AccuScore Prediction: Panthers(!) 2.6 over Rangers' 2.4

Now I'm worried. Take cover, bring in the kids, lock the doors. Even after the loss of Nathan Horton, the Cats are projected to outscore the Rangahs, according to AccuScore. Must be the addition of center Nick Tarnasky that puts 'em over the top.

By the way, so far, Tarnasky should be playing tonight, and it will be fascinating to see where he's placed. Rumor has it that C Shawn Matthias is going to be called up. Horton is out, as are Richard Zednik and Cory Stillman. Question: Outside of David Booth (11G), does that troika represent all of Florida's hopes?

New York is seeking their third consecutive win, while Florida (4-3-1 in the past eight) looks to, well, get points any way they can. It's that desperate.

One of the finest Rangers-themed sites on the net, Scotty Hockey is the only place to go for coverage of the New York side of the ice.

Another forward lost to injury, and what is this team all about anyway?

Wins don't come cheap - or often - for the Panthers, and last night's victory was no exception: winger Richard Zednik will be out several weeks with an arm/elbow injury. Any chance JM's been looking for a forward? Now he'll need two.

On a similar note, and it may sound blasphemous, but I worry that last night's win against Carolina might actually hurt the club in the long run. One victory, though huge, troubles me in the sense that the Cats were rock bottom bad, looking up at the entire league above them in the standings. They're against a wall, players waived, threats made, and they scratch out a hard-fought and solid "W". What will we see tomorrow? Do they revert to the same-old same-old against the Devils, now that they've gotten a win to carry them for the next three weeks, while potential roster moves - read: trades - favor the Panthers less as each day moves forward?

Or have they finally gotten the message? All too many times we've seen this pattern: the Cats lose a string of games, season's slipping away, the hope is lost, and then we get a night that stirs the soul and the imagination. You come away from it, jaw on the floor, saying "They've figured it out." The next night, Vokoun (or Auld, or Belfour, or Luongo) is left for dead. There's never any progress. It's like the wins are accidents (and the players need to understand: we've been watching this a lot longer than they've been playing here). Last night was a tremendous game for any hockey fan to watch; close, tense, very few penalties (none, in fact, for Carolina), a divisional match you dream of. The Panthers earned every bit of that win. Who will show up tomorrow?

End of Days: Booooth! First Two-Goal Game (and a winner in OT!)

Winger David Booth, in just-released third-jersey attire, leads his rag-tag, fugitive band of Panthers to the dressing room following a career-performance against the Atlanta Thrashers. Get some, Minnesota...

The pressure continued on both ends through the third period, a mirror-image of the first two. Upon reaching OT, David Booth seemed to never leave the ice. He had The Look, and his mates recognized it. Great stuff: first dual-goal for The Dude, first NHL victory for coach Pete DeBoer, fisrt win of the season for the Cats, and after 60-plus minutes on the ice within 24 hours, Jay Bouwmeester gets a few moments off.

As for Bryan McCabe, possible two weeks on the shelf. Great news...could have been far worse. Get well soon, Bryan!

Gonna absorb the happenings and get back with more info.

Go Cats!

End of Two: Dos - Dos

Right off the bat, Stephen Weiss gave the Cats their first lead, and Zeds grabbed his second assist. Atlanta tied it up late, keeping this one tight, and the crowd mostly at bay.

Observation: The speed - of both clubs - has been intense. The Panthers are literally falling over themselves keeping up with the pace, but hanging in, and making a good game of it. Another couple of weeks and they'll be acclimated...or dead. It's that fast. Forget the last few years...this is a different team. Fantastic to see the carryover, speed- and pass-wise, from last night in Raleigh. Vokoun much sharper, evidently seeing the puck better than yesterday. Weiss is no longer invisible. Duh. Bouwmeester: unquestionably the best defenseman in the division, probably the conference. Fearless, fast, and inventive. Only gets better with each shift. For those - like me - that have waited for his leap to the next level...he's there. PERIOD.

No Belak tonight; assuming he got the hook thanks to the dual penaltiesd he took last night. Zednik is looking ten years younger, as is Dvorak. Need more from Olesz. Atlanta's working hard...this game is closer than lineups would suggest. Not much from Stewart yet (on fourth line), Frolik showing his skills but a bit confused (on third line), Welch has been steady and reliable so far.

Monday Primer: Vokoun, Camp Day Two, Zeds

Autumn is a mere one hour away, or at least it was when I began banging out this post, which reminds me that I should have had today's morning submission completed many hours ago. This whole "employment" thing is really getting in the way. On to more interesting matters...

Steve Gorten profiles Richard Zednik's return to action in an upbeat article from the Sun-Sentinel.

"General Manager Jacques Martin described Zednik, 32, as "anxious" to pick up where he left off last season. The streaky scorer posted six goals and three assists in the four games before Feb. 10."

Sick numbers during an impressive run.

On the same path, the Columbus Dispatch looks at the NHL's - and specifically, the Blue Jackets' - on-ice emergency procedures in the wake of Zednik's Bad Day. A number of various scenarios are played out in an effort to increase efficiency during an unforseen event.

"'My vote is, leave the helmet on, barring any type of facial trauma,' said Dr. Joseph Ruane, team doctor and a sports-medicine physician."

Interesting stuff.

George Richards details T-Vo's increased comfort level over last season.

"''Last year was a year of transition for me,' said Vokoun, a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2008."

Forgetting the obvious but lame reasons why goalies can't be captains, I REALLY wish DeBoer would break with tradition and name T-Vo as commander-in-chief. His passion and frustration with losing made him an early fan favorite around these environs. He reminds me a bit of Mike Liut and his canned rage. Now that's passion.

A change of scenery will work to Bryan McCabe's advantage, says David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail.

"He got through the whole situation without getting down," Belak said. "I don't know how anyone could have handled it as well as he did."

"...He brings a lot of leadership to this team, which is what we need. Last year's team was a little quiet. It was kind of divided in the locker room."

You don't say?

Training Camp Day One: First (poor) Pictures

I was expecting a bit more, um, performance out of my Razr cameraphone, but I digress. LOTS of good shots from a much better platform are on their way.

A wonderful day had by all. Many thanks to the Florida Panthers organization for a fantastic event. Happy faces all around.

What was later estimated to be over 1,000 - in a facility built for FAR less - crowded into standing-room-only areas at IncredibleICE (you've already got the link, kids) to see Day One of the Peter DeBoer Era begin. Upon his arrival, a thunderous applause rang out. No, really.

Got a whole bunch to do - I just arrived at The Litter Box World Headquarters in breezy North Palm Beach - so I'll simply release the lousy teaser pictures from my phone. The good stuff will be here tomorrow after the standard vetting process is undertaken by loyal TLB staffers. BTW, staffers: no overtime. Yeah, again.

Squint hard folks...no HD here.

Guys ready for the pass during practice.

Hey look! That's Nathan Horton in the red! I promise.

Stanley C. just before he shut off my phone. Forcibly. Apparently he's not a fan of speaking without Teleprompters. Hmmm.

Zeds is back! And yes, his speed is there as well.

More guys looking for work.

This guy's not looking for work. Tomas Vo-something was his name...

No support here. Off to Hamilton.

PeDe lays it down during Day One.


Much more to follow tomorrow, including commentary and (really good) pictures.

As for TLB's pick for Panther-of-the-Day-Camp-Edition (excluding veterans), hands-down today's winner is a no-brainer...ask anyone in attendance: Kenndal McArdle. Bar-none, the hardest worker - among VERY hard workers, just ask Horton while he was doubled-over on the far end - was the Panthers' 20th pick in '05. BAR. NONE. Nice freaking job, KM. Most impressive.

Again, lots more to sort out come tomorrow. While the TLB newshole rapidly condenses stories from around the globe regarding today's event, we'd like to send a special hello to Phillip(sp?) and Stephanie from South Miami. Loyal members of TeamLitterBox and a pleasure to talk - intelligent - puck with. Totally agree with their comments on Anthony Stewart.

Tune in tomorrow...Same Cat time, same Cat station.

Closing In

Nineteen days 'till the exhibition season begins. Nineteen LONG days.

You Knew it Was Coming: Zednik Skating

Numerous outlets, including TSN, the Herald, and SportsNet are reporting the return to the ice of Richard Zednik.

A feel-good story if ever there was one, Zednik has joined many of his teammates at IncredibleICE in Coral Springs for pre-training camp drills.

Awesome.

Remember Your Panthers, Part VI: Dave Zenobi: Jedi Master

No matter what your team affiliation may be, not a hockey fan in the world - heck, any fan - will soon forget the night of February 10th, 2008. There's no need to replay the events of that macabre evening in Buffalo, the same city where almost two decades earlier Clint Malarchuk suffered an eerily similar injury as that of Richard Zednik. As SuperFans, we know the details.



Lost in the shuffle of that terrible image above - and I've resisted posting the truly gory ones; we've all seen them time and again - Panthers trainer Dave Zenobi performed a true act of heroism - just "doing his job" - in a phenomenally difficult situation.

Not much more can be said. The guy saved the life of a fellow human being, and we all watched, mesmerized, jaws on the floor, as the drama unfolded. Would Zeds live? It didn't look as if he would. Really. Live television is rarely if ever so involving on the part of the viewer. Surreal with a capital "S".

Forget whether or not the league made the right call in continuing the game, while shoveling blood-stained ice to the side-boards. Anyone who watched, either on TV or in that solemn arena in northern New York, cared not about the final score (and ultimately, it didn't affect either teams' post-season hopes). The Cats lost, but so what.

The folks behind the scenes, such as Zenobi, never get their due until something catastrophic is handed to them on a platter by the sometimes cruel hand of destiny. And destiny couldn't have found a more capable pair of hands.

The entire hockey universe looks forward to the return of Richard Zednik. Cameras and tape recorders will be in full force at every away game for a sound bite from the man who cheated death in front of thousands. But hopefully Zenobi gets his props. The league honoring him was the least that could be done. If I could find more photos of the man I'd post them.

We are honored and blessed to have him - and all the others around the league like him - not only within the Panthers organization, but as a part of our community.

Thanks, Dave.

As if on Cue...

...all three local newsies had Panther-related stories or blog updates within the last day, prompted primarily by the hiring of Benoit Groulx as head coach of the AHL Americans.

Let's pretend a wintry mix of snow and freezing temperatures are bombarding our lawns and whisking us away to a happier time of year for all of us as we take in the latest from the Big Three.








At the Miami Herald, George Richard's On Frozen Pond talks of the Groulx hiring, profiles which current, previous, (and one soon-to-be-former?) Cats have made their way back to South Florida in preparation for the upcoming season. Also, a most insightful argument why Richard Zednik should not be a Panther come October. And I kinda agree with GR: it's all for the good of the team.







The Palm Beach Post features Brian Biggane's Inside the Panthers, covering a bit more of what's become Groulx-mania. The concensus around the web is that JM the GM got himself one heck of a good bench boss.






And the Sun-Sentinel's Steve Gorten delves into - you guessed it - that new guy in Rochester, along with a standard-issue JM transaction denial.




From the blogosphere, Scotty Hockey gives his preseason take on the Cats. Just another non-biased, insightful, and informed Rangah fan showing love and respect for the Southeast. Give it a whirl, it's worth a chuckle. Anyone care to debate his reasoning?