Fun fact of the day, since 1993 Florida teams have officially tied Canadian teams in making 7 Stanley Cup appearances. Does this officially make Florida the new home for hockey?
On a serious note, with both the Heat and Panthers making their respective Finals from being an 8th seed, South Florida sports and fans are truly buzzin’.
The Panthers unexpected run can be attributed to two players putting the team on their backs and willing the boys to victory.
Matthew Tkachuk is exactly the kick in the ass that the Panthers needed to get over the playoff hump.
In the ECF, Tkachuk had 3 game winning goals, two of which came in OT. He has taken his game to a new level and is probably the best American player right now.
He is the “meat and potatoes” that the Panthers were missing in their last run. You don’t win in the playoffs playing a finesse and high scoring style of hockey.
Sure, the Cats won a series against the Capitals last year, but they have truly dominated since falling to 3-1 in the series against Boston. Since game 5 of the Boston series, the Panthers have gone 11-1.
On top of Chucky on the front end, Bobrovsky is having a playoff run worth every penny of his contract.
While I have been critical of Bob’s game previously, he is really showing why he is a two-time Vezina winner. This post season he is 11-2 while posting a .935 save percentage.
It is not just the saves that he is making, it is the timeliness of the saves made. For example, the Game 5 breakaway save in the final seconds against Marchand to force OT and give the boys a chance.
While his play has been up and down throughout his tenure in Florida, this is the type of run which can change the perspective of his career upon retirement much like Tim Thomas, Cam Ward, and JS Giguere.
Now you may ask, what should we expect from this series?
In full disclosure, I am not sure what to expect because I did not expect to still be writing in June. So, I decided to break the series down to a few key factors:
- Goaltending – I give the advantage to Bobrovsky over Hill. Bob has been on an absolute tear since getting the net back in Game 5. Adin Hill has been out punching his weight class this postseason and even the regular season, but I believe this is more based on the talented defensive hockey Vegas plays versus his abilities. I trust Bob to make the timelier/clutch save over Hill. I think Bob will be clutch yet again for the Panthers.
- Defense – Vegas has a much deeper backend with veteran studs who have been their before. The strong defensive plays and intangibles that Pietrangelo, Martinez, and Theodore show me a lot more than stats ever will. While the Panthers have gotten solid defensive play by Montour, their backend has been weak and they give up a lot of chances. Even though they have done a better job tightening up against Toronto and Carolina, I think Ekblad and Forsling tend to be too offensive minded at times. In terms of defensive depth, the Knights have the clear advantage.
- Offense – I think this will be a fairly even matchup in terms of offense. Barkov and Stone were both Selke finalists’ last season. They have been phenomenal shutdown guys all season and this has continued to roll through the playoffs. It seems to be a fairly matchup in terms of scoring depth on the roster. Both teams have their studs who can net goals as well as depth that can really shut it down so I expect, much like the Carolina series, most games will be decided by one goal.
- Intangibles – Everyone questioned the acquisition of Marc and Eric Staal by the Cats this season. While both Staal brothers are older and slower, their veteran presence and desire to win is unmatched. Eric has a Cup ring from the 2006 Hurricanes while Marc feels the hurt of losing in the Finals from his days with the Rangers. Both brothers know this could be their last kick at the can so they will be playing like men possessed. Additionally, the team Chemistry is at an all time high. George Richards, who has been covering the Panthers for 20 years, has compared the team’s chemistry to a frat house with yachts, fishing trips, and beach hangs while on John Scott’s podcast, Dropping Gloves. The boys love each other and want to win for each other.
- Difference maker – Matthew Tkachuk will be the difference maker. If he can keep playing an in-your-face and gritty style of hockey while leading the team in points, he will have a huge impact on how this series goes. He showed he is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league and is always a net front presence. It seems that as the stage has gotten bigger, Chucky’s play has only gotten better.
I just want to throw in a few quick jabs to all the bandwagon Panthers fans. Remember when you said Bob was washed up and would never have success? Remember when you wanted Zito’s head for the Hubderdeau trade? How are you feeling now?
For those interested, I am going to throw a few gambling tips here at the end. For Conn Smythe winners you can get Tkachuk at +300 and Bobrovsky at +275 (depending on your book). Couldn’t hurt to throw a little coin on those guys. Plus, the Panthers have covered every moneyline bet (+1.5) since Game 5 of the Bruins series, so always look for Panthers +1 in regulation as it is a lot more favorable than +1.5.
Vamos Gatos!
The Morning Skate 