Post-Game Talk: Panthers 4 @ Blackhawks 3 OT - 4/29 * 8pm EST - v 4.1.7

[Gentle Man]

It's true. Not a lot of volume. But he faced hard ass shots

 

[Haj]

Knight had to stand on his head to beat a trash Blackhawk team.

Defensive structure isn't at a playoff level right now.

Yandle can't play. Gudas is cooked. Montour has to be sheltered. Forwards doing a bunch of dumb things.

Lomberg isn't good defensively.

 

[kerrabria]

Yandle can't play.

He doesn't offer anything right now.

Between the PP time, wearing the A, the iron man streak...
If Yandle isn't waiving his NMC, then he better be agreeing to mutual contract termination and headed to ESPN.

 

[Little Bobby Boo]

Knight had to stand on his head to beat a trash Blackhawk team.

Defensive structure isn't at a playoff level right now.

Yandle can't play. Gudas is cooked. Montour has to be sheltered. Forwards doing a bunch of dumb things.

Lomberg isn't good defensively.

Fixed

 

[FinlandPanther]

Heponiemi had an A+ game.
He was active all over the ice with a good stick making high IQ plays.

I'll say it again: I like Denisenko, but he looks overmatched on the top line.
Hepo deserves a look with Barkov and Duclair.

Yeah I don’t think Deni is ready just yet but he made some really nice plays. That tic tac toe play was great.

 

[Gentle Man]

Knight had to stand on his head to beat a trash Blackhawk team.

Defensive structure isn't at a playoff level right now.

Yandle can't play. Gudas is cooked. Montour has to be sheltered. Forwards doing a bunch of dumb things.

Lomberg isn't good defensively.

I think Monty has been fine. He works well with Nuti. Being slightly sheltered is fine.

But having to shelter 2 d pairs cannot happen.

Yandle is currently living on the basement with an absurd amount of offensive zone starts.

Only one of he or Yandle should be in. And the answer to that question is absurdly easy

 

[Gentle Man]

Yeah I don’t think Deni is ready just yet but he made some really nice plays. That tic tac toe play was great.

 

[FinlandPanther]

Yup agree with Q. When he fills out a little more I think we’ll have a player.

 

[violaswallet]

It’s incredible how none of Tallon’s picks could make the jump since Ekblad and now the last three are playing up here and well

 

[Gentle Man]

It’s incredible how none of Tallon’s picks could make the jump since Ekblad and now the last three are playing up here and well

Weegar panned out too

 

[kerrabria]

It’s incredible how none of Tallon’s picks could make the jump since Ekblad and now the last three are playing up here and well

The Panthers' AHL outfits have been a cesspool for years. They've been where talent goes to die.
Huberdeau, Barkov, Ekblad, and Knight and Denisenko avoided it fully.
Heponiemi only wasted the one year with them, and it was by far the worst of his four post-draft seasons across 4 different leagues.

In the past 10 years, Trocheck and Weegar are the only prospects I can think of who spent significant time with our minor league system and survived.

 

[violaswallet]

Weegar panned out too

Sure I meant more drafts after 2014: like we literally had Malgin Monty and Stillman as it this time last year

 

[violaswallet]

Also Weegar has stepped up: I never thought he’d be a guy that we’d trust as 1D but he has been this year.
It’s insane

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Things I took away from tonight's game:

- Knight is ready. He got shelled in OT by Kane and DeBrincat and didn't flinch. I am now significantly less concerned about losing Chris Driedger in free agency, because it appears that we have three quality NHL goalies on the roster right now. Of the two who will remain, one will be grossly overpaid, and the other grossly underpaid, but I feel pretty good about platooning them in 2021. We had absolutely no business winning that OT with a 20 year old rookie in net, and yet... here we are.

If I'm Judge I'm not coming back this year, he's costing himself hundreds of thousands every time he goes in. If Knight plays like this, goaltending will be fine next year.

 

[Boothinator]

Yandle has been terrible. He needs to sit. Have to play best man available. Should just retire

 

[austropanther]

I am not saying he is ready, but he was one of the top undrafted college free agents, don't you think he needs more games to see what he can bring to the team? just give the guy a chance, reminds me of Nutivara, everyone was calling him garbage trade a few weeks ago, and look at him now.

Absolutely agree, we don't have to rush him. Potential is there and in some areas of the game he looks already better than other current or past players as KW pointed out

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

Also Weegar has stepped up: I never thought he’d be a guy that we’d trust as 1D but he has been this year.
It’s insane

He's good, but I think what elevates him is that he's got a genuinely rare passion for the game.

Watch his post-game press appearance following the last game of the Carolina series. If that doesn't sell you on the need to get Weegar locked up long-term, nothing will.

 

[CursedCats]

Pretty amazing that we’ve been debating Bobrovsky vs. Driedger all year, and the ultimate answer THIS YEAR could be Knight lol.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Pretty amazing that we’ve been debating Bobrovsky vs. Driedger all year, and the ultimate answer THIS YEAR could be Knight lol.

 

[Mogo]

Gudas hasn't looked good for awhile.

Has to be banged up. He's missing a lot defensive assingments leaving his man wide open ;(

 

[letsgrowcactus]

He's good, but I think what elevates him is that he's got a genuinely rare passion for the game.

Watch his post-game press appearance following the last game of the Carolina series. If that doesn't sell you on the need to get Weegar locked up long-term, nothing will.

He's had to claw his way into the NHL, being the sixth last guy picked as an overager in his draft+1 year, playing in the ECHL...
Fun fact - we actually traded for the pick (acquired from Montreal for next year's 7th rounder). Worked out pretty good

 

[Mogo]

If we can't dump Yandle on Seatlle, we can hope they take Gudas. He just is not very good at anything other than hitting

He was great first half of the season. Got the puck out of the zone all the time, his skating even impressed me. Must be injured / Yandle effect

 

[Mogo]

Been reading the game thread now. It seems Yandle had a good game? His name came up a lot

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Yandle looks like a nursing patient. plagued by arthritis. I can't wait for the playoffs only to be swept by the Bolts due to the adventures of the Sonkman.

Denisenko and Heponiemi provide much needed creativity for the top6. Q should use Heponiemi instead of Hubs on that 1PP group but we all know that Q doesn't really want to improve that unit. Deni's style of play suits well with how Barkov plays.

Knight had a good game for a rookie but a bad one at this level. That Gaudette goal summarizes well in which areas he would need to improve the most.

Lomberg has created some scoring chances for the three or four games, nice to see that from him.

Montour looks good. He does make some mistakes once in a while but he can get the puck out of the d-zone and can create offense. Zito should give him a three year deal.
Hopefully Zito can get rid off Yandle, Stralman and Gudas in the next off-season.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Spencer Knight 3-0
1.67 gaa
.943 sv%
Just turned 20 about a week ago
Unreal