Why did Florida come up short in 2023?

[Sticksandsun]

They beat 3 teams you could argue were better than Vegas but the Finals were not very close. Thoughts?

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[Ghoste]

Injuries definitely took a toll in the Vegas series. I think we’d definitely have a better series if we were healthier. And that crap the refs pulled practically kicking Chucky out of Game 2 was a joke and didn’t help either. Not saying we would have won but it definitely didn’t help.

And to be honest, a lot of things went right in the three series prior. It wasn’t like we were a juggernaut against those teams.

 

[violaswallet]

(1) One of longest times off in NHL history led Bob to fall to earth
(2) Injuries on a not deep team: Montour, Luostarinen and Tkachuk all were severely injured
+ I still believe Tkachuk would have forced game 4 to OT if his Sternum wasn't broken
(3) Vegas is a very good hard team. They bullied us. They deserved to win

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

1. I hate using injuries as an excuse but with Ekblad playing dead, Lustar out, Chucky getting hurt after game 3 (it was only 2-1 at that point) it didn't help. And yeah, FLorida almost game back game four, who knows how it goes if he's healthy

2. Bob only being very good and not insane. Florida wins game 1 if it's Toronto/Carolina Bob. That's not to blame him though.

3. Not adjusting to the refs. The calls in game 1 were BS, but Florida lacked discipline and wasn't bailed out by Bob on their shit PK. That's my biggest knock, they did nothing to adjust. I think Zito realizes it might not happen which is why he brought in so many good PK guys because Florida will be shorthanded a lot. 95% of Florida took all playoffs were braindead obvious.

4. Play style. While Bob was so good vs Carolina and Toronto, a lot of their chances were unscreened shots from distance. Florida's defensive style of just flipping the puck to centre worked to perfection the first 3 rounds. Vegas crashed hard and pressured the Panthers into turnovers, screened Bob (watch their game 1 goals, Bob was screened on almost all of them) and used their speed to blow by Florida's players on the rush.


I don't really believe the time off affected them, Colorado was off 1 less day than Florida last year and dispatched Tampa pretty easily. The above I think covers it. Also, I'm not a Leafs fan, I don't make excuses, Vegas was obviously really good and the better team. I wasn't even mad, just sad because you never know when or if you'll ever get back. But it wasn't a choke, better team won. I also don't agree Toronto and Carolina were better than Vegas, Toronto are mental midgets and Carolina was killed by injury. Boston was the better team but inexplicably started their hurt goalie.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

10 days off in between the conference finals and the cup finals.

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

Losing three of three on the road didn’t help us but like others have said we cooled off from a long break and the injuries had taken their toll.

Our team needed to find a way to keep their composure on the road in Vegas but the adversity had become too much to handle.

I have no regrets. They did everything they could. Most of the time it doesn’t work out. You rest up, tweak some things, and do it all over again in October.

 

[PanthersHockey1]

There were a couple of point blank chances early in game 1 that we did not convert. If we were able to finish those chances and win game 1 I’m confident that would’ve given us the mojo and belief to have made it a 7 game series if not win it all.

 

[ShootIt]

Florida played physical and I think that took a toll on them too. Vegas was one of the few teams that could match/exceed what Florida could dish out. Their 4th line could agitate which ever line we had out. Took away the advantage of the Cousins-Bennett-Chucky line for example.

And while no team is "healthy" in May/June, the lack of depth and mounting injuries eventually caught up to the Panthers. Montour, Ekblad, Luostar, Chucky, etc all got injured at certain points and while they tried to play through it after a while it catches up.

Bob also went God-mode vs the East and then cooled down. Don't think he was terrible, relative to some of the blowouts, but definitely some luck ran out.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Surprised at the people saying a break was the reason. Like originally I thought the break would help because Lu but obviously (despite what we were told) he wasn't coming back but I don't see how at that point a break wouldn't help. Like would it have been better Vegas won in 5 so the serious wasn't pushed back? I think Vegas playing more games should have helped Florida

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

Surprised at the people saying a break was the reason. Like originally I thought the break would help because Lu but obviously (despite what we were told) he wasn't coming back but I don't see how at that point a break wouldn't help. Like would it have been better Vegas won in 5 so the serious wasn't pushed back? I think Vegas playing more games should have helped Florida

You can thank Benn and Suter for that.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

You can thank Benn and Suter for that.

Sorry what i meant was when Vegas was up 3-0 Dallas won a couple which pushed the Finals back 4 days. Would people have rather had Vegas sweep so the series was May 29th? I think Dallas prolonging it should have helped. Suter did cost them a game though lol. They went 2-0 with Benn out and 0-4 with him playing so I think we can blame him not getting suspended longer Although Dallas is very good and my Cup pick for this year so maybe playing them wouldn't have changed anything? Hell of a run though.

 

[CHGoalie27]

injuries and refs

 

[FinlandPanther]

Vegas was just really good and they played our style, just better.

 

[StrangeVision]

Bob wasn't making the saves he was making in the first three rounds, injuries, inability to adapt. We don't get to the Final if Bob isn't in god mode, not even close, unfortunately he couldn't keep it up and it exposed the team's inadequacies.

 

[Dread Clawz]

(1) One of longest times off in NHL history led Bob to fall to earth
(2) Injuries on a not deep team: Montour, Luostarinen and Tkachuk all were severely injured
+ I still believe Tkachuk would have forced game 4 to OT if his Sternum wasn't broken
(3) Vegas is a very good hard team. They bullied us. They deserved to win

Yeah this is my checklist as well. Vegas is built for playoff success and even though they haven't been "the favorite" in every year of their existence, no one has ever disputed that. Four big, talented lines that play hard and have traditionally played well defensively. Plus very deep at center. A big, mobile defense that moves the puck very well. I've been saying it for years on here and this is just another example of it, size and defense is still critical in the playoffs. It's just the way it is and it will never change. Once in a while you get an outlier like Colorado but they are the exception, not the rule. And since they have lost Landy, their big power forward and leader, they have gone from favorite status to hopeful status.

Zito has been trying to address this and we are a bigger, hungrier, grittier team than we were when he took over, but it's not something that can be corrected in one season.

 

[austropanther]

Yeah this is my checklist as well. Vegas is built for playoff success and even though they haven't been "the favorite" in every year of their existence, no one has ever disputed that. Four big, talented lines that play hard and have traditionally played well defensively. Plus very deep at center. A big, mobile defense that moves the puck very well. I've been saying it for years on here and this is just another example of it, size and defense is still critical in the playoffs. It's just the way it is and it will never change. Once in a while you get an outlier like Colorado but they are the exception, not the rule. And since they have lost Landy, their big power forward and leader, they have gone from favorite status to hopeful status.

Zito has been trying to address this and we are a bigger, hungrier, grittier team than we were when he took over, but it's not something that can be corrected in one season.

Exactly. The long layoff was bad for Bob but our best players needed the break. We would have needed prime Bob and a completely healthy lineup to seriously compete with Vegas. Only in this case we would have had a chance, but we have to be honest to ourselves we would most likely have lost anyway - pulling up 3 major upsets against better opponents is already a miracle, slim chances to pull off an additional fourth.
One bridge too far...

 

[Dread Clawz]

Exactly. The long layoff was bad for Bob but our best players needed the break. We would have needed prime Bob and a completely healthy lineup to seriously compete with Vegas. Only in this case we would have had a chance, but we have to be honest to ourselves we would most likely have lost anyway - pulling up 3 major upsets against better opponents is already a miracle, slim chances to pull off an additional fourth.
One bridge too far...

That's true about the break. We would've been damned either way, kinda funny. Vegas was just stronger, healthier, more durable than we were. It also helps Stone just takes regular seasons off and comes back for the playoffs, basically.

 

[Ghoste]

I think after game 1, a reporter asked Mo about the long layoff being a factor and I think he said something along the lines like he’d still take the long layoff because he knew the injuries we had.

 

[I am not exposed]

Bob wasn't making the saves he was making in the first three rounds, injuries, inability to adapt. We don't get to the Final if Bob isn't in god mode, not even close, unfortunately he couldn't keep it up and it exposed the team's inadequacies.

Vegas was just really good and they played our style, just better.

These two are the correct answers.

People saying the long lay off are out to lunch!

 

[iam76]

break, injuries, refs, and vegas was a wonderful team.

What a ride.. nothing to make light of or ask a trollish question.. but sure the above is the answer.

 

[Last Rat Standing]

Just ran out of gas similar to other unexpected finals runs. Funny that this was the sort of run that the 21-22 team was supposed to go on once the finals started and not this team.

 

[Chessarmy]

Injuries. I believe if we were fully healthy we would’ve won the cup.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Injuries. I believe if we were fully healthy we would’ve won the cup

we did beat the screw job in every game except the last Canes game so I can't argue that

 

[scholl]

They beat 3 teams you could argue were better than Vegas but the Finals were not very close. Thoughts?

My thoughts without reading what others had responded:

1. Too long break before the finals. Panthers rally relied on flow and it was gone after that break. Those three rounds had been so hard and intense that it was impossible after such a long break to get the same energy up. Even as a fan I didn't have energy any more in the finals
2. Narrow roster
When they won the President's Trophy they had depth. This time not. Players played a lot, got injured and tired
3. Key players injured
Very important parts of the puzzle got injured
4. Not ready to win
It takes time to learn to win the cup
5. Vegas was better
Opponent was a stronger and more experienced team
6. Maurice
Coach ran out of gas and didn't know how to fix problems

 

[sinDer]

In no particular order:

1- Injuries
2- Let’s be honest, they got a little bit of luck in the first 3 rounds. Things weren’t going to go their way forever.
3- Vegas was just simply a better team.