SUNRISE — There must be some anger to raise, some crisis to sound – just something relevant to say about the Florida Panthers recent run of mediocrity considering they’re on the doorstep of the playoffs and, thus, facing a chronic issue.
They can’t just expect to flip a switch in Game 1 versus whoever the playoff brings, right?
(It’s Toronto, folks).
They need to ramp up their game for what’s coming, don’t they?
(And, what, risk injury like Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe?)
I’m sure you could find reason for alarm as opponents have won nine of 13 games after the Panthers’ 2-0 win against Ottawa on Tuesday night. I’m sure you could highlight the two, one-goal losses to Boston in that stretch as message-sending outcomes.
I’m sure, too, you could portray the precarious state of the Panthers in these final three regular-season games with so much on the line, too. Like what??
Well, home-ice advantage for the opening round is at stake. That matters, tradition says. Except it really doesn’t matter here. The Panthers actually have a better road record (26-11-4) than home record (23-13-2) this season. Ditto for Toronto. So, with so little on the line you can some drab hockey this time of year.
“It wasn’t the most exciting game, was it?” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after Tuesday’’s win..
Maurice tried to fill his role by barking at his players midway through the first period.
“I felt the game lacked the motivation,’’ he said “It’s not that I didn’t understand it …”
What you have right now is a Panthers team with its foot off the gas pedal over a regular-season-closing stretch that bears no relevance or resemblance to what’s coming up in the post-season. Consider: Matthew Tkachuk had one measly hit on the stat sheet. Tkachuk hit everything last spring right up to breaking his sternum in the Stanley Cup Final. He returning with the head-on style this season. He’s just preserving himself now.
“With all of that, we’ll take a 2-0 win,’’ Maurice said. “I’m absolutely taking it. I’ll take 2-0 over 7-6 all day long. We’ll try to bring the excitement in the playoffs and not try to worry about it right now.”
With some teams, you might worry about this. Sam Bennett talked of having to win a playoff spot in the final stretch last year and that helping to spark their run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Probably it did, too.
But two years ago the Panthers won 13 straight games near the end to take the President’s Cup given the team with the best regular-season record. They struggled in winning the opening series against Washington before being run off the ice by Tampa.
If this team disappoints itself in the playoffs, it won’t because of this final stretch. They showed the nature of the team last playoffs and then again returning with the confidence of thaton’t physically have to save or the playoffs. So they’re saving it as the players grew closer.
Three regular-season games are left after Tuesday’s win where both teams skated through the motions after some necessary fisticuffs were knocked out. Protocol, you see, had to be followed even in this game.
First, the Panthers wanted to repay Ottawa’s Zach Macewen for a perceived cheap shot in these teams’ meeting three games ago. Macewen missed the past two games. No matter, the bill had to be collected, and the Panthers’ Jonah Gadjovich did the honorable honors of delivering a shots to Macewen.
Then it was Ottawa’s turn for retribution with Ridly Greig jumping Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola, who had a loud and injury-causing hit in these teams’ previous meeting.
All that was taken care of in the first seven minutes. The rest of the night was about two teams not pressing the night for different reasons. Ottawa’s season is gone, its summer about to start. The Panthers have more important waiting for them..