It's playoff time! We learned very quickly that for this Panthers team, the question was never "if" the playoffs would be in the cards, but which playoff spot would be theirs. The Panthers were able to secure home-ice advantage with their back-to-back wins over Tampa Bay to finish the regular season, and six-game win streak overall.
As we discussed in last week's mailbag, gaining the extra home game could prove to be extremely important in a series between teams who combined for a home record of 41-12-3 this season. As a result of clinching home-ice, the Panthers will have the luxury of being at home for potentially four games in the series, having the last change, and, of course, they'll have their fans in the building behind them!
Doug Plagens' Panthers Mailbag Volume Fourteen
Another key stat going into the series, and it's not the least bit surprising with this Panthers team: the '20-21 Panthers were the best team in the league when they allowed the first goal. Sure, they were great when they scored first (20-6-2), but they proved to be comfortable coming back this season as well with a 17-8-3 record when the opponent scored first. Their 17 wins when allowing the first goal was three ahead of the closest teams: Pittsburgh, and you guessed it, Tampa Bay. Two teams that are never out of a game are set to meet in the Sunshine State Showdown. We've all wanted to see it. Fasten your seatbelts.
A couple things I can guarantee: this is going to be fun, and we'll have it all for you, every step of the way, on 560 The Joe WQAM, and the Panthers Radio Network. Check your local listings. I'm excited for game one, you're excited for game one, and saying my broadcast partner Billy Lindsay is excited would be the understatement of the century. In 48 hours, it'll be game day.
And now, your questions… Quite a variety this week!
@yodiwan1: In your opinion, who has had the greatest post season of all time? I'm talking about an individual player who turns into Superman for a playoff run.
I'm going to approach this from a full body of work perspective, and a few names come to mind. I'll stick to hockey here, even though Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Madison Bumgarner and Mariano Rivera were among the names that popped immediately into my mind. Rivera pitched 141 innings over 96 career postseason appearances and his postseason ERA was 0.70. Let that sink in for a minute!
But we're talking hockey here. Naturally, Wayne Gretzky was the first thought. He posted over 40 points in three different playoff seasons, and 382 points over 208 Stanley Cup Playoff games in his career. That's production, but it's also Gretzky, and he did that all time!
Mark Messier wasn't just a playoff performer either; he's third all-time in scoring. But he did win two more Cups- six total- than Gretzky. He helped the Rangers end the 54-year championship drought in 1994, and he came through on a Namath-like guarantee during the 1994 Eastern Conference Final by scoring a hat trick in game six against New Jersey and helping the Rangers force a game seven. The Rangers went on to beat Vancouver in seven games in the Final. I could have a different answer to this question depending on the day- there are so many great playoff performers in the NHL's history- but I'd say Messier is the league's all-time playoff go-to guy.
As far as a single playoff run goes, Gretzky's 47 points in 18 games during the '85 playoffs remains a record for a single playoff year. As far as the top-15 individual postseasons go in terms of point production, only one happened this century: Evgeni Malkin's 36 points in 24 games to help the '09 Penguins to the Cup. Thanks quanthockey.com for the easy-to-navigate stats charts. That's an entirely different topic: during my broadcasting career, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've pulled up a stat quickly using quanthockey.com… but back to your question!
Another thing that's taken away from this: there can be great stories, and players who rise to fame during big moments and important games, but it's generally the game's biggest stars who come through on the biggest of stages to put their teams over the top. I have a pretty good feeling about Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau's playoff stat lines looking very, very nice about a decade from now.
@hlamp: Here's my mailbag question: are you a playoff beard kind of guy? Is @JamesonCoop a playoff beard guy? And between the two of you who would have the best playoff beard?
Playoff beard: game-time decision for me. After about four days of not shaving, I get very uncomfortable, and have never been fully willing to push through to full, respectable beard territory. I really like a clean shave; I'm usually an every-other-day shave guy. We'll see.
Funny you mention Jameson Olive! He has been telling me for years to give it a go and grow a full-on beard, just for fun! For the record, I think he'd have the better one and win the Territory Talk Beard Contest.
@AndrewLevine5: Have you had a special postgame meal during this season?
Multiple trips to Five Guys! I have an issue with Five Guys; if someone mentions it, I have to go within 72 hours. I mentioned it, so I guess I'll go there tonight or tomorrow for dinner. For me, Five Guys has to be dinner.
@fakejedega: #askdoug have you ever called playoff hockey before at any level and what makes it different for a broadcaster's perspective?
I have! The 2009 and 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs with the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL (Which included a trip to the Kelly Cup Final in 2010), as well as 2016 and last year's bubble with the Panthers. There's nothing like it. Regarding playoff games, players often say the playoffs are why they play the game. It's an honor to call play-by-play for any game, but we all get into this business with hopes of witnessing great plays by great players in the biggest games. Bill Lindsay and I cannot wait to call the action this postseason.
One thing I have always said is that it's impossible to truly quantify the intensity of a hockey playoff series at any level, and we feel that intensity upstairs in the booth. Every single play of every single game becomes magnified because it could truly determine whether or not a team's season will continue. In the playoffs, the margin for error is razor-thin.
Plain and simple, the playoffs are special. Enjoy them!
@HardleyKurt: NASCAR or IndyCar? Have you ever been to one of the races? Love to have you at an IndyCar race sometime.
Kurt! The South Carolina Twitter Captain! Don't forget to tweet the broadcast every second intermission, folks. We'll have playoff editions of the #WorldFamousTwitterSegment every game!
I have always wanted to attend a race. I'd love to go to one. I'm very much a motorsports novice, but with my parents living in North Carolina, I've absorbed some NASCAR knowledge, and I really enjoy it. I root for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. because he drives the Kroger Camaro. I'm a Camaro guy and I have always had good shopping experiences at Kroger. Being from Detroit, muscle cars are my favorite, and flipping on a race and seeing the Camaros and Mustangs on the track makes me happy.
I need to learn more about IndyCar. I know you're heavily involved! Jameson Olive has really turned me on to Formula 1 recently; I've watched all the races this season and started collecting some F1 cards. Rolling out of bed on a Sunday morning and watching F1 is a great way to start a day, and the races generally only take about two hours.
Thanks as always for the questions! 'Til next time, folks!
