Why Do So Many Expect the Panthers to Rebound So Strongly?

[LeafFever]

I just don't get this Toronto Maple leafs being the center of the Universe, it feels like you don't know much about hockey, when you discount the other teams with such disdain, you definitively do not do your homework when you make such blank statements, and no, Mathews is not center of the universe either.

I just gave very solid reasons why Ottawa will be worse. What do you disagree with instead of going on the tiresome "You Don't Know Much About Hockey-Toronto is evil, blah, blah, blah".

Please explain what about my statements are incorrect and just disdain for Ottawa? You should know I picked Ottawa to make the playoffs last season AND went on record here during the season that they could come out of the East and many disagreed with me on here.

You seem to have disdain towards Toronto actually.

 

[tony d]

LOL at Ottawa not making the playoffs. Yeah we lost Methot but we're still a solid team and a team that was a lucky bounce away from playing for the Cup.

As to the Panthers, yeah the team looks like it's unsure of what it's doing right now but as things stand right now looks like it's going to be a very long yr. for them.

 

[Two4Fighting]

I just gave very solid reasons why Ottawa will be worse. What do you disagree with instead of going on the tiresome "You Don't Know Much About Hockey-Toronto is evil, blah, blah, blah".

Please explain what about my statements are incorrect and just disdain for Ottawa? You should know I picked Ottawa to make the playoffs last season AND went on record here during the season that they could come out of the East and many disagreed with me on here.

You seem to have disdain towards Toronto actually.

Simply because the NHL is just not comprised of Toronto, Ottawa and the Panthers, as simple as that.

NO many moons ago, Toronto was a joke for so many, many,many ,many years, don't you have any humility left on you, you finally started to right up the ship, but you are not there, give yourself 2 more years and then start throwing your swag around, it is too early for you.

 

[trentmccleary]

Florida was overrated last summer because they had relied on a lot of old players and people kept attributing their performance to their young players instead.

Then they made a lot of bizarre, advanced stats decisions on their defense corps. Some of which they don't seem to be happy with now.

Now it looks like they're not even really trying to make the playoffs next season.

I am not wishing at all. I do not like that Senators talent level next to the Leafs, There are a number of concerns with Ottawa that the Leafs don't have.
1. Will boucher's magic work in year 2? It was a disaster after year 1 in Tampa.

2. They are relying on a 37 year-old goalie who throughout his career has 1 great, followed by 1 "So-So" season.

3.Karlsson won't be healthy at the start of the year,.

4. With Methot gone, they've gotten worse already, not better.

5.That forward group isn't deep enough.

1) TB's defense corps and goaltending was attrocious. Boucher/Ottawa still has room for improvement. Good defensive coaches usually rely on a strong PP generate their offense. TB's was 6th in 2011. Ottawa's was 23rd last season. The PP is single greatest source of potential improvement for Ottawa this season... regardless of whether they added or lost anybody.

2) Anderson is 36yo and is scheduled to cash exactly zero paycheques as a 37yo. The tandem going into the this season is more of a 1A/1B. Whomever is playing well will play, because they're both capable of playing a lot of games.

3) He's not expected to be healthy, but 4 months of recovery for a professional athlete is a lot of time.

4) Karlsson, Ceci and Phaneuf averaged 74 minutes a game in the regular season last year. If they played the same amount as last season, the other 3 d-men would need to average ~ 15:40 per game. Actually, it'd probably be closer to 15 minutes because Hoffman's PP time usually comes on the point (sometimes MacArthur too).

5) WUT?
Hoffman - Turris - Stone
MacArthur - Brassard - Ryan
Z.Smith - Pageau - Dzingel
Pyatt - Thompson - Burrows
N.Paul - C.White - C.McCormick

I see an average of 2 players on each line that I'd be comfortable with replacing somebody on the line above for 41 games.

Saying Ottawa's top offensive forward isn't as good as you'd expect a contender's to be is a valid criticism. Saying this team lacks depth up front is not.

 

[BB88]

Florida will be 7th in Florida(expectation), if they somehow go on a streak they can get a WC spot, but that would mean a perfect season.


18-19 looks miles better though with Borgstrom/Tippett expected addtions on cheap contracts.
+They'll get a great prospect at the draft.

Tallons goal now for next year with cheap damm owners should be to avoid doing longterm harm on their team.

Florida was overrated last summer because they had relied on a lot of old players and people kept attributing their performance to their young players instead.

Then they made a lot of bizarre, advanced stats decisions on their defense corps. Some of which they don't seem to be happy with now.

Now it looks like they're not even really trying to make the playoffs next season.

Florida started their season with longterm injuries to Huberdeau& Bjugstad.
Ekblad/Barkov/Jokinen were also injured/playing through injuries when the season started.

It lead to all kind of lows including the coaching firing.

 

[Elephant Igloo]

I do agree that in a lot of ways sunbelt teams get overrated. They also receive zero criticism.

Yeah, there were a lot of Panthers apologists on this board while the team spent all of last year setting themselves on fire. But it was gonna be okay in the end because ~analytics~

 

[Mr Positive]

They have the talent all over to be a contender... except in net.

That's a bad weakness to have.

 

[Face Of Bear]

The Panthers didn't look too good even before setting fire to their team. With how tight the East will be this year, I'd wager the Panthers are one of the few teams that will clearly be on the outside looking in when all is said and done

 

[Two4Fighting]

Yeah, there were a lot of Panthers apologists on this board while the team spent all of last year setting themselves on fire. But it was gonna be okay in the end because ~analytics~

Tampa Bay was decimated by injuries so it was the panthers, I was actually surprised that the panthers finished so high, take a look at their injuries from the beginning of the season and then add to that Tom Rowe new style of play and you clearly will see why they did so bad this year, the most important players on the team were injured for super long periods of times, and at some point most of them, and for Tampa bay, Stamkos was gone for good and then they suffered lot of top players injuries.

I still see Tampa as a contender, they have a lot of fire power.