"Pick-your-for-real-worthy-Panther All-Star" update for 12/01/08

Poor Tomas Vokoun. Things just aren't working out for the Panthers #1 goaltender lately. Try as he might on the ice, the guy's got an issue with consistency. Now he can't even get playing time. But fear not...he's still on the All-Star ballot for the Eastern Conference. No offense to the man - he'll find his groove eventually - but "what have you done for me lately" comes to mind. Let's keep the momentum going and get Andy The Deserved into that game.

Vote for these three. You've got to write 'em in, so it'll require an IQ above 40 to do it. But do it. Again. And Again.

David Booth (23GP, 12G-2A-14P): 359, up from 295 (386670 behind Kovalev)

Keith Ballard (23GP, 2G-8A-10P): 505, up from 455 (432787 behind Markov)

Craig Anderson (10GP, 4W-1L-3OTL, 1.87 - 3rd in NHL, .948 - 2nd in NHL) 199, up from 156 (421973 behind Price). This one's an outrage...vote for this man at all costs.

"Pick-Your-For-Real-Worthy-Panther All Star" Update - 11/28/08

He just voted for our boys. Have YOU?

Gather 'round the fire, kids: it's time to check the NHL All Star Game vote totals on our trio of Deserving Panthers.

David Booth (11G-2A-13P): 295, up from 261 (or 359,234 behind Kovalev's 5G-11A-16P).

Keith Ballard (2G-8A-10P): 455, from 432 (or 401,026 behind Markov's 2G-14A-16P).

Andy (3-1-2, 2.01, .942): 156, from 148 (or 391,099 behind Price's 10-4-3, 2.33, .923).

For the record, the Cats' "legitimate" candidates (no forwards, BTW) are:

Jay Bouwmeester (1G-9A-10P): 32,958 (none of these votes actually originated in Florida).

Tomas Vokoun (5-10, 3.01, .911): 6,459.

And just for fun:

Nathan Horton (6G-7A-13P...and back w/Booth & Weiss on that horribly-named line): 166.

Shawn Matthias (1GP, 0G-0A-0P): 6. He's played one game, peeps.

Michael Frolik (18GP, 1G-1A-2P): 24. That gives him 4 times the popularity of Matthias!

Keep pumping those votes...

Pick-Your-For-Real-Worthy-Panther All-Star Update - 11/26/08

It's time again to see who's been paying attention. Off to NHL's All-Star Game homepage to see how our three-headed American monster is performing in polls.

David Booth: 261 (339733 behind Kovalev)

Keith Ballard: 432 (378,931 behind Markov)

Craig Anderson: 148 (366,310 behind Price)

C'mon folks...keep voting and close that gap. We're only a million or so submissions and a playoff appearance away from respectibility.

Pick-Your-For-Real-Worthy-Panther All-Star Update

TLB will begin running the All-Star vote totals for our trio of deserving Panthers on a regular basis, or at least when I remember to do it.

David Booth: 236 (311,220 behind leader Alex Kovalev)

Keith Ballard: 404 (346,241 behind leader Andrei Markov)

Craig Anderson: 138 (337,254 behind leader Carey Price)

Yes, the three leaders are all members of the Montreal Canadiens. Yes, a number of the votes cast were done so by R2D2. A joke? Indeed...but so is the All-Star game itself.

C'mon Cat fanatics...let's pad these numbers. Click on the link to the right!

Surprise, Surprise: TLB's Official All-Star Write-In Campaign

Joining The Collective late is better than not joining The Collective at all, so here's the inaugural TLB Pick-Your-For-Real-Worthy-Panther Write-in Campaign. Everyone else is doing it.

The league has chosen to "honor" Tomas Vokoun (4-10-0-1, 3.02, .912) and Jay Bouwmeester (0G-8A-8P, -7) with spots on the 2009 All Star Game ballot. Shiny numbers and all, but I'm thinking we fans can do a better job. Now, it's sweet and cuddly that every club, no matter how pathetic, gets represented in the "game"; guess it's all part of Gary Bettman's outreach program. That being said, how about some realism? Some folks who've been there, night after miserable night, giving their all regardless of the apocalyptic situation? (For the record, Vokoun's a gamer, and his record is not entirely his fault, but he hasn't been the "rock" that his resume demands. And Bouwmeester's been walkin' the green mile since the second week of the season.)

So in the spirit of inclusion and diversity (and boy, am I tired of those words) we hereby submit for your approval the following three player as write-ins on the NHL's official ballot. And by the way: VOTE. A. LOT. Or not. Up to you.

Forward: David Booth (19GP-9G-1A-10P, even). Horton's got more points (12) but he's a minus-5. Cory Stillman might've snuck in here if not for the involuntary facial-reconstruction he received a couiple of weeks ago. Booth has been everything to this club up front, and a ball of energy that has no equal.

Defense: Keith Ballard (19GP-2G-10A-12P, -1). All we could have hoped for defensively in the Jokinen deal, Ballard's been nothing short of the torch carrier on the backend (wasn't that job already spoken for? Meh). Speed, skill, a thundering checker. You don't pick these types up every day. Alternate: Bryan McCabe.

Goal: Craig Anderson (3-1-1-1, 2.08, .940). He's given up a couple of stinkers, but not many. And none of those three losses were his doing...especially being left for dead as his blueliners so often do. He probably won't qualify anyway based on games-played, but this one sure would be the cat's ass, to coin a phrase. No matter how painful the inquisition-on-ice may be, he's always got a smile, and he never ever quits. Gets puck bunny points, as well. Alternate: um, Craig Anderson.

So there you go, South Florida and the Outer Rim Systems. If we've gotta have a Panther in that most meaningless of games, let's make it the right one. GET OUT AND VOTE!

Jokinen on Florida: ..."And I hear they finally have a good coach."

Boooooyah! Care to volley it, JM?

No surprise to those of us Illustrious Twelve who follow the Panthers closely, but it does bear repeating: Phoenix hosts Florida tonight (9pm, FSN-HD) and a few eyes around the hockey universe will be cocked in the direction of the Jobing.com Arena (the what?).

Lots of sidebar stories, from seeing our old friend Dave Strader, to JovoCop, to Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard's return, to former Panther Olli Jokinen making his first start against the Cats since The Trade.

In the interest of time (I am at work right now, after all), here are a myriad of links relating to tonight's contest and the subplots surrounding it:

Miami Herald, "Former Florida Panther Jokinen loving life with Phoenix Coyotes"

Miami Herald, "Backup goalies have had success against Florida Panthers"

Miami Herald - On Frozen Pond, "Olli Versus Florida, NEXT!"

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Q & A with former Panther Olli Jokinen"

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Jokinen finds peace in desert"

South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Gorten Panthers' Blog, "Hangin' with Olli"

Arizona Republic, "Yotes, Jokinen 'fired up' for Panthers"

CBS Sportsline, "Phoenix vs. Florida"

Panthers Website, "Panthers-Coyotes Preview" Note: an AP article. Blah. Otherwise ignored.

Coyotes Website, (the main page, but has video and commentary on tonight's game)

On a personal note, I had real trouble locating anything - from the Phoenix area - more than the Republic article. We heard things are tight as far as coverage out there, but even I am rather amazed at the lack of attention this is matchup is getting. Then again, the Cats' website virtually ignores it as well. With JM in charge that is no surprise. Bet he wishes this game was on the non-televised list.

End of Two: Blues up 3-0

Mark my words on this one, Kids: Nick Boynton, The Beach himself, will explode. Something's got his goat, something bothersome enough to warrant his taking a penalty - while on the bench - for jawing at the officials. Later, he sought to go to war with Cam Janssen, trying in vain to egg the former Devil on while his twin Keith Ballard went off for slashing AND unsportsmanlike conduct. Beach let his opinion be known to anyone within earshot while leaving the ice at the end of the period, surprisingly not taking an unsportsmanlike call of his own. Even strength and PP goals were the flavor of this frame. The Panthers are being outplayed at every turn. They can't keep up, can't pass, and have I mentioned turnovers? A step behind and just plain confused. A one-minute 5-3 proved futile, the participants looking for the proverbial perfect play. St. Louis is making this look humorous.

Notes: Predicting a Belak-Janssen heavyweight matchup, if Boynton ends up going off the deep end. Either way, Boynton or not, something's got to give...and the options are running thin. Can a fight revive the Cats' chances? Period will begin with Ballard in the box. Panthers' PP absolutely, positively sucks. There is nothing even remotely scary about it. Pass here. Fake there. Out to Jay-Bo. In to Stillman. Completely by the book. This MUST improve now or the season is dead before the 10th game. As for the penalty kill, don't get me started...

Quickies: End of Two - Cats up 2-0

Cory Stillman scores his first Panther home-ice goal, on the PP.

Notes: Cats keeping the momentum going with stronger posession play in each zone. Much more fluid and strategic. Isles continue to be frustrated, still taking penalties, hence the Stillman tally. Ballard remains in the running for "Best Bouwmeester Lookalike". Radek Dvorak has had more odd-man rushes than at any point in the last five years of his time in the league. Looks phenomenal, except for the not-scoring part. Still waits too long to shoot. Dubbing him "Dvolesz".
Play has been mostly confined to NY end. Superstar-to-be Kyle Okposo for the Isles has been strong and making his presence known with little support. DP settling down. Vokoun not tested this period. NY opens the third on the PP. Can't imagine where we might be without Bouwmeester. This cannot be over-emphasized.

On the Glass - Saturday: Belak, Booth, The Beach & Ballard

Looks like Wade Belak, he of no points in 17 games, brings far more to the table than sheer offensive numbers, his bench boss says.

"We want to make sure teams know when they're playing the Florida Panthers that it's not going to be an easy two points," said Panthers coach Peter DeBoer."

The (Saskatoon) Star Phoenix has the call.

Booooooooth! The Sun-Sentinel allows Cats' winger David Booth a few moments to explain why he feels this will be a year of great gains.

"Booth attributes much of his success last season to playing on the same line as Weiss and Nathan Horton — a combination dubbed "The Sunrise Express" by fans."

Love the kid and his tenacity, HATED the whole "Sunrise Express" we-must-have-a-non-offensive-moniker shenanigans. We're a long way from this.

The defense awakens. Further south at the Herald, the new (old) defensive pairing of Keith Ballard and Nick - The Beach - Boynton, longtime chums in Phoenix, continue to mesh well.

"Whereas Boynton is a physical presence, Ballard is an offensive-minded defenseman who can move the puck and provide a threat coming forward. Ballard scored 21 points for the Coyotes last season.

'It'd be a nice pair to keep together,' Coach DeBoer said."

A view from afar. The North Bay (Ontario) Nugget takes a quick peek at the Cats.

"McCabe can be a liability in his own end of the rink, but when he is on his game he can be an offensive catalyst."

That's not really an unknown portion of BM's game, but I'm really stoked to see the guy in action with the likes of J-Bo, Ballard, Beach, etc. Should be an interesting power play.

The Panthers are practicing this morning at 11:00, IncredibleICE, Coral Springs.

Stay tuned to TLB for a big announcement this afternoon...with a chance to win a pretty sweet prize...

This Hooouse is Freeeakin' Sweeeeeeet.

It would appear that new Cat Cory Stillman has decided on permanent living quarters, according to blockshopper.com.

In other Stillman news, the Panthers forward has lent his head to the producers of a remake of the 70s sci-fi classic, WestWorld.

On the alternate side, former d-man Ruslan Salei has pulled up stakes on his home in the area and left for Colorado.

Couple of days old, but Spector gives his incisive take on the recent Keith Ballard signing.

Signed! Keith Ballard

JM the GM continues to solidify his formidable defensive corps by signing newly-acquired d-man Keith Ballard to a six(!) year contract extension.

These loooong-term deals are becoming the norm, and given the restriction of movement and control they give to clubs, one can see why they are preferable. Of course, the player doesn't mind the job security it affords.

Kinda sucks that the guy can float through until the final year if he so chooses, but any good management staff will have - hopefully - vetted out the type of personality who might be likely to display a lack of character down the road. Hopefully.

In any case, bravo again to Jacques Martin. Another large piece of the future locked in.