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Tuesday Caterwaul: Florida Panthers GameDay Open Forum

Soon-to-be unrestricted free agent D Jason Garrison last scored a power play goal for the Florida Panthers on February 28 (a.k.a. Trade Deadline Day +1), a stretch of 17 games. He’s collected two goals, four assists and a minus-3 as the Cats have gone 7-5-5 in games he’s appeared in since. Florida’s man-advantage over that span? 8-for-56.

The Eastern Front

Rk

Team

GP

W

L

OT

ROW

PTS

GF

GA

Home

Away

L10

Stk

1

x-NY Rangers

79

50

22

7

46

107

218

175

27-11-2

23-11-5

6-4-0

Lost 1

2

y-Boston

79

47

28

4

39

98

259

193

23-13-3

24-15-1

7-2-1

Won 2

3

Florida

79

37

25

17

31

91

193

217

20-9-10

17-16-7

4-2-4

OT 1

4

x-Pittsburgh

79

48

25

6

39

102

268

214

27-10-2

21-15-4

5-4-1

Lost 1

5

x-Philadelphia

79

46

24

9

42

101

257

222

21-12-6

25-12-3

6-2-2

Won 1

6

x-New Jersey

79

45

28

6

33

96

219

205

22-13-4

23-15-2

5-4-1

Won 3

7

x-Ottawa

79

41

28

10

35

92

245

231

20-15-4

21-13-6

5-3-2

Won 4

8

Washington

80

40

32

8

36

88

214

227

25-11-4

15-21-4

4-4-2

Lost 1

9

Buffalo

79

38

31

10

31

86

208

219

20-12-8

18-19-2

6-2-2

Lost 2

*

So what happened last night that matters to us?

  • TB over WSH, 3-2 (REG): Steven Stamkos nets numbers 57, 58 as Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom each turn out minus-2 efforts on Florida’s west coast. Caps host the Cats on Thursday, in what could redefine the term “big game”

Panthers Playoff Update:

  • FLA not in action; playoff odds up 0.3 to 99.6% per Sports Club Stats
  • With a victory tonight, the Cats can clinch a postseason berth in the Eastern Conference
  • Odds for Caps and Sabres
  • Remaining games for all three:/

Rk

Team

Pts

ROW

GR

80

81

82

3

FLA

91

31

3

WPG

WSH(R)

CAR

8

WSH

88

36

2

L

FLA

NYR(R)

9

BUF

86

31

3

TOR

PHI(R)

BOS(R)

*

Why tonight is a Big Deal in SoFla, beyond the obvious:

  • TOR at BUF, 7 p.m.: Leafs lead season series 3-2; like Caps/Bolts a day ago, home team has won every game. None have gone past regulation./

Next up for the Cats:

  • You know quite well what the story is: Jets. Tonight. BAC. LBC Game Thread. 7 p.m.
  • Need Tickets? Seats starting at $7 via TiqIQ. Staring at a very possible clincher here
  • Need to familiarize yourself with tonight’s opposition? Always fun to be had at Arctic Ice Hockey and Illegal Curve
  • Jets forward Kyle Wellwood – author of 15 points (6G) in 18 games vs Florida is out (broken foot). Same fate for former Cat Tanner Glass.

Did you know:

  • Birthday Boy Stephen Weiss (29…!) has two assists – and no points in his last three games vs the former Thrashers – against Winnipeg in 2011-12, with a plus-3 rating.

Monday’s Organizational News:

  • The Rampage remain ensconced in a tight race for playoff seeding – given there is a spot left two weeks from now – in the AHL’s Western Conference
  • Detroit’s Kyle Quincey got a game for his elbow to the soul of Tomas Kopecky
  • Have we we mentioned THE CATS CAN CLINCH TONIGHT???/