We've got ourselves a series, folks.
The emotional rollercoaster of last night's Game Three featured every twist and turn imaginable, but the Florida Panthers prevailed by a 6-5 score in overtime. The overtime goal scorer- Ryan Lomberg- has been a sparkplug for the Panthers from the day he arrived, and his rough and tumble style has proven to be incredibly valuable in the playoffs. He couldn't have picked a better time to score his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal, but you have to admire his focus postgame last night. As much as he enjoyed talking about the big goal, he was very quick to point the focus to tomorrow's Game Four.
Doug Plagens' Panthers Mailbag Volume Fifteen
The Cats deserved last night's win, plain and simple. They've been the better team for the majority of the series and were rewarded for their play last night. Credit to Tampa Bay where it's due: they have championship experience, and sometimes they're able to grind out a win when they aren't the better team in a game. In the first two games, they may have been the opportunistic team, but after Game Three, the Panthers are the confident team with momentum.
Bill Lindsay and I discussed on the postgame last night that we're expecting to see a very focused Lightning group out of the gate in Game Four, but the Panthers have proven that no task on the road is too tall. Afternoon hockey, folks! With tons, and I mean tons, on the line. Don't miss it.
I've had some music questions lately (One of my favorite topics, so keep those coming), and something I'll make a part of the mailbag moving forward: what I'm listening to as I type this. Last week, it was Jawbreaker, the whole time. This time, I'm listening to Danko Jones as I type. Everyone reading this needs to listen to "I Gotta Rock" by Danko Jones today. You'll probably put it on repeat and be ready to run through a wall by the time the game starts tomorrow. And now, your questions:
@Jreidy56: What are some of your favorite playoff hockey overtime games?
Well isn't this one topical! For starters, last night was outstanding. It was great to get the win and see the Panthers vault into a position to turn the series around, but I can't tell you how happy I was for Ryan Lomberg. He's become a fan-favorite, and brings so much to the team; many qualities that impact every game but don't always show up in the box score, and every team needs players like Lomberg. As far as playoff overtime games that I've called, that one is my favorite. Oddly enough, in my now 977 professional hockey broadcasts (NHL, AHL, ECHL; regular season and playoffs), that was only the second playoff overtime win I've called!
May 18, 2010 - Game Three of the 2010 ECHL Kelly Cup Final - was the other playoff overtime win I had the privilege of calling (Evan Barlow for the Idaho Steelheads in a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones). Wow, just over 11 years ago. Where does the time go?! Thanks for making me dig back in the archives!
The longest overtime game I've ever called (Not my favorite, because my Idaho Steelheads lost): 2010 ECHL National Conference Final, Game Three. Ryan Constant of the Stockton Thunder scored 36 seconds in to the third overtime to end what was, at the time, one of the 10 longest games in ECHL history. It's now the 22nd longest game in ECHL history. The final score: Stockton 1, Idaho 0. A 24-year-old Doug Plagens was not thrilled with the outcome.
From a fan perspective: this was very difficult, but three stand out because I attended them as a kid.
- Game five of the 1995 Western Conference Final: Detroit 2, Chicago 1. Slava Kozlov scored the game-winner at 2:25 of the second overtime to secure a Western Conference Championship.
- December 26, 1996: Sergei Fedorov scored all five goals, including the overtime winner, for Detroit in a 5-4 win over Washington.
- March 26, 1997: The most famous Red Wings-Avalanche brawl game. Darren McCarty scored the overtime winner 39 seconds into the extra frame to secure a 6-5 win and end what I believe is the best regular season game ever played in any sport. John Easthope
@vintagejohnny84: What has made Mackenzie Weegar so successful this season? Seemingly out of nowhere he had developed into a top pairing guy.
Without question, Mackenzie Weegar has developed into a cornerstone part of this Panthers team.
First of all, being a 7th round pick, Weegar has played with a chip on his shoulder from the get-go. Add to that the fact that he - as our good friend and former longtime NHL defenseman Randy Moller put it - is made for the modern NHL. Weegar is a great skater, has outstanding awareness at both ends of the ice, he has developed a shooting touch capable of scoring from anywhere, and he can make a picture-perfect outlet pass. He plays in every situation for the Panthers and excels. He's made major strides playing under Joel Quenneville as well. Regarding playing for Quenneville for two seasons now, Weegar said on Territory Talk a couple months ago (March 10th episode) that "Joel is a highly respected coach and having him behind me has helped my game excel quite a bit. I want to play my best every single night for Joel, I want to win for him, and I want to win for the guys around me."
Weegar does it all. He's a team-first, defense-first guy who has turned in a very confident, dangerous offensive player. He took a longer road to the NHL, and I'm certain that fuels him every day as well.
@fakejedega: Mustang or Camaro or Corvette? Which one would you prefer to drive cross country and who would be your passenger?
I've had two Camaros, including one right now. I've had a Mustang. I've never had a Corvette. I love all three, but I'm a Camaro guy forever. Everyone has a dream car: mine would be a ZL1 Camaro. If I could pick anything, I'd just want the best Camaro.
Hmmm… cross-country passengers: if we're talking people I know personally, my mom and dad. Although neither of them would be thrilled to sit in the back seat of a Camaro on a cross-country drive. We always have a lot to talk about, so it would be a fun drive.
If we're talking people I don't know… I'd throw three names into a hat, and draw one. Chris Jericho, Peyton Manning, and Shaquille O'Neal would be the names. They're among the best at what they do, they're probably my three favorite athletes, and they're all very interesting people! I'd have endless questions for each of them.
Thanks as always for the questions! 'Til next time, folks!
