GDT: LOLCanes @ LOLCats

[Gr8Dan]

Ellis saved the Canes butts

 

[Novacane]

Very happy about this one. Could have folded like Florida yesterday, but we didn't. Not the greatest game, but also could have easily gotten out of hand given the goalie situation.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Way to hang on.

Hopefully Ward's just a little sore and will only miss a game or two!

 

[HisIceness]

Ellis came up huge. Not bad for a guy that was supposedly ill today.

 

[sticknpuck]

Justin Faulk is such a smart and talented player. He's easily one of my favorites.

 

[w e l o s t b o y s]

So how did the first two periods go?

 

[Novacane]

So how did the first two periods go?

A little sloppy outside of the goalie play. Also not helpful that Ward went down.

 

[Unsustainable]

Good win in the SouthBeast for the Canes

 

[caniac247]

Gutsy win. Ellis did a great job coming in and not being 100%.

Hopefully Cam's injury isn't too serious, but it did not look good. I'm fine if Ellis needs to play 4-5 games straight, but we need Cam and Ellis to get us the division. Not going to be comfortable if we need Peters on long term.

Proud of these guys for battling through and gutting out a win.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Megatron? No Tripp. Don't do it.

Next broadcast, he's gonna come back with the Russian translation of "megaton" and set US-Russian relations back 50 years.

--hank

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Gotta hope all our injured players return. Ellis is alright, but long term who knows? Wallace just looked out of place with Jordan and Skinner, and the team could always use more Pitkanen.

 

[Unsustainable]

As much **** as trip gets, at least the man is trying his best to make Semin feel welcomed here.

 

[w e l o s t b o y s]

I know it's just a stat but it's too bad Semin didn't get off on that line change for the second goal against. He would have the league's best +/- with +16, now he has to settle for tied in first

 

[PaulProteus]

Please don't be a groin, please don't be a groin, please don't be a groin...

 

[What the Faulk]

I know it's just a stat but it's too bad Semin didn't get off on that line change for the second goal against. He would have the league's best +/- with +16, now he has to settle for tied in first

I'll live.

www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20132ALLSASAll&sort=plusMinus&viewName=summary

 

[bb99]

^must be photoshop.

 

[MD]

God it must suck to be a Florida Panthers fan.

 

[rocky7]

Ward apparently left the dressing room walking without crutches.

 

[dh2824]

God it must suck to be a Florida Panthers fan.

Great future ahead of us. Yep totally sucks.

 

[SeaBasstian]

Ward apparently left the dressing room walking without crutches.

that is awesome news

 

[SeaBasstian]

Great future ahead of us. Yep totally sucks.

if no one is in the arena to watch the great future.....do the wins count?

 

[nobuddy]

Great future ahead of us. Yep totally sucks.

Is it though? Your prospect pool is very nice, don't get me wrong, but when I look at it I see a bunch of nice support players without a real couple high end guys to build around. Maybe Huberdeau but that's it.

 

[DaveG]

Is it though? Your prospect pool is very nice, don't get me wrong, but when I look at it I see a bunch of nice support players without a real couple high end guys to build around. Maybe Huberdeau but that's it.

Huberdeau, Gudbranson, and Markstrom are all 3 very legit prospects. And no telling how good Bjugstad and Grimaldi could be just yet.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Is it though? Your prospect pool is very nice, don't get me wrong, but when I look at it I see a bunch of nice support players without a real couple high end guys to build around. Maybe Huberdeau but that's it.

Yeah sort of what I was thinking. No one's as high on Markstrom as they were a couple of years ago, Gudbranson looks like a solid but not top 5-caliber player, you're losing Weiss next year (not that he's done anything THIS year), and although a very good defenseman Kulikov hasn't become the dominating guy everyone thought he would. Aside from Huberdeau and Bjugstad, if you're actually banking your future on the development on guys like Shore and Mueller you're not in any better shape than anyone else.

Maybe ALL of these guys turn out to all reach their potential, and that would certainly be something to be excited about, but is that really going to happen? When was the last time a top-end Florida prospect reached his full potential? Horton is an OK player but certainly didn't, Frolik needed a change of scenery and even then isn't the player he was drafted to be, Gudbranson is obviously still growing and developing but as of yet hasn't shown that he'll be dominant. And even if ONE of them does well and reaches it (looks to be Huberdeau) you need a LOT more than just one guy.

Luckily it looks like Mackinnon, Jones, and Drouin are all going to be dominant players no matter how well or poorly they're developed, so at least there's that if the season doesn't end as planned...

EDIT: I don't mean to crap all over the franchise, I definitely think there are plenty of prospects and young players to be excited about. But a LOT has to go right for the Panthers to have a "great future," and history suggests that it's gonna take some work.

 

[dh2824]

if no one is in the arena to watch the great future.....do the wins count?

There are people who attend. But thanks to "Club Red" the middle of the rink on the camera side will be open. Just that area is empty the rest of the house filled in.