Post-Game Talk: Well Florida's been here before. Bruins go up 1-0 as Ekblad goes full Weegar

[Chessarmy]

We will be fine

 

[FrolikFan67]

Actually Forsling was to blame partially for one of the goals. I know we all love Forsling, but even he makes errors. Everyone does.

I’ll go back and watch the highlights. I didn’t catch it in the moment at the game, Ekblad’s play was standing out more. Sucks either way, hopefully game 2 is different

 

[I am not exposed]

What a psychotic title. Weegar never had a single game even 1/5 as bad as that in his career. Ekblad is not an nhl player and not benching him now means maurice is forfeiting. Its completely unforgivable. Pick any 4th line grinder and id slot them next to forsling over him. This might be the worst performance by any d man in a playoff game ive ever seen. Not hyperbole.

Yeah Weegar is a really good player. Way too much criticism against him around these parts. Losing him hurt more than losing Huberdeau.

 

[iam76]

the suckage is depressing.. hopefully wednesday night is happier.

 

[batting1k]

We’ve now lost 2 of our last 3 games

 

[iam76]

We’ve now lost 2 of our last 3 games

lose one win one.....

 

[KW]

If we had played like we mostly played Tampa, and Bruins had played like they mostly played Toronto, we would have won, but it was pretty much the opposite.

Bruins played us exactly the way someone should play us, draw us into pressing, counter opportunistically and protect the own goal. Hope Maurice and team figure it out and have a counter plan.

In any case, can’t worry about the other team too much, plan for them, but then execute our own game and I dare say we’ll come out the winner of the series. It wasn’t going to be a sweep in our favor, and frankly sweeps are only good in the final (unless you’re truly beat up like we were).

 

[PatchesOhoulihan]

Need Bennett back badly

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

Oof

 

[Idiot Stick]

Really hate when we play just ass hockey and beat ourselves

Game 1 last year vs these guys gave me hope even though we lost. I dont feel it now, maybe cause weve lost 5 straight vs boston now and our powerplay has gone to 2022 numbers.

Were a better team vs a weaker team and lose 5–1, epic collapse. Sure its game 1 but jesus, rust cant kill you that much and the fact boston looked better as the game went on vs us wasnt good.

For a supposedly defensively sound team we sure as hell werent, Bob is literally our ride and die guy, and he didnt even play badly this game

Oof

Crap

Hope hes not fighting through some injury

Damn, when kuli is your best defender were smoked

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

@StrangeVision had a point, we need to have a game where Bob doesn't have to stand on his head to win. The only times that's happened since 2022 vs the Caps are game 2 and 6 vs Boston last year (and he wasn't even in net for game 2 lol). Like if he isn't elite the Panthers have no chance. He was bad game 4 vs Tampa and perfectly fine tonight and they couldn't help him out, imagine if they had Georgiev in net lol.

 

[Panthers Propaganda]

That was rough.

Boston has our number hard, always have. I’m hoping for a good response on Wednesday cause this was unacceptable

 

[Gentle Man]

Including his size 46 Inch waist Paul?

 

[ShootIt]

Just seemed like after the first goal the team went back to sloppy defensive zone play.

Bad clears, bad passes, Ekbarf, and it's not like they we're in their zone forever. Just not a playoff sharp mindset.

The powerplay is bad and Boston knows where are doing. Had some calls. Zero ability to score on one.

 

[batting1k]

Really hate when we play just ass hockey and beat ourselves

Game 1 last year vs these guys gave me hope even though we lost. I dont feel it now, maybe cause weve lost 5 straight vs boston now and our powerplay has gone to 2022 numbers.

Were a better team vs a weaker team and lose 5–1, epic collapse. Sure its game 1 but jesus, rust cant kill you that much and the fact boston looked better as the game went on vs us wasnt good.

For a supposedly defensively sound team we sure as hell werent, Bob is literally our ride and die guy, and he didnt even play badly this game


Crap

Hope hes not fighting through some injury

Damn, when kuli is your best defender were smoked

I thought Forsling was decent, made a bunch of his usual elite stick plays. I think most of the problem was his partner.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I dont really buy those charts, Gus wasnt worse than Ek. Except I do buy that Kulikov was elite, no questions asked.

 

[iam76]

1. the inability to clear pucks was the main issue..
2. the stacked first line isn't helping.. third line was not good. Spread the lines and grind it out.
3. Guys kept falling down.. was it ice.. was it boston.. wtf..
4. get bodies in front of net..
5. someone get that golfer to make fun of ekblad again...

 

[scholl]

We will be fine

Breaks between rounds don't do any good. Few days golf result in sloppy hockey. Boston had to grind and they were ready to do it again.

 

[scholl]

Wow fans leaving the arena with 3 mins to go.. how about supporting your team to the end?

How about earning the support.

 

[MarginNotes]

Watched the first period and some. 0-0 when I left and spoiled the result by mistake. What happened? Any reason to worry more than usual?

 

[Gentle Man]

I do think Paul made his first major coaching blunder in the playoffs tonight.

When we were playing at our best and scouts and GMs heralded us as the best team in the NHL, it was because of the depth of the lines and not being top heavy.

He had 3 of our 4 best players on one line and it allowed them to key in on us.

Yes lundell line had some good opening period shifts, but the lines were way too top heavy in my opinion. We need to be able to roll lines and not have liability lines.

The 4th line is the 4th line, if it scores cool. Just don't get scored on and try to carry/build momentum.

Didn't like the 3rd line all night.

The mistake is thinking our bottom lines were good enough because they were good against Tampa

Newsflash. Tampa doesn't have depth and hasn't had it all year. It was their #1 achilles heel. It's no surprise our bottom lines succeeded against Tampa. They won't against Boston.

I was so surprised seeing these were the lines they practiced with. It's fine in a close out game and you have the lead...I GUESS, but these lines aren't it. We destroyed our own depth.

The lines to me scream desperation down 3-1 mode not game 1 mode.

Not once last year did we run Verhaeghe Barkov Tkachuk in the playoffs. I get the Bennett injury, but it still didn't happen.

Go back to depth lines. If you really want Luostar Lundell and Reinhart and Benny can't go.. then figure something else out.

Erod Barkov Tank
Verhaeghe Stendlund Tkachuk
Luostarinen Lundell Reinhart
Lomberg Lorentz Gadjovich/Cousins

Gadjo in my opinion

 

[austropanther]

Looked like a game of men against boys. Experienced guys just hanging back and let the kids come runni.ng

I guess the other fans can stop claiming that we get all the calls. Assface MacAvoy should have been ejected from the game for the two-handed sword chop on OEL's lower back, that was intent to injure, plus the high stick on Lundell prior to the 4-1 goal.

When Kuli is your best Dman and Luostarinen your best forward, you are in trouble. Ekblad was absolute shit. Forsling not as bad, bun both not looking like a first D pair.

We need Bennett back. With him, this could be a cakewalk. And I absolutely agree with @Gentle Man , those forward line combinations were awful, don't know why PoMo changed from last game. Our biggest strength has always been spreading out our scoring ability

 

[IdleTraveller]

Watched the highlights and, well... Just on the highlights alone, it looked like Swaymen was incredible and we were uncharacteristically sloppy.

I'm hoping that this is just a rusty game after a long break and the team believing their own hype; and that they wake the F up and get back into game shape for Wednesday. I feel like we play better with more pressure and more to prove anyway, rather than as obvious favourites.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Looked like a game of men against boys. Experienced guys just hanging back and let the kids come runni.ng

I guess the other fans can stop claiming that we get all the calls. Assface MacAvoy should have been ejected from the game for the two-handed sword chop on OEL's lower back, that was intent to injure, plus the high stick on Lundell prior to the 4-1 goal.

When Kuli is your best Dman and Luostarinen your best forward, you are in trouble. Ekblad was absolute shit. Forsling not as bad, bun both not looking like a first D pair.

We need Bennett back. With him, this could be a cakewalk. And I absolutely agree with @Gentle Man , those forward line combinations were awful, don't know why PoMo changed from last game. Our biggest strength has always been spreading out our scoring ability

Like I said prior to the game, the Panthers should focus on hammering McA. I don't mind taking a few bad penalties as long as McA feels the effects of those. Pasta and Marchand are easy to contain when their center depth is putrid.

I'd reckon that Ekblad will improve for the next game but I'll be nauseous if ppl start to hail that he's back to being elite after an all-time worst performance by a Panther dman. He sucks and hopefully Zito can get Forsling a proper defense partner for the next season.

I don't think that the Panthers were all that engage right off the puck drop. They'll be better for the next game since they have the advantage in every category maybe besides goat lending.

 

[pantherbot]

The good thing is, it didn't feel like Boston was a powerhouse. It felt more like we beat ourselves with a bunch of mistakes and not getting enough bodies to the net. Credit to then for capitalizing on their chances, but they shouldn't have had them in the first place.

Like we all said going in, we can beat them if we play our game. If we don't, they're good enough to make this tough.

Also agree on the lines. That 3rd line was bad.