Panthers show little spark in loss

Potivin started his preemptive excuses early last night. He waved the Panther excuse towel in front of a capacity crowd of green plastic seats. This time, the excuse was only having five defensemen after losing Cullimore, who was not good enough to be in the league two months ago. As I have stated in the past, and will continue to say, this team does not have talent to compete night after night. You will see a more glaring example of that during their game coming up against Ottawa. The few fans they have should hold the team's ownership accountable over why they won't spend money on quality players. They are 10 million under the salary cap! Where is that money being spent?

They suck. PERIOD!!! Ownership sucks, the coach sucks, the players suck. They just do not care about anything. Pitiful.

Like we say time and time again. The team is just not good and they have been using the same excuses EVERY SEASOn why they lose games. It is just so old. How in the world do you win 4 games in a row and then play 2 games like that in your own building. This TEAM STINKS and once again the ownership will save the money on stamps as playoff invoices will not have to be mailed again. Here is an idea, lets play the rest of the games at Incredible Ice.

PATHETIC

Agreed, who else is sick of hearing the "we just got outworked" excuse. Teams lacking in talent have to play hard every single night. Not that hard to figure out.
This team needs another guy who can put up close to a point a game and help take the load off Olli. Horton and Weiss are still too inconsistent and Stumpel starts off too slow every year. Once he gets it going more wins will come but they need a guy who can provide that extra offense from game 1 not after they fall too far behind in the playoff race.

You know it's getting bad when Steve Gorten doesn't even write the article. How does the worst team in the league come into our barn tired after playing Carolina on Friday night and roll their second string goaltender to outshoot us 43 to 25??? There's just no excuse for it. I don't care if Cullimore was hurt. Cullimore is not the one who scores goals. If heart and effort was a statistical category in the NHL, this team would be dead last in the league. At this point, I don't even need to rant anymore because the proof is there already. This team sucks.

Well, that's two games OFF in a row.

I always try to be positive but the past two games were just plain horrible... they finally put together some wins and then they come back for two home game and they probably play their worst games of the season... unbelievable... ya the do not have much talent, ya the owner doesn't spent money, but the total lack of effort has to come from within the players... we missing a leader, as much as I like Olli, he is not a leader... and Horton and Weiss r a total bust... Horton is been sleepwalking for a month now... and Weiss is probably still counting the money of his new contract... the only players that always bring some energy are the rookies... Booth and Kreps (Campbell too)

It is only going to get worse for this team next year when they play more games against quality teams in the Northeast and Atlantic Divison, as well as, the Western Conference. They are not going to be able to play the Capitals and the other weak sisters in the Southeast 8 times a year. They better spend some $$$ on talent over the off-season.

Also, did anyone hear David Booth refer to Jokinen as "one of the great players in the league?" He was obviously trying to be funny, or he apparently is being forced to drink the Panther Kool Aid...LOL

Same old 13th place panthers-a few wins-a little hope -then a four game collapse.The talent is not there-Only players that try are Campbell,Olesz,Booth,and Kreps.We have no planned offense and Martin keeps changing lines every game again.Horton is a TOTAL BUST-I watched him last nite-he loses puck and is lackluster.We have no future if these guys are our future,Horton?VanRyan?Weiss?-e ven Bouwmeester is making passing mistakes that led to a goal last nite.Even Vokoun let 2 soft goals in-Whats the use getting upset?I am beginning not to care as is a few other posters on this board.

One Brown Eye wrote:

LOL..........Panthers extinct by 2010......LOL.....Adios

I would move them to the AHL, but this area probably can't even support AHL team. Didn't two ECHL teams go belly up down here? I say keep the comedy show going because other teams like coming down here for a mini vacation while resting their # 1 goalie and picking up an easy win all at the same time.

Cohen- FIRE Martin NOW. He is a complete joke!!!

Why scramble the lines when only Weiss is out? Are you that much of a MORON?

Why take Zednik off Olli's line? Oh, that's right they score and are productive. Heaven forbid we keep that going.

Stumpel is horrible!!

Ville DOES NOT belong on the 1st line!!! He has no chemistry with Olli. He didn't last year and he doesn't this year. They simply share a language. Get a clue Martin, you idiot!!!

Ville does great on the the 3rd line, and he does OK on the 2nd line.

The lines were simple to put together.
Olli, Zed, Olesz - Kreps Horton Booth - Slug Stumpy, Radek and Ville, Stewart Murray and Campbell.

The boys showed little energy, maybe because it was like the 1st day in camp trying to get used to your new linemates. Once again - MARTIN IS AN IDIOT!!!!

Also, the refs were terrible once again. Ovie should have been in the box for the cross check on BA, but instead he scored the winner.

Here's a thought Martin, when the refs miss an obvious knee on knee, an obvious slash to Olli's stick (similar to what he was called for against the B's), and the cross check to BA, then you MUST YELL AT THE REFS, throw sticks on the ice, whatever.

So what if you get a penalty. At least the TEAM and the FANS will know that you care.

Maybe that will spark the TEAM.

It IS obvious that the TEAM has tuned you out pal!!

You are PATHETIC!!!

Mr Schrute wrote:

Agreed, who else is sick of hearing the "we just got outworked" excuse. Teams lacking in talent have to play hard every single night. Not that hard to figure out.
This team needs another guy who can put up close to a point a game and help take the load off Olli. Horton and Weiss are still too inconsistent and Stumpel starts off too slow every year. Once he gets it going more wins will come but they need a guy who can provide that extra offense from game 1 not after they fall too far behind in the playoff race.

They absolutely need to work harder than other teams to win. There is NO SHAME in that fact.

The 96 team worked hard and they didn't have stars. But they cared, and they had enough respect for themselves, their mates, the fans, and the game to do what it takes to be a winner.

It's embarrassing the way our guys are playing at home. I agree with the comments about the lack-luster play, the "oh well we got outplayed" excuses. Come on guys, wake up! Give us some decent hockey here in Sunny South Florida. I am tired of the excuses, just play hockey. I was at the last 2 home games. I was hoping to see a eager and ready team coming home after 4 wins. I was not expecting to see 2 of the worst games they have played all season, especially since I thought I saw those worst games earlier at the 2 other home games I have attended this year!. I must have to stay home to see them win at home too. Go Cat's Go!....my 2 cents, thank you.

Johnny Vermont wrote:

The lines were simple to put together.
Olli, Zed, Olesz - Kreps Horton Booth - Slug Stumpy, Radek and Ville, Stewart Murray and Campbell.

The problem is talent, not so much line combinations. The one guy in that group the fans down here consider a "superstar" is not that good. Look where each of these players are ranked by the Hockey News. If you asked a hockey fan in Los Angles who Olli Jokinen was they could not even tell you. The only real supestar player they have brought in here was Pavel Bure. They have brought a couple former great players like, Sandis Ozolinsh, but that is it. You need REAL talent, bottom line!

Cohen needs to wake up and take the job from Martin. The entire organization has absolutely nothing to do with Hockey. What was once a really nice arena is now a disgusting giant advertisement. The DJ is an idiot and that announcer girl is like nails on a chalkboard.

By the way, icing was NOT brought to you by some jeweler, it was brought to you by the Panther that missed the pass again. The power play was NOT brought to you by some fat Harley guy, it was because a ref finally woke up.

Bring in Hartley and breath some life into a team that has the potential to be hard workers, not stars, but simply young hard working players. They have shown that they can do it, but not on a consistent basis.

Afterall, why should they. They know that they will get the next day or 2 off after a loss. They're more concerned with tee times and restaurant reservations.

You're paid to be hockey player. The season is roughly 8 months long (10 months for the teams that have guts, pride and care), so you should be expected to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to be a winner. If that means 7 day work weeks, then you do it.
The practice is less than an hour and a half, which in 7 days is 10 1/2 hours.

Pull out the BRAVEHEART movie and listen to the speech before the first battle. Boys, you know that one day your career will be over. Do you want to look back on these days and think what you should have done. Or, do you want to look back and know that you did it.

Briere wrote:

<quoted text>The problem is talent, not so much line combinations. The one guy in that group the fans down here consider a "superstar" is not that good. Look where each of these players are ranked by the Hockey News. If you asked a hockey fan in Los Angles who Olli Jokinen was they could not even tell you. The only real supestar player they have brought in here was Pavel Bure. They have brought a couple former great players like, Sandis Ozolinsh, but that is it. You need REAL talent, bottom line!

Agreed that they need talent, and Olli is good but he's no superstar.

Cohen is either cheap or he relied way too heavily on what Martin thinks.

All they had to do was pull in Drury, or Gomez, or Smyth. Instead they handed out cheap contracts to 2nd and 3rd line UFA's.

Martin should be tossed out all together.

Johnny Vermont wrote:

Cohen needs to wake up and take the job from Martin. The entire organization has absolutely nothing to do with Hockey. What was once a really nice arena is now a disgusting giant advertisement. The DJ is an idiot and that announcer girl is like nails on a chalkboard.
By the way, icing was NOT brought to you by some jeweler, it was brought to you by the Panther that missed the pass again. The power play was NOT brought to you by some fat Harley guy, it was because a ref finally woke up.

LOL...yes, this is the only place I know where they make the PA announcer part of the show with a spot light on him as he announces a goal, in an obnoxious way I might add. Also, tell me thier TV and Radio guys are not the most bias and least talented in the business.