The Florida Panthers’ Losing Streak

The Panthers have been elite all year, so it’s interesting to see them on a three-game slide. It really isn’t cause for concern, because given the Panthers’ points percentage, they are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. But, these games are highlighting the issues that the Cats have. During these three games, the Panthers have been outscored by opponents 16-10. The Panthers gave up an average of 5.3 goals during their streak which is cause for concern.

The Panthers goaltending, led by Sergei Bobrovsky, has been much improved this season compared to last year, when he posted a 30-19-8 record with a .906% and 2.91GAA. Those rough numbers have improved and the Panthers have won more games because of getting solid goaltending. Despite Bobrovsky’s better season, the Panthers are giving up an average of 3.03 goals per game, the second-worst of any playoff team.  

The Panthers need to buckle down defensively and cannot expect the goaltending to be this good. Bobrovsky has a GSAA (goals saved above average) of 7, meaning he has saved 7 goals that the average goalie in the league would’ve let in this year. The Panthers’ offense is potent, but for them to continue winning at this elite clique, they need to allow fewer quality chances to steal games when their goaltending isn’t as good. Offenses can be hot or cold, but a solid and strong defense never falters

Canadiens’ 5 Game Winning Streak

A 5 game winning streak isn’t necessarily newsworthy. But, it’s a big deal when a team only has 13 wins all season. The Habs finally made the change behind the bench by firing head coach Dominique Ducharme, who led them to an 8-33-7 record this season. Ducharme led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals last season as an interim head coach. Because of his miracle run, he got hired full-time, but the season took a turn for the worst. The Canadiens overhauled everything, including their general manager, to try and build better for the future.

The Canadiens hired former All-Star Martin St. Louis as their new head coach, which so far has paid off nicely. Usually, when a team hires a new coach or general manager, the team will perform better for a short while. But, a 5 game winning streak for a team this bad?! That’s unprecedented.

It’s tough to say if the team is benefiting from St. Louis’ coaching or St.Louis is benefiting from the team’s good play. Whatever the case may be, rookie Cole Caufield has heated up recently after showing promise in the playoffs last year. Caufield has scored 7 points in his last 5 games and has notched 7 goals on the year. His improved play is a far cry from the beginning of the season where he didn’t score his first goal for ten games.

Preds and Bolts Meet Outside

Other than the Winter Classic, which happens every January 1st, this is the only outdoor game of the year. The Predators and Lightning met outside at Nissan Stadium in a big spectacle and a big game. The Predators were coming off a huge game where they retired legendary goalie Pekka Rinne’s number. The Bolts have been on a heater, winning 4 of their last 5 games before the stadium game. This game proved to be a great investment for the league after the success of last year’s Lake Tahoe games.

The scoring was opened by Tanner Jeannot of the Predators at the 8:20 mark in the first.  The Lightning answered back on the power play when Brayden Point batted one out of midair for his 20th of the year, assisted by Stamkos and Kucherov. Stamkos, Point, and Kucherov would combine for 6 points on the night, 3 of them from Stamkos (goal and 2 assists), which was ultimately enough to beat the Predators 3-2.  

The game was filled with great moments on and off the ice. Great commentary, great goals, and even a fight between Pat Maroon and Michael McCarron. Between periods, there were on-ice performances by country music stars to fit the vibe of Nashville. Overall, the game was considered a smashing success

GOTTA SEE: Brayden Point Bats the Puck Out of Midair to Tie the Game

The 17 Goal Game

Yes, you read that right. A 17 goal game! On February 26th, the Leafs and Red Wings combined for 17 goals in a 10-7 win for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto winger Mitchell Marner scored a career-best 6 points in the game. On the Detroit side, defenseman Filip Hronek recorded 4 points in the game (1 goal and 3 assists).

Both teams ended up pulling their goalies at some point in the game. The goalie stats are hard to look at for this game. Jack Campbell, who fared the best of all the goalies in this game, left after giving up 5 goals on 25 shots. This game was the highest-scoring NHL game of the 21st century.