Panthers Snap Skid, Still Looking up in Atlantic Standings

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The Florida Panthers ended a three-game losing streak Monday in convincing fashion, dispatching Ottawa 6-1.

Florida (16-12-5, 37 points) moved up to third place in a crowded Atlantic Division which has five teams within four points of each other.

Florida had dropped seven of their last ten games prior and have been disappointing during this long home stand.

Entering Monday’s contest against the Senators, the Panthers have lost four game at home on the stand despite outscoring teams 18-15 in that time.

After two impressive wins, 4-1 over Columbus and 5-1 over San Jose, the Panthers only scored three goals total in those last three losses.

Florida is 24th in the NHL in scoring despite being fifth in shots on goal per game, meaning they are not cashing in on opportunities.

The power play disappeared during the losing spell, Florida had gone 0-for-8 in the last three games before Monday.

While the offense has struggled, the defense has not been much better.

Thankfully the Panthers faced an Ottawa team also looking for answers in what has been a rough season.

The Cats were finally able to cash in with the man advantage, going 1-for-5 on the power play on a goal by Aleksander Barkov (11).

Noel Acciardi notched his first career hat trick, a five goal barrage in the second period put the game on figurative ice.

 

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 out of 30 shots in his sixth consecutive start, while Jonathan Huberdeau had four assists and now has 400 career points in 500 games.

Barkov was held without a point during the Panthers’ latest losing skid, when the captain is on the whole dynamic of the offense changes.

The Panthers have relied on the offense to overcome struggles in net and on the blue line, a complete game like the one Monday should be the blueprint moving forward.

Next up for the Panthers they close out the home stand against the Dallas Stars on Friday.

 

Florida Panthers: Brett Connolly is finding his groove

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It’s safe to say that veteran Brett Connolly is making his mark on the Florida Panthers. The well-traveled right-winger has succeeded almost everywhere he’s been. Now, he is making sure that he brings his good fortune to the Florida Panthers.

Connolly had a career year for the Washington Capitals in 2018-19. In 81 games, he recorded 22 goals and 24 assists. Tallying a total of 46 points, he had five game-winning goals.  He cashed in on his big year in the offseason, signing a four-year, $13 million deal on July 1. Given his previous track record, it could have easily been viewed as a risky signing. However, it has appeared to have been a smart move.

Over the last five games, Connolly has really played well for the Florida Panthers. He has five goals and an assist for six points in his last five games. In the team’s most recent game against the Buffalo Sabres, he recorded a goal.

Furthermore, his veteran presence has definitely been an asset on a young team.  He broke into the league in 2011-2012 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. That Lightning group went on several deep playoff runs. He then was traded by Tampa Bay to Boston on March 2, 2015. His Boston tenure was not all that memorable as he suffered a broken hand which caused him to play only nine games for the rest of the 2014-15 season. Although he would go on to play in 71 games the following year, the Bruins certainly did not get the Brett Connolly they were expecting.

A pleasant surprise

Connolly has been a pleasant surprise for Florida because of his track record of not producing a ton of points. If he can at least keep pace with the numbers he is putting up currently, year one of this contract looks like a win for the Panthers. Sometimes, players just need the right situation to succeed in. So far, Connolly has delivered, and his experience may be a key asset as Florida looks to make a playoff push in the second half of the season.

Another Tough Weekend for Most Miami Sports Fans

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Many Miami sports fans approach games with cautious optimism, which often turns to utter hopelessness in a blink.

“Ok, UM has a cake walk against FIU. That should be an easy W let’s get it”.

Wrong.

 

“The Panthers have won five of six and the offense is rolling, they’ll keep it going in Carolina”.

Wrong again.

 

We knew the Heat would have a tough one in Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back, but a better performance was still expected.

No matter the actual weekly outcome for the Dolphins you can’t win.

If the Dolphins win, their draft position in April suffers.

If the Dolphins lose, you are summarily reminded how far away they truly are.

The biggest disappointment of the weekend by far belongs to the Miami Hurricanes who fell to Butch Davis and the FIU Panthers 30-24 Saturday.

Perhaps it should be overshadowed by the triumph of Davis and his feisty Panthers who clearly wanted the game more.

 

FIU came out focused and prepared, while the Hurricanes started with their far too common lethargy.

Which quickly turned into a comical attempt at motivating your team that is losing handily to a three touchdown underdog.

 

It was truly a massive setback for a Hurricanes program that was seeming to turn the corner.

 

For the Miami Heat, their loss at Philadelphia is not overly concerning.

What is a bit disconcerting is that the 76ers starting five outscored Miami’s 90-32.

The starting group for the Heat had a plus/minus as follows:

Leonard (-26)

Butler (-31)

Robinson (-26)

Adebayo (-26)

Nunn (-16)

The Heat put themselves out of contention early before finally putting up a fight in the final quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Philadelphia had four players in double figures led by none other than Josh Richardson with 32 points. Miami’s typically stellar 3-point defense was off, the 76ers hit 14-of-29 (48.3%) from deep.

Fortunately for the Heat this type of game shouldn’t linger long, some home cooking when they host the lowly Hornets Monday should get them right.

The Florida Panthers have been a great story early in the season with exciting, high scoring games being a regular event.

Coming off of three straight wins in which they scored a total of 14 goals, the Cardiac Cats had one of their worst offensive games of the year in a 4-2 loss at Carolina Saturday.

The 23 shots on goal for the Panthers was their second lowest total of the season.

Ironically their season high of 50 was also against Carolina, a 6-2 loss in October.

The goal scoring slump would continue Sunday despite a 45-26 shot advantage for the Panthers in a 5-2 home loss to Buffalo.

Florida has scored two or fewer goals in seven games this season, all losses.

With shaky goaltending again this season, the Panthers’ offense has to carry the burden most nights.

Next, and perhaps least surprising, the Miami Dolphins went into Cleveland and dropped to 2-9 on the season by a final score of 41-24.

The Browns jumped all over the Miami secondary and took a 28-0 lead before the Dolphins responded.

Miami would shrink the deficit to 28-17 before Cleveland would pull away in the fourth quarter.

Jarvis Landry (10 catches, 148 yards, 2 TD) had some extra venom for his former team.

 

Not surprisingly, Baker Mayfield (24/41, 327 yards, 3 TD, INT) picked apart a depleted Dolphins’ secondary most of the way.

The Dolphins will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

To put a bow on this misery package, the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team was bounced from the Charleston Classic Sunday 80-55 against UConn.

The Hurricanes reached the third-place consolation game after losing to Florida 78-58 Friday, meaning Miami was outscored by 45 points in the back-to-back losses.

And with that, another roller coaster weekend for Miami sports fans is in the books.

Follow us on Twitter for all things Miami sports @5ReasonsSports.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov providing consistency to young group

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Aleksander Barkov is having a heck of a season for the Florida Panthers to this point. Not only that, he is proving he can be a player of consistency. Last year, he recorded 35 goals and 61 assists. Totaling 96 points, that marked his second season in a row with at least 70 points. This year, he is on pace for another 70-point season.

With seven goals and 22 assists, he currently has 29 points on the year. There is a lot more beyond the individual numbers. Barkov is getting his points in bunches. Only Jonathan Huberdeau (30) has more points on the year

A scoring machine for the Florida Panthers

Barkov has recorded seven points in his last five games, beginning in Boston on November 12. Scoring two goals in that contest, he was an instrumental figure in the Panthers’ comeback win. Thursday night against Anaheim, he had another great game, recording two assists for two points. As a result, Barkov helped the Panthers secure another comeback win.

In 13 games in the month of October, he did not record a point four times. So far this month, he has been held scoreless only once.  In addition to his even-strength work, Barkov has been very effective on the power play. He has four goals on the year, and nine points in total. The four goals are good enough for third on the ream in that category.

It doesn’t matter what situation you put him in, he is going to be successful. On a young, resilient team like the Florida Panthers, his veteran experience is necessary. So far, he has accolades to prove it. He was named an All-Star in the 2018 season and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as a result of his excellent sportsmanship.

Goals are just a part of the equation

Watching him play is fascinating. He moves well with and without the puck, and his  snap shot is deadly. Particularly when screened, goaltenders have an even more difficult time picking it up. He has precision with his shot and is able to “wow” with his stick handling-skills. It seems routine to Florida Panthers fans, but it’s truly fascinating to watch him do it in real-time.

Hopefully, he can keep up his high level of play. The Florida Panthers have been clawing their way to wins. Led by Barkov and others, they have been a treat to watch, and have put the rest of the National Hockey League on notice.

Miami Sports…are They Becoming Good Again?

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The ever changing Miami sports landscape has been on a steady trend downward since the end of the “Big 3 era” of Miami Heat basketball.

Now there were some amazing moments since then, such as Dwyane Wade’s Last Dance and the Miami Miracle.

Those fleeting instances have been sandwiched between years of mediocrity.

The Marlins tore it all down, again.

The Heat had a bloated, ineffective roster.

We all know where Adam Gase left the Dolphins.

Manny Diaz is trying to bring the Hurricanes back.

Even the Panthers, a team with legitimate playoff aspirations recently, has disappointed.

Expecting anything different has become an annual disappointment.

Until now.

Dolphins Vision Unfolding

All of a sudden there is exciting and competitive football being played by the Miami Dolphins.

Who for once are actually exceeding expectations.

Yet we still aren’t happy.

Brian Flores has steadily guided a team lacking NFL level talent across multiple positions into a disciplined and passionate group.

Flores and his coaching staff are developing players and proving it “Takes No Talent” to compete.

Chris Grier has a war chest of draft capital, and actual capital of about 140M to quickly add top tier free agents.

With a shot at a franchise quarterback to boot.

For once the Dolphins have a plan and the cast to execute and deliver a winner.

Culture Shock

The Miami Heat seem to have figured out their roster around a true star in Jimmy Butler.

And are interesting as hell.

 

Getting back to their defensive identity and bringing back the “Culture” led by Butler has galvanized a young roster.

Currently the Heat rank fourth in defensive rating and third in steals per game (9.6). Miami also ranks in the top ten league wide in points-per-game allowed (105.7, 6th) steals (96, 5th) and overall defensive FG% (.437, 9th).

Smart perimeter defense has been key, the Heat lead the NBA in 3-point FG% allowed at just 28.9%. Only Miami and Oklahoma City are holding teams under 30% from deep as of November 13th.

 

Hassan Whiteside went to Portland which paved the way for Bam Adebayo to become the all around catalyst we see before us. Before being sidelined with a concussion, Justise Winslow was taking a huge step forward as well.

Finally the Heat have a cohesive roster that fits their style of play and identity, in a wide open Eastern Conference the Heat are suddenly poised for a home playoff series if they stay on track.

Cardiac Cats

In Sunrise the Florida Panthers under new coach Joel Quenneville are playing exciting, action packed hockey. Florida has won their last two games by an 11-9 margin…that’s a lot of goals!

After making franchise history with a four goal rally against Boston this week, the Panthers are showing tremendous toughness and resolve in late game pressure situations.

 

In the two wins against Boston and New York the Panthers outscored them 5-0 in the third period. Despite shaky goaltending and defense the Cats have found a way to get it done in the final 20 minutes.

It helps to have a top ten offense on your side, Aleksander Barkov has points in six straight games entering Thursday’s action and the power play continues to dominate.

Florida ranks second with the man advantage, converting 26.8% of their power play opportunities.

If the Panthers can figure out their issues on the blue line and in goal to support a dynamic offense, they have a great chance of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-2016 season.

Hurricanes’ Season a Tale of two Teams

The Miami Hurricanes football team has had a polarizing season to say the least.

From quarterback uncertainty and losses against inferior teams early in the year, to blowout wins and record breaking performances – the 2019 Miami Hurricanes have kept fans on the edge of their seats.

After an uneven start to the season on offense, Jarren Williams has settled in as QB1 and hitting the big plays that were missing earlier in the year.

 

The Hurricanes have won three straight in ACC play by a combined margin of 95-49, after starting conference play 1-3 the turnaround has been drastic.

On the other side of the ball the defense has been wrecking house led by new and older names alike.

Senior linebackers Michael Pinckney and Shaq Quarterman have experienced a resurgence of energy and effectiveness.

While Gregory Rousseau went from out of the starting lineup to the best defensive lineman in the ACC, and one of the best in all of college football.

 

The Hurricanes have a star in the making both under center and at defensive end, two of the most important positions in football.

And they are both freshman.

With a coaching staff starting to figure it out and a favorable ACC Coastal division to call home, the sun is shining bright in Coral Gables.

Don’t Forget About us!

While the teams that are in action in November are getting all the attention, there are more great storylines in Miami sports on the way.

The Marlins have quietly built one of the best farm systems in all of baseball.

Oh yeah, we are getting professional soccer too!

We could be saying this time next year “what a time to be a Miami sports fan”

A statement that is well deserved and long overdue.

Follow us on Twitter for all things Miami sports @FiveReasonsSports and @SportsWaveDave.

Photo by Tony Capobianco.

Panthers coach Joel Quenneville focuses on the positives from opening-night loss to Lightning. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports)

Twitter’s Reaction to the Panthers Historic Comeback

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The Florida Panthers had their largest comeback in franchise history last night as they shocked the Boston Bruins. Down 4-0 going into the 3rd period last night, they scored four unanswered goals to send the game to overtime.

 

The first period was close and competitive with no goals going either way. The second period Boston completely poured it on Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers then changed goalies to Sam Montembeault and the historic comeback began.  

 

Twitter went absolutely crazy as Bruins fans looked completely shocked. You could hear a pin drop inside the TD Garden during the third period and overtime as the Panthers took the life out of the arena.  Here are some great reactions down below from this historic comeback:

 

Florida Panthers claw way to comeback win over Boston Bruins

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The Florida Panthers won a wild game at the TD Garden on Tuesday.

It is safe to say that the Comeback Cats have lived up to their nickname. The Florida Panthers went toe-to-toe with the Boston Bruins in a wild game at TD Garden on Tuesday night. The good guys came out on the winning edge of things after the situation looked very bleak.

Before they got the victory, the Florida Panthers had to weather the storm.

Goals by David Pasternak, Joakim Nordstrom, Anders Bjork, and Zdeno Chara in the second period led to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky being pulled from the game at the start of the third period. Down four goals, something had to change for the Florida Panthers. The winds of change were certainly present as Sam Montembeault began the start of the third frame. It was almost as if something clicked for the Florida Panthers. It wasn’t that they were slacking off all night. If anything, they were playing their game for the entirety of the contest.

They just kept plugging away. They weren’t doing anything special, they were just firing shots at Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask. If there is one thing this team has proved so far this season, it is that they never give up. That was certainly the case Tuesday night.

The Florida Panthers get things going at the right time

Aaron Ekblad got the party going for the Panthers just 50 seconds into the third period. He hammered a beautiful pass from Keith Yandle just outside the left circle to make it a 4-1 game. Shooting from the left side, Rask had no chance at seeing it.

Jonathan Huberdeau  contributed to the next goal which was scored by Frank Vatrano. Huberdeau dished a nice pass to Vatrano who ripped a shot by a screened Rask to make it 4-2. You could definitely sense that the tone of the game was changing. The Panthers got their skating legs back and they were able to put forth a much better effort than they had in the first two periods.

Mike Hoffman was the beneficiary of a Bruins powerplay as he scored the next goal for Florida at the 9:43 mark. You could see Rask beginning to melt down a bit, and the Bruins almost played a bit scared in the third frame. That was definitely evident when the game was tied courtesy of a Keith Yandle goal, and somehow, the Panthers  managed to come back from four goals down. It was almost as if the Panthers were destined to win this game. Yandle’s goal was no small feat. With 1:39 left in the third period, traffic at the net forced the puck to bounce around for a bit. Yandle was the right place at the right time to pick it up.

As a result, a shootout ensued, and Hoffman was there to tally the game-winner. Charlie Coyle managed to record a goal for Boston, but it wasn’t enough as Vincent Trocheck gave the Panthers an early cushion. This led to Hoffman being able to seal the deal, as the Florida Panthers won a game for the second night in a row.

These Florida Panthers never give up

This has been a hallmark of the Florida Panthers all season. They play a gritty style of hockey. They don’t divert away from the game plan, they just keep plugging away. That was evident on Tuesday night. They just kept plugging away and shot pucks at the net. Especially in the third frame, their passes were crisp and they remained focused. There is this old hockey cliché that states “if you shoot pucks at the net, good things will happen.” The Panthers certainly lived by that adage Tuesday.

This team is a lot of fun to watch. Their wins may not always be pretty, and they may have some rough games. However, they will always compete and play hard. As a fan, that’s I can ask for.

 

 

 

Panthers Defense Must Stand Tall Against Struggling Bruins

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The Florida Panthers (8-4-5, 21 points) are back in action Tuesday when they travel to Boston (11-3-3, 25 points) to finish out a three game road trip.

Florida has split the first two games and are coming off an exciting 6-5 shootout win over the New York Rangers.

Evgenii Davodov tied a career high in the win with three points on a goal and two assists.

Boston leads the Atlantic Division with those 25 points while Florida is right in the middle of the pack, which is a better place than in recent years where they occupied the cellar early in the season.

The Panthers and Bruins are tied for 5th in the NHL in scoring with 60 goals, both teams have played 17 games entering Tuesday.

Where the difference lies is in goals allowed, Florida is tied for the fourth most goals allowed (also 60) while Boston has surrendered just 41.

That’s the difference between being second in goals allowed per game for Boston (2.41GAA) versus 26th in GAA for the Panthers (3.53).

Florida allows the ninth fewest shots against per game (30.2) so the conversion percentage for their opponents is an issue.

 

The Panthers defense has allowed at least five goals in seven games already, winning just once (against the Rangers this week).

Newly acquired goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (6-3-4, 3.39GAA, .884SV%) has struggled and his numbers are well below his career averages.

Florida’s offense has not been the issue and the recent resurgence of captain Aleksander Barkov has helped carry the team through inconsistent defensive efforts.

After not scoring a goal in his first 12 games this year, Barkov has found the net in five straight contests and leads the Panthers with 22 points overall.

 

Boston is in their own funk at the moment, losing three in a row following a six game win streak. The Bruins are banged up with forwards Jake Debrusk and David Backes hitting injured reserve this week.

They are still plenty of weapons for Boston as top scorers David Pastrnak (15 goals, 15 assists) and Brad Marchand (11 goals, 18 assists) are ever dangerous.

Pastrnak has six points in his last five games but none in the previous two losses, while Marchand has four goals and four assists in his last five outings.

Puck drops from the TD Garden in Boston at 7:00PM. Make sure to check out Alex Donno on the pre and post game broadcasts on 560 WQAM as well.

 

 

 

Surging Panthers ride Huberdeau, Barkov to easy win

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Something’s happening here.

After Saturday’s dominant, no-doubt 4-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings, the Florida Panthers have now won six of their past nine games. And this seems, well, real. They’ve survived the start of the season, which typically buries them, and they’ve done it with star Sasha Barkov struggling to score and hyped goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky posting a goals-against-average near four.

Both, however, were exceptional Saturday on a night the Panthers were without several regulars, including Vincent Trocheck.

Barkov hasn’t admitted to an injury, but he has appeared hobbled at times. Not Saturday. He was everywhere, from faceoffs to the crease, finishing with a goal and an assist — and four of the Panthers’ 41 shots. Bobrovsky wasn’t tested much after the opening few minutes, but stopped all 22 shots he saw.

So now the Panthers have 18 points through 14 games, compared to 15 points through 14 games last season and 10 points through 14 games the season prior.

Most importantly, they seem to be grasping Joel Quenneville’s system. The coach was beaming about how “clean” they played in their own end — very few chances, even fewer Red Wings left unmarked on rebounds.

Here are a few of the tweets from the game, and after:

Here are player videos:

 

 

And here’s a video from Michael “Dutch” Sonbeek, who covered the game with me for Five Reasons Sports.

Panthers Look to Even up on Road Trip vs Avalanche

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The Florida Panthers (5-3-4, 14 points) seek to close out an up-and-down four game road trip Wednesday when they visit the Colorado Avalanche.

Florida has lost two out of three away from Sunrise, including a 7-2 waxing at Vancouver Monday night.

 

Backup goalie Sam Montembeault was roughed up in that one, which forced Sergei Bobrovsky to step in on his scheduled day off.

Florida had their eight game point streak snapped and have given up 15 goals in their last three games, losing two.

Alexsander Barkov is still seeking his first goal but is tied for the team lead in overall points thanks to his 13 assists.

Evgenii Davodov has boosted the Florida offense with points in three straight games (2 goals, assist).

Mackenzie Weegar has also provided a much lift in scoring from the blue line, he picked up two assists in their 6-2 win at Edmonton during the trip.

Weegar leads all defenseman for the Panthers with eight points on three goals and five assists.

Bobrovsky (4-2-3, 3.79GAA, .870SV%) should get the start in net for the Panthers.

Meanwhile for the Avalanche they enter the game losing two out of three as well but have been stellar to start the season (8-2-1, 17 points).

Colorado fell to the Anaheim Ducks in their last game on Saturday and should be well rested with three full days to prepare.

Nathan McKinnon leads the Avs with 15 points and had a goal and an assist in Colorado’s 5-4 win against the Panthers October 18th.

Colorado is a solid offense, ranking 10th in the NHL in goals scored with 258 and seventh in power play conversions at 22%. Florida has been solid on the penalty kill, ranking 10th killing 81.3% when down a man.

The Panthers will still be without forward Vincent Trocheck while Colorado is down top forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.

Florida will hopefully be able to put up a solid defensive effort given the shuffling top lines for Colorado, play on the blue line continues to be an issue for the Cats.

Puck drops from the Pepsi Center in Denver is 10:00PM EST.

Make sure to follow @SportsWaveDave for more Florida Panthers news. 

Check out the Goldie On Ice Podcast hosted by Steve Goldstein for exclusive Panthers content. Photo by Tony Capobianco