Proving once again that when you go to a game at FLA Live Arena- especially with this edition of the Panthers- that you may see something you've never seen before, the Panthers became just the ninth team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal deficit and win in consecutive games with their 7-4 win over Buffalo last night. A Jonathan Huberdeau five-point game, a Sam Reinhart four-point game, a three-point game from Aaron Ekblad, and four two-point games propelled the Panthers- playing without Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Duclair and Gus Forsling- to another comeback win a night ago. Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette said postgame that this isn't a habit the Panthers want to get into, and that's understandable. However, the fact that there's never an ounce of panic in the group is a great trait, and the belief the team has every night is noticeable.
Before we get too far along, congratulations to Lucas Carlsson on his first NHL goal! Igniting last night's comeback, he picked a great time to get it.
Now, your questions…
@Trainboy100: Favorite Moment so far this season?
Last night was awesome, but as far as my overall favorite… look no further than Tuesday night's dramatic 5-4 comeback win at home over Washington! How do you top that, especially considering the game-winner was scored with 14.4 seconds left? The Panthers have given us a great variety of awesome moments in the '21-22 campaign, but a four-goal comeback in the third to win in regulation against another Stanley Cup contender… That was special, and that's a game we're going to look back on throughout the season. Shots on goal aren't always indicative of how a game went, but the 27-2 shots on goal advantage in the third period illustrates the one-way traffic we saw in the Panthers favor en route to the 5-4 win.
@hlamp: I believe that Roberto Luongo is eligible in 2022 to be selected to the NHL hockey Hall of Fame. Will he be a Hall of Famer?
My immediate answer is 100% yes, and that becomes an even stronger yes when I toss out a few key numbers. Luongo, a five-time all-star, was top-10 in NHL save percentage 10 times in his career and finished third all-time in wins with 489. He was a member of two Gold Medal-winning Canadian Olympic teams. Luongo is one of two goalies- the other being Patrick Roy- to have won 200 games with two different teams. He maintained an elite level of play for 19 seasons, and deserves immediate Hall of Fame recognition. Zach Earnest
@ZEarnest419: The @hawk954 post game win ritual is Bread Pudding at Yardhouse. Mine is blasting the Panthers goal horn over the car stereo on a drive home, followed by Wreak Havoc - Skylar Grey from the Cats 2016-17 opening intro. What's Doug Plagens' ritual? Or @JamesonCoop?
Maybe one day I'll show up for a Yard House dessert; that sounds good. I personally don't have a postgame ritual. I call my folks after games a lot, and #VictoryShades is becoming a tradition. Usually I just try to jet home in time to catch the back-to-back Seinfeld episodes on The CW South Florida at 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
As for Jameson Olive… I asked him. He works on the great postgame web content we all enjoy at FloridaPanthers.com! That's his postgame ritual!
Thanks for the questions! 'Til next time, folks!
Doug Plagens' Panthers Mailbag: Comeback Cats Strike Again
