Tag Archive for: Sasha Barkov

A South Florida team wins! Panthers take home opener

Some team needs to save us.

The Miami Heat may do it. They feel better about this particular roster than any since the Big 3 era. Erik Spoelstra couldn’t stop smiling all week at training camp at Keiser University in West Palm Beach. But the Florida Panthers may have more talent, as ranked in its particular sport, than the Heat. They have two legit scoring lines, depth at forward, a couple of proven defensive pairings, elite goaltending — and now a guy, Joel Quenneville, who will know what to do with it.

After a season-opening loss against a stacked Tampa Bay Lightning squad, the Panthers returned home to face the Lightning again. And, in a 4-3 win, they looked good. Really good. Yes, the third period made you queasy, as it so often does. But Florida’s overall skill level is striking.

Some highlights…