Now Hiring, Enforcer Position

I am willing to bet that everyone has seen the Wizard of Oz by now. Everyone remembers the bases of the movie, follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard. Each character in the movie went on the journey seeking something different. The Tin-man wanted a heart, Scarecrow wanted a brain, and Dorothy wanted to go home. That leads us to my personal favorite character in the film, the Lion. In the wild, lions are one of the most aggressive animals that don't back down from anything. The Lion in the Wizard of Oz? He had no courage what so ever, and that is why he went on the journey to see the Wizard.

Now I am sure most of you are asking yourselves, "Why the heck is he talking about the Wizard of Oz?". The answer is pretty simple, the Florida Panthers need to go down the yellow brick road to find some of their own courage.

Everyone by now has seen what happened in the game on Saturday against the Flyers, so I will spare you all the details. I personally feel that the heat was dirty and uncalled for, and the league should have handed out at least a three game suspension, but I digress. I wanted to talk more about our teams effort to defend their star player after the hit, along with some other interesting events in the game.

Situation 1: Dominic Moore takes a huge elbow to the face, leading to a busted and bloody nose. Team reaction? Nothing, not even as much as an exchange of bad words.

My Take: I can let this one slide. It was penalized, but I would have liked to seen the veterans stick up for the new guy.

Situation 2: Radek Dvorak takes a knee on knee hit, he is injured on the play. Team reaction? Nothing again, you folks starting to see a pattern here?

My Take: You go after the cheap player that just injured your best PK guy on an illegal hit. There was no penalty on the play, which surprised me, but the point is that no one stood up for Dvorak after the hit.

Situation 3: David Booth gets blind sided by Mike Richards and is taken out on a stretcher. Team reaction? A little shoving, nothing else.

My Take: If this was any other NHL team there would have been a brawl. When your star player is laying there on the ice, not moving, because some player decided to take it upon themselves to throw a vicious, dirty hit to the head it is up to the team to stand up for their downed player. The Panthers seem to have no concept of the word team this season, and it is very disappointing.

Situation 4: Dmitry Kulikov is plastered into the boards by Dan Carcillo. Team reaction? You guessed it, a big fat nothing.

My Take: Bill Lindsay said it best, Kulikov is an eighteen year old kid and it is not his place to stand up for himself. Someone should have went after Carcillo and defended the young rookie.

So lets take a count shall we? Four times the Flyers got away clean with abusing players without as much as a single punch thrown. I have said it all over the web and I will say it here too, this team has no concept of what it is to be a team. Saturday night was one of the most disappointing displays by the Cats I have ever seen. Sure Peter DeBoer didn't want them to attack in that way, but rather on the scoreboard. Well Pete, I didn't see a close game from that point on, so why not let the boys go at it.

Another reason this troubles me so much is the fact that teams watch tapes, and those teams will know that the Panthers leave their players open for anything and the guys will get destroyed. If this team doesn't stand up for their selves and their teammates soon, they will be beaten and pushed around all season long.

To close out this rant I just want to say I really hope David Booth doesn't have long lasting effects from this hit. We have seen it before in a promising player named Eric Lindros, and we all know what happened to him after the Scott Stevens hit.

I also want to say to all those out there calling the hit clean by comparing it to any hit dished out by Stevens, this is the new NHL, a league that is suppose to protect players health for they can have long careers and a healthy life after. There is no need for shots like that in this sport, and to any fan that thinks there is I feel very sorry for you and ask you to put on skates, take the same hit, and see what your opinion of head shot is after that.

All I know is that this fan does not buy season tickets every year to see players laid out on the ice like that, no matter the jersey.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact me at FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or post them on our facebook page.

Five Games In The Books

Last Saturday the Florida Panthers took to the ice in Helsinki to open up the 2009-2010 NHL season against the Chicago Blackhawks. Fans packed Incredible Ice to watch the team they had such high hopes for play against a team that could be playing for the Stanley Cup in May. What happened in that game? The Florida Panthers delivered. The Cats answered back three times to tie the game and send it into a shootout. As the fans sat and watched in fear of the Panthers in a shootout something magical happened, the Panthers scored two in a row and they won in a SO to open the season. The game was a glimpse at what could be the rest of the year, and the folks living in Pantherland loved it.

So what happened...?

Why are the Florida Panthers currently sitting on a 1-4 record on the eve of playing one of the best teams in the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Flyers. What happened to the hope the Panthers gave to the fans when they won their first game of the season in a shootout? I wish I could answer that question, and I have a feeling that the Panthers wish they could too.

In five games the Florida Panthers have allowed twenty goals on 193 shots. In the last two games (New Jersey and Tampa Bay) the Panthers took two lazy, late penalties that cost them the game or a shot at tying the game (Frolik - hooking against New Jersey which lead to a PP goal, Booth - Boarding against Tampa which took away the 6-5 chance in the last minute).

So who is to blame? If you ask DeBoer he thinks no one is. He was quoted in a couple of interviews stating "The team will be fine, it's too early to panic". While I agree it is too early to panic, I also think the year is not getting any easier. The schedule ahead is a tough one, and the Panthers need to turn things around quick before they fall to 1-10.

To be honest I think the Panthers can turn it around early this year. I think the Finland trip took a lot out of them and now that they have had time back in the states they can get back to working to their level. If not, well then there is always a good draft pick in it for us.

That is all for now, if you have any comments or questions feel free to E-mail me at FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or post them on our facebook page.

Quick Thoughts V

- The standings after the first couple games seem to be upside down. Vancouver 0-3 and the Coyotes in a playoff spot? What I just said is 100% truth. Of course we are only a couple games in, but one has to wonder why the dominant teams are starting off slow and letting last years bottom feeders run the show currently. It will be interesting to see the standings this time next month.

- Is Ilya Kovalchuk about to move to Canada? The Hot Stove crew over on CBC discussed the possibility of the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg. You know, that city they took a team away from not too long ago. What's next, Nashville to Hartford?

- The two European match ups, Hawks vs Panthers, Wings vs Blues, seemed to have gone over well with the fans. The fans that attended that is. One could easily see a lot of empty seats in both buildings, which hold 12,000 people. Can we put an end to that experiment now Gary?

- If the Canucks organization would stop worrying about what lies Brian Burke is spreading on a daily bases maybe they wouldn't be 0-3. For those who don't know what I am talking about, The Maple Leafs organization released an inside the draft video, and in that video Brian Burke claims that the Canucks made a hard push for Tampa's 2nd overall pick by offering Bieksa, Burrows, and their first round pick. Vancouver is so outraged that they have taken it up with the league. While your at it Vancouver, can you ask the NHL to punish Eklund, he makes up the same kind of outlandish deals and he gets away with it.

- Ex Panther Craig Anderson is finding himself a nice little home between the pipes in Colorado. Andy has started both games for the Avalanche and has won both in pretty good fashion, including a shutout against the Canucks. I have nothing but love for Andy and I hope he can get the Avalanche into the playoffs.

- I have it on good word that the Florida Panthers Ice Dancers will be dancing on, get this, ice at the home opener. Videos and photos have been released online showing the girls practicing their moves at center ice inside Incredible Ice. October 10th should be a very interesting night indeed.

- Speaking of opening night, there are currently only 2000 tickets left. The staff of Sunrise Sports and Entertainment has worked their tails off to try and sell out the home opener. There are still good seats left, including seats for only $10. For those folks who cannot read or hear a commercial, the ticket price is STARTING AT $10. Enough with the thinking that the Panthers are in deep trouble and selling all seats for $10.

That will be all for now. If you have any comments or questions feel free to send them to FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or post them on SSH's facebook page.

Tomorrow I will have a little project for my followers.

Report: Panthers Sign Moore

According to the Sun Sentinel, the Florida Panthers have agreed to a one year contract with ex Leaf/Sabre forward, Dominic Moore. Yes, you heard me right Panthers fans, the Cats signed a forward.

Last year was Moore's "breakout year" with the Maple Leafs. At the deadline the Leafs knew he was at high value and decided to ship him out to the Sabres on deadline day. Moore didn't play as well as he did on the Sabres, leading to him not receiving an offer when it came time to resign players.

I think Moore will be a great fit in Sunrise. He is a Peter DeBoer type of player who can play solid two way hockey.

Moore's agent said a couple words about the signing to the Sun Sentinel.

"He's really excited about it," said Moore's agent, Larry Kelly told the Sun Sentinel. "He thinks it's a huge opportunity to play for Peter DeBoer. DeBoer is one of the brighter guys in the game. It's a perfect fit for Dom."

"These guys will be kindred spirits," Kelly told the Sentinel. "They'll be able to communicate extremely well and Pete will be able to assess what Dom does well and utilize him properly."

If anyone has an comments or questions you can send them to FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or post them on SSH's facebook page.

Report: Sexton To Be Named GM

Reports coming from TSN and NHL.com are that Randy Sexton is going to be named the Florida Panthers full time General Manager today before the team takes the ice to play Chicago.

I for one think this is a great move. Sexton proved he knows how to work the free agent market and the draft. He picked up quality players in a short time as GM, as well as locking up the biggest piece of the puzzle, David Booth. Know we will all get a chance to see how Sexton can do in the long run.

Once more information is out there you can expect to see it here. I will be out of the house for the game today. Hope everyone enjoys, and lets go Panthers!

You can contact me at FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or on SSH's facebook page.

Is This The Year....For Nathan Horton?

Oh Nathan Horton, where have you gone? Rather, where has your production gone?

The 2006-2007 season saw Nathan Horton become a thirty goal scorer, and the player everyone pegged him to be when the Cats drafted him in 2003. Sadly, something happened. No one knows what, or why, but Nathans goal production slipped the next two years, leading to his lowest goal total since his rookie season. Horton only put up twenty two goals in the 2008-2009 campaign, a year the Panthers needed offense more then ever after trading away Olli Jokinen.

Horton did suffer an injury that caused him to miss fifteen games, but still, twenty two goals in sixty seven games is a little weak for one of our highest rated players. Nathan was also put back at center most of the season, a position he played when drafted by the Panthers. I don't see how that is a valid excuse for not putting the puck in the net, especially when he played the center position all the way up until NHL draft day.

There really is no excuse for the way Nathan Horton has played the last two seasons. He looks lazy and bored on the ice and does not seem to have that same fire he did three seasons ago. There are some games where that fire makes an appearance, and you can tell, because he goes back to his old style of play. The real question is, how does DeBoer get Horton to use that fire every night? Maybe the reunited line of Booth-Weiss-Horton can provide Nathan with that spark.

Panthers fans want this Nathan back.

The Panthers are going to be counting on Nathan Horton this year, maybe even more then ever before. If the Panthers were to miss the playoffs again one has to imagine that there would be a fire sale that would see some players shipped out for youth and prospects. I also believe Nathan Horton is sitting on top of that pile of players that could be had if the team slips off the grid again.

Let us not think like that though, let us think that we have a team that can finally get over the hump, because I think we do. The only problem is we need solid production from everyone on the team, especially Nathan Horton.

Tomorrow's article will feature starting goalie Tomas Vokoun. If you all have any questions or comments you can contact me at FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or you can post them on our facebook page and I will be sure to respond.

We Are Back In 3..2..1..

Hey there everyone, I hope you all didn't miss me too much. I had some personal things to take care of the past two weeks, namely traveling the state of Florida and picking a college to finish my Business Administrations degree once I get my AA this fall. After all the traveling I decided that I am an Owl. Yours truly will be attending Florida Atlantic University in Boca this January. So if any of my readers out there attend FAU, lets meet up and talk some hockey.

Anyway, back to what this blog is about, hockey! This week is going to be a busy week for yours truly, because I will be doing feature articles starting tomorrow on players who need to be at their best to help the Panthers make the playoff push this year. Lets call it SSH's unique Panthers preview. To be honest, you can only write the same idea for so long before it gets tiring to read.

Before Tuesday roles around I had a poll question for everyone. I am looking to turn SSH into a brand name. Before I can do that however I need to build money up. Blogger.com has the option of putting ads on any site of theirs, so that is one way I could go about raising money. So the question is, would you guys mind seeing some ads on SSH? Just vote on the poll in the upper right, and be honest. If you guys don't want ads, then there will be no ads.

Now I will say this, if I were to put ads on the site, and if they were to generate some money, we could begin having contests and giving away SSH products (shirts, stickers, keychains, mouse pads, etc.). Like I said, I need money to do these things, but if you guys do not want ads then I will find another option.

That will do it for now, as always you can contact me at FloridaFlyer86@hotmail.com or on SSH's Facebook page.