GDT: Florida Tourism Board | Hurricanes @ Panthers | 7:30 PM

[rocky7]

geez I never thought so much thinking went into the last minute of a game where one team was up 3-0. I think it would just be second nature to try to preserve the shut out for the goalie and try to get the other guy a hat trick in that situation. pretty sure any team would do this and I'm also pretty sure that the Panthers aren't all in a flap about what the Canes did or didn't do there. doesn't seem to be a big deal to me given the game's context. but yeah they sure didn't go about it like they gave a damn.



also didn't really like that Dvorak got mauled there and no Canes player even tried to grab a guy.

 

[Joe McGrath]

It just all kind of speaks to where this team is right now.

Defending a shutout with a minute left. Do we care about preserving that shutout or not?

Muller puts the worst possible set of players on the ice = no
Bellemore ices the puck with 20 seconds left = no
Muller calls a timeout = yes
Nash takes a hard 180' shot at the empty net = no
Nash allows a clean faceoff win with 1.x seconds left = no

If saving the shutout is a big deal, put out decent defenders and forbid them to pull nonsense like multiple icings and long shots on the other net. If it's not a big deal, let these guys suck a bit of wind and learn something about how to close a game.

I know, it's just kvetching about a garbage-time coaching decision in a meaningless win. But the way that last minute played out just says so much about the lack of cohesion between the coaches, forwards, defense and goaltender.

Well that was kind of my original point. When did Muller decide he have a **** about the shutout? Or is the staff clueless about who they are putting on the ice. I brought it up because I think they are clueless based on the couple of games they pissed away with the 3rd and 4th lines on the ice with under 2 minutes left.

 

[rocky7]

those relatively simple things certainly make it look like they are "clueless", which always confounds me because it's not like there's one guy pacing the bench. if they are really that clueless, coming up with an effective power play seems like an impossibility....obviously.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It seems we always like to try and read way too much into everything. IMO, Muller was just going with the flow of the game (re: lines), but when that line was gassed and would be taking a faceoff in their own zone with 20s left, he took a time out to try and preserve the shutout. IMO, it's nothing more and not a big deal.

Trying to use this as an example of the maturity of the team or not being professional is a stretch IMO. If he hadn't called the TO and they get scored upon, there would have been more complaining about that.

As for Florida coach / team using this as material to motivate them the next game...1) the next game isn't even this year. 2) A lot of the players won't be the same and 3) It's likely / possible that 1 or both of the coaches won't even be the same.

Even so, I highly doubt a coach is going to say: "Remember guys, this is the team that called a timeout against us after an icing with 20s left." The coach is much more likely to say: "This is the crappy team that swept us last year including an embarrassing shutout on our own ice where they ran over our goalie. You going let that happen again?"

 

[tarheelhockey]

Well that was kind of my original point. When did Muller decide he have a **** about the shutout? Or is the staff clueless about who they are putting on the ice. I brought it up because I think they are clueless based on the couple of games they pissed away with the 3rd and 4th lines on the ice with under 2 minutes left.

I completely agree.

As far as overthinking, etc. Again, I realize it's kvetching. But there's a lot to be said about a team that looks graceless trying to execute the simplest aspects of a win.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I'd say with how pissed off Anton was about losing the shutout against the Blue Jackets with only seconds left, the team certainly cared about preserving the shutout this time around.

 

[Bub]

I'm arriving late to the party here, but does anyone else have a hard time seeing how the reported attendance of 12,000 is even close to accurate? I doubt they even had half that, based on the crowd shots I saw.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

There's some saying about glass houses that probably applies here.

 

[What the Faulk]

Yeah, that Islanders game back in November is a perfect example. No way was that close to the 11,500 they reported.

I personally don't care, though. Every team reports the same: tickets sold versus people in the seats. They could easily announce the actual number in attendance, since everyone has to pass through turnstiles, but why make things look worse?

 

[tarheelhockey]

While I do agree that there were less than 12,500 there, Florida games are deceptive because the entire lower bowl behind their benches (ie, the part you can see on TV) is one of those VIP-club areas. Kind of like the second tier at PNC. They really encourage you to linger around in the club area instead of sitting in your actual seat.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Seems like making something made out of nothing. Teams try to get shutouts when they are that close to one. Teams try to score goals into empty nets. Nothing out of the ordinary. And if their big show after our timeout was to pull their goalie, big deal. We tried to get the shutout, they put slightly more effort at that point into ending it. Neither would have really mattered that much.