official 2014-2015 post-mortem thread

[Gentle Man]

As I laid in bed last night, it got me thinking about the yesteryears of our beloved franchise. First things first, no team has come close to the 96 team for obvious reasons. That team was magic. They captured the hearts and minds of many, many people. That team, for the most part, stayed relevant till the All-Star break of the year after. But from there, for one reason or another, it started going down-hill till the franchise hit rock-bottom and beyond. Hockey Hell is probably better.

....Until 2011 and Dale Tallon and his band of misfits came to our team and over-achieved. They over-achieved just like the 96 team, just not on the same level. Not close. But days after that faithful goal by Henrique passed between Theodore's pads, my outlook for the team returned to the same feelings from the DECADE prior. Why? because that team over-achieved and received many, many breaks. A top-line of Versteeg-Weiss-Fleischmann caught lightning in a bottle and were a hit. Our second-line center of Goc began potting in goals. Wait what? Our second-line center of Goc......

The defensive backbones of Campbell-Garrison clicked. Jovanovoski and rookie Erik Gudbranson were a force....wait Jovanovski? him?

So as I broke it down, how DID that team make the playoffs? Were the lighting went through injuries. Hurricanes did the same. We had the Thrashers just move to Winnipeg, and the Capitals didnt have a goalie till they gave Holtby a shot in the dark. But through it all, we ended up winning the division. A combination of this team over-achieving and our division rivals falling under the right circumstances favoring the Panthers.

And that summer I said, we have these prospects in the system, but man, I doubt this team can achieve the way they did, and for one reason or another, they certainly didn't

Cue up 2014-2015. We did not make the playoffs AGAIN, but why do I feel better about this team moving forward than I did in 2011? For the following reasons:

1. Our Kids not overachieve. Not in my mind. I think they showed progression more than anything. Ekblad has generational talent ceiling, and if we even goes 75% of hitting it Ill be happy with that.
It's not a patchwork of free agents that kept us afloat, but rather the young studs that developed.

2. Jagr. He did the same for Philadelphia and Voracek. He HAS done the same for Barkov and Hubs. He better stay.

3. This team came oh-so-close to a playoff berth against competition that weren't suffering under the same conditions as the 2011 competition.

4. Less positions to fill this time around. This team is just simply better than the 2011 team and that is a fact. With Jagr, the top line is better. Bjugstad is a way better 2nd line center than Goc and so on and so forth. Mitchell in essence, is the new Jovo, and my goodness what a difference. Jovo has had a wonderful career, but he decent to not good during his 2nd stint. Top-to-bottom, 2014-15 was better, and we are in position to add 1, maybe 2 or 3 players but that's it. It really is.

So in closing, the ending to this season was less than storybook. However, I am more than willing to say that this is only chapter 1 for this team. 2011 ended in a playoff berth, but that book ended and was shut the day after Henrique scored that goal.

This ending feels like the season before the Panthers made their Cinderella run and I am excited to see where it goes.

Let's just band together and make the next 6 months fly as fast as possible.

Click to read more...

 

[Ekblast]

Agree.

But I don't think we're going to be adding any new outsiders. Kopy and Uppy and maybe one more will be gone and the kids will fill in (hopefully Grimaldi. I was wishing they sat Kopy and Uppy the rest of the year and brought up Rocco and give him a shot).

If we can re sign Jagr then I think that is all. We are set. Out with those few vets and bring up a few more kids to play.

As much as I would love to have Kessel (for pure scoring) I don't think Tallon will overpay and give Toronto what they want.

So yeah, I don't see us doing much this offseason.

 

[Haj]

Great Post. I'll add my thoughts later on.

Still too raw from the last two games.

 

[pb1300]

Agree.

But I don't think we're going to be adding any new outsiders. Kopy and Uppy and maybe one more will be gone and the kids will fill in (hopefully Grimaldi. I was wishing they sat Kopy and Uppy the rest of the year and brought up Rocco and give him a shot).

If we can re sign Jagr then I think that is all. We are set. Out with those few vets and bring up a few more kids to play.

As much as I would love to have Kessel (for pure scoring) I don't think Tallon will overpay and give Toronto what they want.

So yeah, I don't see us doing much this offseason.

Tallon is going to add someone. Jagr will be re-signed, and Tallon will look to add another top six scoring winger. He is going to feel the pressure from management to win, and Id bet good money that he does something at the draft.

 

[I am not exposed]

Tallon is going to add someone. Jagr will be re-signed, and Tallon will look to add another top six scoring winger. He is going to feel the pressure from management to win, and Id bet good money that he does something at the draft.

I think it will be Sharp. I think Kessel will just cost too much.

 

[adam graves]

Tallon is going to add someone. Jagr will be re-signed, and Tallon will look to add another top six scoring winger. He is going to feel the pressure from management to win, and Id bet good money that he does something at the draft.

Bingo Bango.

 

[Tranq]

Disagree. This team is not better than 11-12. We have more inexperienced youth in this team and it shows with penalties and mistakes. Vets like samuelsson, goc, smithson, and madden were solid. Kopecky and Bergy were good that year. And our defense was generally solid. Our top players Weiss, Flash, Versteeg, and Campell had 50+ points. Only Huberdeau has 50 this year.

 

[spacemanatee]

I think it will be Sharp. I think Kessel will just cost too much.

i think so too

 

[Gentle Man]

Disagree. This team is not better than 11-12. We have more inexperienced youth in this team and it shows with penalties and mistakes. Vets like samuelsson, goc, smithson, and madden were solid. Kopecky and Bergy were good that year. And our defense was generally solid. Our top players Weiss, Flash, Versteeg, and Campell had 50+ points. Only Huberdeau has 50 this year.

To me, that team had more top-end scoring while this year had more balance.

Just from a team standpoint

2011.

GF= 203
GA- 227 for a minus 24 year total

This year 80 games in

GF 199
GA- 219 - 20

We will see what these last two games bring, but it's safe to say they packed it in the last two games so if you remove those 8 GAs and 1 GF, it is 198 GF and 211 GA. But for argument's sake we don't have to remove those

Offensive output is about the same.

but as I said, that team overachieved.

And if you break it down, 2011 and 2015 almost had the same record (just 2 more wins and 3 more Loser points).

But the collective plus minuses from each individual player is really startling. 2011 had a total of -107. This year was only -32.

Defense this year has been more solid by far. Probably more so cause Luongo > Theodore

 

[pb1300]

Disagree. This team is not better than 11-12. We have more inexperienced youth in this team and it shows with penalties and mistakes. Vets like samuelsson, goc, smithson, and madden were solid. Kopecky and Bergy were good that year. And our defense was generally solid. Our top players Weiss, Flash, Versteeg, and Campell had 50+ points. Only Huberdeau has 50 this year.

This team might not have put up the points like some did in 11-12, but this group has more talent, by far. 11-12 was a fluke year for us, this season was right where we were suppose to be, which is right there until the end.

 

[GrumpyKelly]

In 11-12 bunch of guys had career years and the whole team just caught lightning in a bottle. Many players just peaked at the same time. Just look at some of those guys right now wherever they play.

The talent level right now isn't even comparable to that 11-12 team. Maybe some of that talent hasn't fully (hopefully) realized yet but still there is no reason to believe this team has peaked or would suddenly regress. On the contrary.

 

[KW]

Great writeup. Agree with the general impression.

I think we are 2 players and a relatively low injury season away from playoffs. The two players would be one offensive stud and one from the minors. They could be Kessel and Howden (plus Grimaldi as added bonus). Or they could be Sharp and more solid Trochek plus one of the other two I mentioned.

Defense is fine. The top 3-4 are very good to great in this league. Guds gets all kind of flak here but I'm ok with him overall. And I'm very happy with Petro because I think he overachieved. Kampfer is a great skater with an offensive spark like Krug in Boston.

So it's only offense; Jagr re-signed, one on second line, one on third or fourth. I'll take more if Tallon can swing it but I think that would do it.

 

[Android 16]

Tallon is going to add someone. Jagr will be re-signed, and Tallon will look to add another top six scoring winger. He is going to feel the pressure from management to win, and Id bet good money that he does something at the draft.

I feel like there's no way he can afford not to. He already did some boneheaded things with Mr. Viola's money. Some good things as well. But, next year, results are not wanted. They are expected. Simple as that.

 

[batting1k]

Disagree. This team is not better than 11-12. We have more inexperienced youth in this team and it shows with penalties and mistakes. Vets like samuelsson, goc, smithson, and madden were solid. Kopecky and Bergy were good that year. And our defense was generally solid. Our top players Weiss, Flash, Versteeg, and Campell had 50+ points. Only Huberdeau has 50 this year.

That was a fluke season. Every vet we brought in had a career year and reached totals they never had before. Then they came back down to earth and we finished last and 2nd to last the following 2 years, and they continued their subpar performance into this year until they were traded. Yeah they may have had good years, but they were playing better than they really were. We didn't overachieve this year. Guys performed pretty much as expected. I don't think you can point out one guy on this team that over achieved (maybe Ekblad because it's his rookie yr, but still).

 

[FlaPnthrsPunk]

I think the difference is in 11-12, everything clicked enough to get us into the dance in a relatively easy Southeast Division. Especially the Flash-Weiss-Steeger line as each one of them hit 53+ points. Now that I'm looking back, I can't believe Campbell hit 53 points and Kopecky had 32. Garrison's big bomb was huge during the first half of the season. On paper, I'm not even sure if we were supposed to be a bubble team. As far as prospects, Gudbranson and Kulikov were the only ones playing at the time with the big club.

Now, we're a team full of young talent on offense and defense which provides so much more hope for the future as they develop. Guys like Matheson, Grimaldi, Howden, etc are all on the horizon as well. The team finished exactly where I hoped as I didn't expect playoffs this season. From here, I believe they can only go up with the right veterans in the lineup. I think Kopecky and Upshall's spots are pretty important to replace if Tallon can swing a deal.

It's quite the difference between three years ago and now. Imagine what this team will be like in another three years. I know we all wanted to make the playoffs this season, but three years ago doesn't seem like an eternity ago. Very good things could happen sooner than some may think if we stay on the right path. I know it's hard to believe until we get proven results, but I believe it's close.

 

[Erased]

When talking about the 11-12 team no one has mentioned that almost half of those players did not return for 12-13. Versteeg spent most of that season on IR and Weiss stupidly decided to wait until halfway through the season to get the surgery to fix his wrist instead of doing it immediately and having the entire off season and lockout to heal. That left Fleischmann as the only healthy player from that top line. Garrison jumped ship as soon as he saw the chance. Bergenheim Jovo and Theodore also between most and all of the season due to injury. Samuelsson went to Detroit and Madden and Sturm both retired.

And that is the difference between the 11-12 Panthers and the 14-15 Panthers. Whereas the 11-12 team was not built to last the current team is made up largely of young players, many of which are still on Elcs. Almost the entire core of the 11-12 team was gone or injured by the start of the next season with only Campbell left now, while the current core can stay together and be improved upon in the future.

 

[PanthersHockey1]

I think the difference is in 11-12, everything clicked enough to get us into the dance in a relatively easy Southeast Division. Especially the Flash-Weiss-Steeger line as each one of them hit 53+ points. Now that I'm looking back, I can't believe Campbell hit 53 points and Kopecky had 32. Garrison's big bomb was huge during the first half of the season. On paper, I'm not even sure if we were supposed to be a bubble team. As far as prospects, Gudbranson and Kulikov were the only ones playing at the time with the big club.

Now, we're a team full of young talent on offense and defense which provides so much more hope for the future as they develop. Guys like Matheson, Grimaldi, Howden, etc are all on the horizon as well. The team finished exactly where I hoped as I didn't expect playoffs this season. From here, I believe they can only go up with the right veterans in the lineup. I think Kopecky and Upshall's spots are pretty important to replace if Tallon can swing a deal.

It's quite the difference between three years ago and now. Imagine what this team will be like in another three years. I know we all wanted to make the playoffs this season, but three years ago doesn't seem like an eternity ago. Very good things could happen sooner than some may think if we stay on the right path. I know it's hard to believe until we get proven results, but I believe it's close.

I really wish we could have a presence like that on the blue line going forward. Other than ekblad no one is a threat to score back there.

 

[GoRatsGo]

I really wish we could have a presence like that on the blue line going forward. Other than ekblad no one is a threat to score back there.

Was watching the 2013-14 highlights for Patrick Sharp. Dude can RIP IT from the point on the PP. Really hope we acquire him in the summer.

 

[FlaPnthrsPunk]

I really wish we could have a presence like that on the blue line going forward. Other than ekblad no one is a threat to score back there.

I like Gudbranson's shot, but it's so inaccurate. That is definitely an element that we would benefit hugely from and are missing. I remember a few years ago that we had much of our scoring from defense. Part of that could have been because of Campbell.

 

[jagrgodr]

Kind of crazy how there are 16 teams in the east and 14 in the west. Seems very unfair to me.. and if you remove detroit you guys would have had a much higher chance at the playoffs. I really can't believe that the NHL thought it was a good idea to have one conference have 14 teams vs 16.. doesn't seem right.

 

[pb1300]

Kind of crazy how there are 16 teams in the east and 14 in the west. Seems very unfair to me.. and if you remove detroit you guys would have had a much higher chance at the playoffs. I really can't believe that the NHL thought it was a good idea to have one conference have 14 teams vs 16.. doesn't seem right.

Vegas and Seattle. There is your even league.

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

Vegas and Seattle. There is your even league.

While we're at it can we give Quebec a team too so the elitist NHL fans can leave us alone?

 

[Gentle Man]

While we're at it can we give Quebec a team too so the elitist NHL fans can leave us alone?

Well since you brought it up

Why does Quebec feel like they deserve a team?

When was the last time Quebec developed notable NHL talent whether by Juniors, minors, or whatever. Not BORN there, but players that DEVELOPED there? I believe not since Patrick Roy and maybe another?

And they already lost a team even though many players are born there so....tough noogies

 

[JP Mick]

While we're at it can we give Quebec a team too so the elitist NHL fans can leave us alone?

 

[Gentle Man]

I love how hard the team is taking not making the playoffs. Heart break has a tendency to catapult teams to the next level. These guys are ready.