Florida Panthers will miss NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs despite hav...

Where oh where are the Panthers rah-rah's who predicted playoffs for this lowly franchise?

Louie?
Iceman?

....ah!...hiding behind your mommy's skirt. That's where!

This is a garbage no-talent organization put together by incompetent execs - Martin, Sexton, Skidmark. When will you rah-rahs admit that you are being fleeced by these shylocks?

In a League where over half of the teams make the playoffs, you have to try especially hard not to make playoffs at least once every eight to ten years or so!

This team is THE WORST PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE IN NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY. Even the Islanders, Clippers and Lions make the playoffs once every decade or so!

Down with this pathetic and disgraceful organization!

BOYCOTT! this team I say. BOYCOTT!

40 Wins 30 Losses...not too shabby...tough conference this year too...the $$$ they will have by not signing Bouwmiester will allow the panthers to go get 2 or 3 GOOD players...better luck next year

Until this season DeBoer's teams have always made the playoffs. Well, Pete may I extend you an official welcome to South Florida.
Please enjoy all we've come to take for granted these many years!

""First-year coach Pete DeBoer said after morning skate Thursday he didn't consider anything besides making the playoffs as a successful season.
After that possibility was dashed, he let out a long sigh.""
That folks says it all.

The blame of this failure sits on Cohens shoulders.Yormark and Martin do share that blame..
This franchise is run as if the public are ignorant people, that Yormark and Cohen can do what ever they want to the franchise, with no other responsibility, other than a cheap hustle..
Cohen and Yormark aka PT Barnum, have runined the NHL franchise in South Florida..
Finally fans, even the Rah Rahs, as delusional as they are, will see clearly where their focus needs to be..
Sell the franchise Cohen, you have been exposed and you have failed..The players have not failed, they were doomed by selection, and poor management..

Thought I would add a few thoughts to this article:

No blame for Martin for sitting on his hands at the trading deadline when the team was treading water for weeks and it became real clear they were not scoring enough goals???

Booth exceeded expectations in the first half but was pretty quiet goal-wise in the second half although he had a lot of assists.

I don't think Zednik failed to meet expectations. He scored his career average like he pretty much always does. If Martin was counting on more goals from him then 16 to 18 that was pretty dumb.

Horton's production has gone down 3 years in a row now. Waste of salary cap space. Maybe he can be dealt for a cheaper 20 goal 2nd line scorer who actually comes to play every night. This would free up much needed money to be spent on a real scorer.

Team isn't really that far off if they use their money wisely. IMO
they need two 1st line scorers to pair with Booth to create something the Panthers have never had, a real #1 line (and no Pavel Bure and two slappies were not a true 1st line). Allen's return should make up for the coming loss of Boynton but I think they also need another defensive defenseman to help clear the crease and make the Panthers zone less of a cushy place for opposing teams. That's only 3 players plus maybe getting 1 or two more high energy guys for the lower lines. With the money freed up from the impending departures of Bouw, Boynton, McLean etc. and the fact they were under the cap to begin with they have no real excuse to make these kind of moves.

topix blows.

This year was quite a pleasant surprise after everyone had us written off at the start of the year. 40 wins is one of the best Panther performances ever. The team was tough and only a goal or two away from the playoffs. We are far better than last year and Cohen, JM, and DeBoer deserve the credit. I think we'll continue the improvement with our young tough team. GO PANTHERS!

Potvin wrote:

This year was quite a pleasant surprise after everyone had us written off at the start of the year. 40 wins is one of the best Panther performances ever. The team was tough and only a goal or two away from the playoffs. We are far better than last year and Cohen, JM, and DeBoer deserve the credit. I think we'll continue the improvement with our young tough team. GO PANTHERS!

Spoken like a true LOSER.....

Get a good seat Saturday, maybe you'll catch a free t-shirt.....

Even The Los Angeles Clippers want to know how you can go 14 years without winning a playoff series........

Getting more points than the '96 team means NOTHING. The '96 team didn't get points for overtime losses, and didn't get a chance to win tie games in a shootout. And still got 92 points.

What you need to know is the the '96 team finished fourth in their conference (not 9th) and MADE THE PLAYOFFS.

Great year by Pete DeBoer. He is an excellent coach and the Panthers should sign him to a long term contract. We've got a lot of young talent and future years should be better. As a fan, I will hang in there hoping this franchise can turn it around.

As to JM, he really should be out of the organization now. He has the ultimate responsibility for this Panthers team not making the playoffs. Like the President of General Motors, JM should be shown the door. He has had a good career in the NHL and he is certainly a hockey guy, but he needs to go for the good of the organization and to try and keep what is left of the Panthers fan base.
It was a very disappointing end to the season. The Panthers should have made the playoffs, they could have made the playoffs, and I am upset that they did not. But I will be there Saturday in the final game, because I remain a loyal Panthers fan.
GO CATS!

Wounded Panther wrote:

Where oh where are the Panthers rah-rah's who predicted playoffs for this lowly franchise?
Louie?
Iceman?
....ah!...hiding behind your mommy's skirt. That's where!
This is a garbage no-talent organization put together by incompetent execs - Martin, Sexton, Skidmark. When will you rah-rahs admit that you are being fleeced by these shylocks?
In a League where over half of the teams make the playoffs, you have to try especially hard not to make playoffs at least once every eight to ten years or so!
This team is THE WORST PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE IN NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY. Even the Islanders, Clippers and Lions make the playoffs once every decade or so!
Down with this pathetic and disgraceful organization!
BOYCOTT! this team I say. BOYCOTT!

Excuse me, but weren't you the "expert" who called Ballard an "aged defenseman" when he was acquired by the Panthers? You don't know hockey and you likely never will. By the way, Ballard turned out to be a great acquisition for the Cats, as I told you he would be. Now, please, go back to posting about knitting or fan dancing or something you may know something about.
Aged defenseman, hah!

My hats off to the teams that made the playoffs, good luck. The Panthers had a great season and I expect better things next year. This team does have some talent in the young players. Some work out fine and others do not. So lets hope that management makes some wise moves in the off season and gets this team into the playoffs next year.

Wounded Panther wrote:

Where oh where are the Panthers rah-rah's who predicted playoffs for this lowly franchise?
Louie?
Iceman?
....ah!...hiding behind your mommy's skirt. That's where!
This is a garbage no-talent organization put together by incompetent execs - Martin, Sexton, Skidmark. When will you rah-rahs admit that you are being fleeced by these shylocks?
In a League where over half of the teams make the playoffs, you have to try especially hard not to make playoffs at least once every eight to ten years or so!
This team is THE WORST PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE IN NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY. Even the Islanders, Clippers and Lions make the playoffs once every decade or so!
Down with this pathetic and disgraceful organization!
BOYCOTT! this team I say. BOYCOTT!

Nice post..
I hoe the Rah Rahs have a better understanding of the dynamics of this franchise..Some will, others will attack as usual..

Louie wrote:

Great year by Pete DeBoer. He is an excellent coach and the Panthers should sign him to a long term contract. We've got a lot of young talent and future years should be better. As a fan, I will hang in there hoping this franchise can turn it around.
As to JM, he really should be out of the organization now. He has the ultimate responsibility for this Panthers team not making the playoffs. Like the President of General Motors, JM should be shown the door. He has had a good career in the NHL and he is certainly a hockey guy, but he needs to go for the good of the organization and to try and keep what is left of the Panthers fan base.
It was a very disappointing end to the season. The Panthers should have made the playoffs, they could have made the playoffs, and I am upset that they did not. But I will be there Saturday in the final game, because I remain a loyal Panthers fan.
GO CATS!

You remain a loyal Panther fan??
No you are a hopeful, dreamer, of the impossible, under current ownership..
Thats all you have here Louie, a so few rwmaining un realistic fans, but even youi, in time, will focus on what is wrong with the Panther team..It is not the players, it is the selection of players....

YORMARKS OBSERVER wrote:

<quoted text>
You remain a loyal Panther fan??
No you are a hopeful, dreamer, of the impossible, under current ownership..
Thats all you have here Louie, a so few rwmaining un realistic fans, but even youi, in time, will focus on what is wrong with the Panther team..It is not the players, it is the selection of players....

Sorry pal, but I've been a Panthers fan from day one and I'll stay a Panthers fan forever. I know that is hard for someone of your ilk to understand, but maybe some day you'll get it. It is one thing to be a fan and complain and say that changes should be made, JM should go, etc.(which I happen to agree with) and quite another thing to be an obsessed lunatic like you who spam these boards uncontrollably over your personal hatred of Yormark and Cohen and JM. You've shown yourself to be a real lunatic. It's beyond hockey for you, it's personal for you against Cohen, Yormark and JM and that is really weird. Get some help.

Rob wrote:

My hats off to the teams that made the playoffs, good luck. The Panthers had a great season and I expect better things next year. This team does have some talent in the young players. Some work out fine and others do not. So lets hope that management makes some wise moves in the off season and gets this team into the playoffs next year.

You are on the money Rob. Team showed improvement this year and will improve even more next year. DeBoer is a bright spot. So are Frolik, Booth, Ballard, Weiss, Zednick and others. It will be an interesting off-season. Here's to the Cats!

Rob wrote:

My hats off to the teams that made the playoffs, good luck. The Panthers had a great season and I expect better things next year. This team does have some talent in the young players. Some work out fine and others do not. So lets hope that management makes some wise moves in the off season and gets this team into the playoffs next year.

Yes, panthers' management will make "some wise moves in the off season"....

Why are some fans so impatient?

They just won a playoff series in 1996.

Let's give them a little more time to figure it out....

and keep sending those checks to AC.....

Louie,
You know I hold you in the highest regard.
We've had some spirited exchanges, and you don't take it, or make it, personal.

Have a Finals prediction?
I'm going: SJ vs Wash.....

Sad Panther wrote:

40 Wins 30 Losses...not too shabby...tough conference this year too...the $$$ they will have by not signing Bouwmiester will allow the panthers to go get 2 or 3 GOOD players...better luck next year

No, not 40 wins and 30 losses, but 40 wins and 41 losses. An overtime loss is a loss just the same. Only difference is that the league created an extra point for those losses, whereas years ago a tie was a tie. In other words, there's a winner and loser.

As for it being a tough division, how can you say that when Tampa is absolutely terrible, winning only a league worst 24 games, including a putrid 12 home game wins in 41 games (another league low). And then you have Atlanta, which finished only 8 points ahead of Tampa. Also, for much of the season Carolina struggled, turning it around only in the second half after making a coaching change.

Finally, the money they save on Bouwmeester might not go anywhere. It has been widely reported that ownership would not allow Jacques Martin to take back ANY salary in a trade for Bouwmeester, meaning that they don't plan on spending up to the amount that Bouwmeester would have cost them, but rather only to the amount they paid him this season.

92 points sounds nice when you compare apples to oranges - comparing seasons before the insitution of OT (and corresponding OT point) with seasons with that added point. Fact is, an 8th season without a playoff berth is shabby indeed. That is the only measuring stick in pro hockey - making the playoffs.