The Panthers are heading to the playoffs, and they have huge games Saturday and Monday against the Lightning; a possible playoff preview. What's also important? The fact that the Panthers just enjoyed a rarity in this condensed sprint of a season: four consecutive days without a game. For the Panthers, the time off couldn't have come at a better time.
According to Joel Quenneville after yesterday's practice, the Panthers potentially stand to have three players available to return from injury tomorrow. Regarding Sam Bennett, Patric Hornqvist, and Carter Verhaeghe, Quenneville said everyone "looks like they're ready to go." This four-day break in the schedule was indeed a scheduling break for the Panthers. During the span, the Lightning will have played two games against the Dallas Stars. The Panthers, meanwhile, were able to enjoy two full off days on Tuesday and Wednesday, and two solid practice days between yesterday and today.
Following the full off days, Quenneville noticed the positive effect on the team. Quenneville said, "I loved the pace of practice today. I loved the way we practiced. I was impressed with it." With the schedule being as rigorous as it has been, he went on to say, "It's been awhile since we've even had a normal practice. The guys had some life and some good spirit." A four-day rest followed by a two-game tune-up for the playoffs could be the perfect timeline.
Now, your questions!
Doug Plagens' Panthers Mailbag Volume Thirteen
@hlamp: In terms of team toughness, how do we match up with Tampa and Carolina? Who has the edge in physical play?
All three teams are fast and physical, and there are different types of "physical", but I believe the Panthers match up well on the physical side of the game with both teams. It's apparent that all three teams, with aspirations to contend for a Cup, made sure to be equipped for a physical game or series. Because the Panthers play the Lightning tomorrow and Monday, and there's a good chance they'll meet in the first round of the playoffs, I'll focus on this matchup. Here are some players known for their physical styles to watch in the upcoming games:
- Radko Gudas, Panthers: Look no further than the guy who, as Joel Quenneville put it a month or two ago, gives the Panthers "Bite and personality". The "hits" statistic is so difficult to track with 100% certainty, but Gudas is tied with Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk for the NHL lead with 235 hits at the time I'm writing this. Additionally, Gudas is 26th in hits since the league began tracking them in '07-08. Panthers General Manager Bill Zito definitely added some sandpaper to the Panthers lineup with Gudas, and the next name I'll mention…
- Ryan Lomberg, Panthers: Like Gudas, Lomberg has become a fan favorite in Sunrise. Also, like Gudas, he's willing to drop the gloves if a situation calls for it. Lomberg's tenaciousness along the boards has been helping him generate some really nice scoring chances lately. On Territory Talk this week, Jameson Olive predicted a Lomberg goal Saturday and/or Monday against the Lightning, and I feel like he's going to get one soon, too.
As for the opposition…
- Erik Cernak, Tampa Bay: At 6'3" and 233 pounds, he appears to enjoy throwing heavy hits. He won't take himself out of a play to do so, and he is very adept at jumping up in the play from his defense position. He has logged 91 hits in 43 games this season after 172 hits in 67 games last season, and he totaled 59 hits in last year's playoffs.
- Pat Maroon, Tampa Bay: He's been in a goal scoring drought lately, but when the page turns to the playoffs, and the game changes, he's always dangerous. At 6'3" and 236 pounds, he can be a force when time and space become scarce in the playoffs. Between last season with the Lightning and two seasons ago with the Blues, he's been a regular contributor on the last two Stanley Cup winners. Maroon has exceeded 50 hits in three different playoff years throughout his career.
@Jreidy56: What are some of your all-time favorite sports video games?
Wow, great question! I'll admit that most of my video game knowledge ended when everyone moved on from their XBOX 360's, but I do still have a fully functional Sega Genesis (That I got for Christmas '92), and therefore a few games remain very close to my heart.
HOCKEY: Everyone seems to call NHL '94 the gold standard; the one that started it all, if you will. I understand that it included team logos, as well as player names- the previous two installments of the series didn't have both of these- and '94 was the first game to include the expansion Panthers and Ducks. However, for multiple reasons, I consider NHLPA '93 "the game". First of all, I got '93 with my Genesis, so it was special. Secondly, '93 had fighting, and '94 didn't (The fixed this in '95; the year they also added the ability to make trades). Also, don't forget that NHLPA '93 had our own Randy Moller on the cover! NHLPA '93 is untouchable. To me, NHLPA '93 is to sports video games what Slap Shot is to sports movies.
Post-Genesis, I don't think any NHL game was ever better than '04. The soundtrack was legendary, first of all (Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Gob, Less Thank Jake, The Ataris, Bowling For Soup, Autopilot Off, Vendetta Red, Brand New, and Jet, off the top of my head, were all in it). In my mind, it had the best blend of hockey simulation and arcade feel of all-time. Realism is great, but it's a video game. This opinion may be unpopular, but I still prefer an element of arcade-feel in my video games. In NHL '04, goalie fighting was also introduced. Outside of the game, I was a freshman in college the year it came out, so I had quite a bit of time to play NHL '04 in the dorms.
BASEBALL: MVP Baseball 2005 is the best baseball game ever. Again, a great soundtrack gives the game a fun feel from the start. The dynasty mode was unlike anything I'd seen in a baseball game at the time. It was just a fun game.
BASKETBALL: I loved the mid-90's installments of NBA Live, but I grew up on NBA JAM! The Hakeem Olajuwon-Vernon Maxwell Rockets and the Shawn Kemp-Detlef Schrempf Sonics were my go-to teams.
FOOTBALL: Any version of Tecmo Super Bowl.
OTHER: Virtua Tennis on the Sega Dreamcast made for endless fun for the whole family.
@hawk954: Since the Fort Lauderdale Air Show falls on the same weekend as the second to last regulation game for our @FlaPanthers & since @JamesonCoop likes airplanes, I have to ask... Does Doug enjoy air shows? If so, Thunderbirds or Blue Angels? #AskDoug
I do like air shows! I checked out the one here locally back in November. Prior to that, I hadn't been to one since Air Michigan '92! At some point in the last year - perhaps it was in November as well - I pulled into a Target parking lot and watched the Blue Angels fly by. Saying that was awesome is an understatement.
I also really like Airplane. It's surely one of my three favorite movies. I've probably seen it several hundred times.
@ByTimReynolds: @DougPlagens hi doug if you don't like bisque are you allowed to like biscuits?
If it isn't one of the best dudes ever, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press! Follow him on Twitter if you don't already. In case you're new to the mailbag, Tim is referencing the fact that I don't like soup, nor do I like any of the soup-related foods. Stews, chowders, gazpachos, bisques… No thanks. I'd rather not have my food sinking or lying beneath the surface of a bowl of liquid.
A bad incident in the Winter of '96 is to blame.
However, Tim, I certainly don't mind a good biscuit, especially with my breakfast. However, if given the option, I'm more likely to choose toast as my bread with a breakfast entrée. If we're talking breakfast sandwiches, I'd take a bagel, an English muffin, a McGriddle, or a hearty toast over a biscuit. Nothing against biscuits! I really like biscuits, but depending on how many items are on the breakfast sandwich, biscuits can become a bit crumbly! If the biscuit crumbles, then I'm holding the egg with my hand. That's like the rim scraping the pavement because the tire became totally shredded.
I probably offered much more analysis on this than you wanted, but I really do like biscuits, and they are totally independent of bisques. I also like Bisquick!
@DaleJH66: #DearDoug any news when single game playoff tickets will go on sale?
I'm sure you saw that single game tickets went on sale yesterday, but the best way to get guaranteed seats to every playoff game is to lock in your Panthers membership for next season; the '21-22 season. When you purchase a membership for next season, you'll have the option to purchase seats for the playoffs that will be in the same location for all home games throughout the playoffs at the most affordable price. This also means that you'll be able to cheer on the Panthers without worrying about the prices increasing or about getting a seat in the building. The prices are set for each round.
Please complete the form
HERE
to enter a priority list to be notified when additional Single Game Tickets for the playoffs become available.
As always, all the Panthers ticket information is available at
Floridapanthers.com/TicketCentral
.
Thanks as always for the questions! If you didn't see yours, it may appear in a future mailbag!
