It was only one game in a lengthy 82-game season, but the Florida Panthers are a top-five NHL team.
But this team’s expectations are tremendous.
This season, the Eastern Conference champions from last year hope to win the Stanley Cup. That’s why the team, led by the head coach, is a little agitated after losing their first game following the All-Star break, at home to Philadelphia on Tuesday night.Paul Maurice knows the standard for his team. That is why, after a lackluster game for the most part against the Flyers, the Panthers coach, while not overreacting, made his feelings known. He’s looking for a better and smarter effort against Washington on Thursday night.The good news for the Panthers is that they have shown an excellent ability to come back after losses and get back to their game. Besides being second in the standings in the Eastern Conference, the Panthers have been one of the better teams in the NHL this season following a loss.
Sergei Bobrovsky enjoyed his second All-Star experience of his career last weekend in Toronto. It was the first time he made it as a Panther. Justin Bieber is a big hockey fan and is Canadian, so it was natural that he was one of the celebrity coaches. The two got to chat a bit on the ice before one of the games, and Bieber designed the All-Star jerseys.
With good reason, there’s a lot of talk about Bobrovsky, Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and this season the red hot Sam Reinhart. But, Carter Verhaeghe continues to shine, flying under the radar somewhat. Verhaeghe hit the 25-goal mark last game after setting a career high last season with 42. He is truly one of the big goal scorers in the league, in the top three and third period goals scored. Verhaeghe is a dog on a bone when going after the puck and has a remarkable ability to quickly tee up pucks to get the maximum on his shots.
The Super Bowl is Sunday, but Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, the Panthers host Colorado in a high-end matchup with some of the league’s best players. Both teams have a legitimate chance to win their conferences and meet for the Stanley Cup. The Panthers won the earlier meeting this season 8-4 in Denver.
