been forced to undergo the callup/demotion roller coaster with more professionalism or simple gung-ho than Shawn Matthias, Keaton Ellerby, Michal Repik, Steve MacIntyre, Jason Garrison, etc? These guys are heroes for nothing more than sticking with the program. And if they are worthy of a recall on a scoring-deficient club, why demote them in a flash? Is Rusty Olesz suddenly going to bloom?
If the Cats - in some Nyquil overdosed bizarro sci-fi fantasy - were to win the Stanley Cup this season, the parade route begins at Blue Cross Arena.
What really grabbed my goat tonight was coach Peter DeBoer leaving Matthias in tonight's game to take the final faceoff - in a 4-1 laugher - across the dot from Carolina agitator Steven Goertzen, immediately following a scrum featuring those very same players. Of course it got heated, the young Florida center stormed off the ice, probably in a state of confusion as to what his role with this organization truly is.
Otherwise this evening was standard procedure for the Cats: play catch-up, allowing the opposition to gather momentum, and leaving their goaltender - a hard-as-nails competitor who deserves far better than this decrepit mess - in the dust.
Chalk up another one-goal losing effort to Florida. That'll go a long way toward respectibility come April, when the same group is bumping into each other while sailing to the 11th overall draft pick.
Fear not, though, since free agency is around the corner! And it's no secret that South Florida continues to rapidly rise up the wish lists of prime-talent free agents, phenomenal new training facility or not. What A-lister wouldn't wish to partake in all of this?
Based on recent history chances are strong it'll be another summer of Steven Reinprechts and Richard Zedniks and Martin Gelinas and Josef Stumpels: great guys, for sure, but hardly game - or season - breakers.
Either DeBoer and assistants Jim Hulton and Mike Kitchen are so far into genius realm that their troops can't keep up, or - more likely - the club has tuned them out, presumably fatigued with the as-yet ineffective "systems". In any case, it's not working.
GM Randy Sexton has promised in recent days that changes are coming. OK. Whatever. Will those changes occur at the conclusion of another failed season or just afterward at the draft, when Tomas Vokoun is unloaded?
Where is the accountability fans were promised? Season tickets are currently being pushed, and this is a preview of the coming year? It's more truth than rumor that longtime fans are not renewing, and the club would be wise to look deep within itself to find an answer. And then look far outside.
The fun is simply not there anymore.
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Donny, this is the heart of the problem. It says it all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Either DeBoer and assistants Jim Hulton and Mike Kitchen are so far into genius realm that their troops can’t keep up, or – more likely – the club has tuned them out, presumably fatigued with the as-yet ineffective “systems”. In any case, it’s not working.
Pete DeBoer OHL Jr. Hockey Coach>NHL Head Coach. Go figure……………….
The really sad part
is that the fans will tune them out next. I did not watch the game tonight – it’s way too frustrating. I can only hope that the players feel the same way, but it sure is hard to tell. I’d be willing to be that some of them already have their tee times set up for the second week in April.
The Panters are destined for another year of obscurity. Their fans are destind for another year of disappointment.
Too late
I didn’t bother to watch the game either. I was going to tune in late in the first after I finished working on some new music. Instead I watched a Wire video while I matched my socks. This is what it’s come to. I still haven’t decided about Thursday’s game. I’ll be at Saturday’s game because we’re taking a guest. I’m not sure why.
Florida Panthers: Giving the league a punching bag since 2000.
“I matched my socks”. Awesome. Simply awesome.
Right up there with “Sorry, hun…had a great time last night (rolls eyes), but I’ve been putting off rewinding these videos far too long.”
by Donny Rivette on Feb 9, 2010 11:39 PM EST up reply actions
QFT
“The fun is not there any more.”
Whale, THAT is the exact line that explains everything. Concise. To the point. And dead on. Well-played, sir.
The fun is not there any more.
No scoring threat. No goon. No hitting. No cohesive play. Why bother?
I find myself making the 46 mile trek to see great friends and have a great time with them in the parking lot. I am finding less and less reason to actually go into the rink.
this is just sad. I havent seen a game since I’ve moved up to Orlando at the beginning of the year but reading post after post, game after game on how pathetic this team looks is just disheartening.
Also, what scruf said is true. This team has nothing to excite you. Even when this team was losing and had players like Peter Worrell it was a heck of a lot more exciting than this lame squad.
where is Paul Laus when you need him?
This man came to PLAY hockey…..Not the most gifted but boy did he have heart….this current team has no heart or soul….absolutely pathetic….I was planning to come down Sat. eve to the game……Not any more….I’m fed up with this squad….IF THEY DON’T CARE …..WHY SHOULD I !
No heart is right on. This team lacks leadership,excitement, work ethic and responsibility.
It has become a disaster of epic proportions.
I feel sorry for Vokoun as he has been professional all year but I would bet he’s about ready to blow a gasket.
As for the three blind mice behind the bench, I have lost all faith in them.
DeBoer no longer impresses me.
by The Rat Trick on Feb 10, 2010 6:30 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
in all honesty, it’s amazing what this past week has done. it seems like we were all pining for that one goal scorer to push us over the top FOR THIS SEASON. now, after four straight losses and another week of not being able to score, this is what we’re left with. unfortunately, it seems we all have the same problem and seem to identify the problem with the team quite easily. THERE IS NO HEART or LEADERSHIP on this team whatsoever. remember when I called McCabe the captain none of us were too thrilled with, well now I can’t even comprehend why he wears that “C.” forget about the verbal leadership and accountability a captain should provide, WHERE IS THE EXEMPLARY EFFORT AND PLAY from him?
the focus, unfortunately, should no longer be on this season, but what we could get for whatever “assets” we might have on this haphazardly put together team. i so badly want this drought to end, but i don’t want to enter the playoffs with a team like this one we have to get swept out by the powerful Caps.
Sexton, finally, hopefully, sees this as the “sinking ship” it is and will try to correct it for the future. Take what you can for guys like Kreps, Olesz, Campbell, Stillman, Leopold, Ballard…and then GO SCOUT SOME PLAYERS. not watch them on tape, but SCOUT THEM live. he said last night it was “f—king brutal” and i know from people that work in his office he is not happy with this team. DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING, about it and get this team back to where it should be.
as for DeBoer, i’m no longer remotely impressed. it’s obvious the team is not responding to him, and that his “systems” do not work. for all the good work he did last year, he has been stubborn and unchanging this year and seems to be making all the wrong decisions with the AHL team. forget the contracts, can any one tell me why Kreps gets ice time over McCardle or Repik. In his few stints with the Cats, Repik has already produced more than Kreps does. If the only purpose he’s on the team is faceoffs, god help us.
hopefully we’ll have an active next three weeks, as this 10 game stretch pre-Olympics and minus Horton has obviously not gone as well as we hoped.
if it were me with GM next to my name, everyone on my team is available minus 10, 16, 43, 67 and i would do all i can to keep #4, far and away our best blue liner….who we will most likely see walk come Playoff time.
and good question, wwhere is the ACCOUNTABILITY AND WINNING CULTURE that “stu and cliff” promised???
by alterego6487 on Feb 10, 2010 5:25 PM EST up reply actions
Well said alterego6487. DeBoer’s system may work in the minors, but it’s not working here. He has not been as successful as other minor coaches that have come up like Cory Clouston for example.
The organization fooled itself before the season started that they were good enough to compete because they missed the playoffs last year by one point. By obtaining Reinprecht and Moore we just attracted players that aren’t even complimentary. Rhino has virtually been invisible , and as far as Moore is concerned, no wonder he’s been on so many teams. Yes he appears to work hard, but has to work even harder to be productive.
The 1996 team was not the best, but all those guys had heart, dedication and played as though they would never get another shot at playing again.
This unit looks aas though they could care less half the time.
These younger players that we are waiting for to mature and lead us, have not delivered. A former coach once said there are too many distractions here in Florida. He might be right as I really wonder what these guys do with their time off.
by The Rat Trick on Feb 10, 2010 5:48 PM EST up reply actions
Tired of the talk
Stop talking about moves and make them already. Since I can’t make it to the game Thursday, I hope the fans welcome the Panthers with boos. I’m sick of this.
Might get lost among the boos already scheduled for King Louie.
by Donny Rivette on Feb 10, 2010 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
there’s only so many of us that frequent the Box, but i think we have a pretty good understanding of this franchise, its flaws and what it does right.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE STU, CLIFF, ALAN, RANDY, OR PETE READ THESE POSTS, READ THE MESSAGES, READ THE NEWSPAPERS to realize that there ARE LOYAL, DIEHARD PANTHERS FANS that want this team to succeed so badly??
we dont need Yormark’s BS anymore, we don’t want anymore excuses or “we’re close!,” it’s been 10 years of the same GARBAGE and it seems as though those left that ARE diehards are finally fed up.
by alterego6487 on Feb 10, 2010 8:56 PM EST up reply actions
i wrote an email to Yormark over the summer saying all this, he wrote back that i was right, the time to win was now and that there was no more excuses. i might copy and paste that back into a new email and show him what he said and what has transpired since…
if you want me to tell him anything, let me know!
by alterego6487 on Feb 10, 2010 8:57 PM EST up reply actions
Panthers mess
You are right on Rivette when you look at how the team has been coached this year. Deboer is a Major Junior coach PERIOD. He doesnt know how to utilize his players both at the AHL level and the NHL level to achieve consistent success. He relies too heavily on two lines – thats a throwback to the Ontario junior league where you can get away with it. He brings prospects up and plays them for 3-4 mintues a game. No rolling four lines or even three consistently. How many differnt line combinations did we try to work Matthias with it was all over the map. Starts Moore on the energy line and then he has the most minutes in the first…. no wonder he cant get good momentum going. No wonder the overworked top lines are always injured. If it were not for goal tending this team would be last in the league. You just have to hope that he doesnt screw with the heads of all the prospects before they pull the plug on him and get a real NHL coach in place.
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Florida
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