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2013 NHL Predictions
It is that time of year again. The time when hockey fans make predictions that probably will not be correct, but we do it anyway because it’s fun. For the 2013 campaign I decided to bring in two hardcore hockey fans from different websites. One covers video games and entertainment while the other follows the greatest sport in the world. Please give a warm welcome to the predictions of Rudy Colon from Kona’s Korner and Rob McMahon, formally a writer for Sunshine State Hockey, who is now with Penalty Box Radio.
Two out of the three of us seem to agree on each category, and surprisingly we all share the same views on three divisions: the Northeast, Southeast, and Pacific. Since we cover the Florida Panthers here at Sunshine State Hockey it is important to focus on the Southeast division for a moment. The reason all three of us are in agreement on our prediction is because the Hurricanes just looks so good on paper. Carolina went out and acquired Jordan Staal to add scoring depth at the center position, not to mention the fact that he should have some decent chemistry with his brother Eric. Add them with the likes of Alex Semin, who is still a legit scoring threat, a maturing Jeff Skinner, an emerging number one defenseman in Justin Faulk, and Stanley Cup/Conn Smythe winning goaltender Cam Ward and it is clear why all three of us chose Carolina to win the Southeast.
Will our predictions hold true or are they doomed to fail? Only time will tell. Until then, let’s just enjoy the fact that we finally have NHL hockey back.
Top 10 Moments Of The 2011-2012 Season: #1
In any professional sport over the course of a season teams have defining moments that separate the winners from the rest of the league. During the last couple of months we have highlighted nine of these moments from the Florida Panthers 2011-2012 season. Now, after over a month of waiting, it is finally time for us to reveal the number one moment on our countdown. Trust us when we say that this is a moment that will go down as one of the best in franchise history, especially considering the fact that all of the so called “hockey experts” wrote off the Panthers before the season even began.
#1 – SouthEast Champs (April 7th, 2012)
Leave it to the Panthers to wait until the final game of 2012 to have one of the most important season defining moments in franchise history. Florida held the number one spot in the SouthEast division for the majority of the season until Washington forced them into a must win situation in game number 82 against the Carolina Hurricanes. If Carolina wins the Cats drop out of the top spot in the SE, lose home ice advantage for the Stanley Cup playoffs, and fail to secure a divisional title that they owned for most of the 2011-2012 season. Thankfully Florida finished the year strong by defeating the Hurricanes 4-1 and winning their first ever divisional championship.
While the win was great the post-game celebration was even greater, especially for the diehard fans. The cheering section that has gathered in front of Pantherland since 2007 grew larger than ever before, no matter how hard Michael Yormark and his Club Red goons, aka security personnel, tried to stop it. On that night Panthers fans were finally able to speak the words “playoff hockey” inside the BankAtlantic Center for the first time in over a decade. Most importantly, during that glorious night, the fans were finally able to put the past 12 heart breaking years behind them.
Clearly everyone has their own favorite moment from the 2011-2012 season, including our good friend Donny Rivette, founder of Litter Box Cats. We reached out to Donny and asked him to share his most memorable moment from last year and this is what he had to say.
“What stands out to me? Simple: October 15, around 6 p.m, watching fans file in to the newly en-reddened BankAtlantic Center for the first home game of the 2011-12 campaign. Regardless of an existing 1-1 record, surprising to no one, given the previous opponents were the Islanders and Penguins. What cemented the impression was a sense of newfound excitement and reset-button enthusiasm which had been missing in previous openers. Before it was “here we go again; hope for the best but unquestionably ready for yet another pointless sweater giveaway in early April”. The undeniable sign of a True, though realistic fan, but this home opener had hallmarks of something far different. Nothing clear enough to establish as a physical manifestation of Victory By Committee, but anyone in the building that night should stand by the stereotype of a Community Engaged. This was a Big Ticket.”
“Unquestionably, more than a few folks morphed from “I attended due to boredom and/or a free ticket” to “I’m sold on this because it’s solid entertainment,” which was evident just in walking through the concourses as the game went on. The Panthers hadn’t yet won 2 games and word began to carry: this is where the action is. I’ve never personally met a larger number of admitted non-hockey fans before that night who changed their collective tune within an hour, and all were beside themselves with praise for a sport they previously gave so little attention to. A terrific night which set the stage for all which followed.”
We hope that our readers enjoyed Sunshine State Hockey’s countdown of the top 10 moments of Florida’s 2011-2012 season. This year was truly one to remember for Panthers fans everywhere. Hopefully the National Hockey League and its players association can reach a deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement before the September 15th deadline so we do not have to wait any longer for another memorable hockey season in South Florida.
Finally we would like to thank Donny Rivette from Litter Box Cats for his great input. We also want to remind our readers one final time to click through the links below for the full experience of moment #1.
- Litter Box Cats recap of moment #1
Source(s): Litter Box Cats, NHL
Panthers Draft Preview
Because of a strong 2011-2012 season the Florida Panthers find themselves in unfamiliar territory at this year’s National Hockey League entry draft, at the back of the room. The Panthers will select 23rd overall in round one when the draft begins tonight from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, unless GM Dale Tallon decides to make a trade between now and then. No matter what happens Tallon and Co. must choose carefully when using their picks, especially in a draft that is not considered “deep” in terms of NHL ready talent. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of the best players available for the Cats later in the first round as well as other important information for tonight in our Panthers draft preview.
Watch Parties:
The Florida Panthers are hosting official watch parties for the 2012 NHL entry draft at the Duffy’s in Fort. Lauderdale and the Duffy’s in Coconut Creek. Erik Gudbranson will be making an appearance at the watch party in Fort. Lauderdale. The addresses for both locations are:
Duffy’s Fort. Lauderdale
1804 Harbor Shops Road
Fort. Lauderdale, FL, 33316
Duffy’s Coconut Creek
4800 W. Hillsboro Blvd.
Coconut Creek, FL, 33073
Be sure to arrive early to get a good seat.
Picks:
Florida currently holds a total of five picks for this weekend’s entry draft. We expect Tallon to secure a few more but for now here is what the Panthers have to work with.
Round 1: 23rd overall
Round 2: 53rd overall
Round 3: 84th overall
Round 4: 114th overall
Round 6: 174th overall
Available Players:
Walking up the the podium to make a top 5 selection at an entry draft is easy. It takes a skilled general manager and scouting staff to find a good player later in the first round and beyond. The Panthers will need Tallon and his group of scouts to be at their best when deciding on who to choose with the draft picks listed above. Here are a couple of names that Cats fans might hear called by their team during round one tonight.
1. Brady Skjei, D, USHL
2. Martin Frk, RW, QMJHL
3. Mike Winther, C, WHL
4. Phillip Di Giuseppe, LW, CCHA
5. Slater Koekkoek, D, OHL
6. Scott Kosmachuk, RW, OHL
7. Tanner Pearson, LW, OHL
Rumors:
Trades are a huge part of the NHL entry draft, especially since all 30 general managers are in one room. The only major rumor involving the Florida Panthers thus far has to do with a former goaltender possibly looking to come “home”. TSN reported yesterday that there are two known teams involved in trade talks with the Vancouver Canucks for netminder Roberto Luongo, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Panthers. Darren Dreger, TSN’s hockey insider, thinks that Florida is a “long shot” as a destination for Luongo, but only time will tell for sure. Either way it is always interesting to hear the trade rumors on draft day, especially those that include the Florida Panthers.
Links:
For even more great coverage of the 2012 National Hockey League entry draft click through the following links.
- Prospect Rankings, North American Skaters
- Prospect Rankings, European Skaters
- Prospect Rankings, North American Goalies
- Prospect Rankings, European Goalies
- SouthEast Division Draft Preview
Be sure to tune in to the 2012 NHL entry draft tonight beginning at 7 PM EST on the NBC Sports Network to see who the Florida Panthers select with their 23rd overall pick.
Former Panthers Dominate Playoff Rosters
Aside from the actual Florida Panthers making the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs there are a lot of former Cats on the other teams participating in the post-season. What is the point of bringing this up? During the 12 year’s without playoff hockey Panthers fans would use this time of year as an excuse to cheer on former members of the organization. Thankfully that is not the case this season as fans in South Florida finally have their club to cheer for in the final 16. Of course that does not mean we should completely forget about our team’s history, especially the bright spots (David Booth) in the dark 12 year’s without playoff action. To help bring back some memories, good or bad, we have compiled a complete list of former Panthers players currently playing for the other organizations in the post-season.
Eastern Conference
#1 New York Rangers:
#44 Steve Eminger – D, played 9 games for Florida during the 2008-2009 season.
#2 Boston Bruins:
#11 Gregory Campbell – C, was a member of the Panthers from 2003 to 2010.
#18 Nathan Horton – RW **, drafted 3rd overall by Florida in 2003.
#44 Dennis Seidenberg – D, Traded to Boston from Florida on March 3rd, 2010.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins:
No former Panthers on Pittsburgh’s active roster.
#5 Philadelphia Flyers:
#6 Andreas Lilja – D, played in 135 games for the Panthers.
#6 New Jersey Devils:
#18 Steve Bernier – RW, spent the 2010-2011 season in South Florida, registering 15 points in 68 games.
#20 Ryan Carter – C, started this season with the Cats before being claimed off of waivers.
#7 Washington Capitals:
#29 Tomas Vokoun – G, was the Panthers #1 goaltender for four seasons before signing with Washington.
#6 Dennis Wideman – D, picked up 9 goals in one season with Florida.
#8 Ottawa Senators:
#41 Craig Anderson – G, a definite fan favorite during three year’s in Sunrise, FL.
#35 Alex Auld – G, part of the blockbuster trade that sent Luongo to the Canucks.
#17 Filip Kuba – D, played only 18 games in two year’s with the Panthers.
Western Conference
#1 Vancouver Canucks:
#4 Keith Ballard – D, still famous in South Florida for his hip check on Evgeni Malkin.
#34 Byron Bitz – RW, was injured during the majority of his time with Florida.
#7 David Booth – LW, spent six year’s with the Panthers before being traded at the start of this season.
#20 Chris Higgins – LW, another member of the 2010-2011 “blueprint” squad.
#1 Roberto Luongo – G, a member of the Cats for five seasons before being dealt to Vancouver.
#2 St. Louis Blues:
No former Panthers on St. Louis’ active roster.
#3 Phoenix Coyotes:
#13 Ray Whitney – LW, was on Florida’s roster the last time the team made the playoffs.
#4 Nashville Predators:
No former Florida players on the Predators active roster.
#5 Detroit Red Wings
#44 Todd Bertuzzi – RW, traded to Detroit for Shawn Matthias in 2007.
#6 Chicago Blackhawks:
#67 Michael Frolik – RW, drafted by Florida in the 2006 entry draft.
#5 Steve Montador – D, played as a d-man and forward during his three year’s with the Panthers.
#7 San Jose Sharks:
#22 Dan Boyle – D, stayed in South Florida for four seasons and played in 129 games for the Cats.
#18 Dominic Moore – C, NHL journeyman that spent one season in Florida.
#8 Los Angeles Kings
LA does not have any former Panthers on their active roster.
** indicates currently injured players
That makes for a total of 23 players that played for the Florida Panthers at one time during their careers. Some, like Roberto Luongo and David Booth, had a bigger impact on the Panthers history than others, but the fans in South Florida still appreciate the time those men gave to their favorite hockey team.
Do not forget to tune into game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals match-up between the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils. Tonight’s game will be a good one, especially since the series in now tied 1-1 after Florida’s win on Sunday, their first in 15 year’s. Coverage begins at 7:00 PM EST on the NHL Network.
Players To Watch – Quarterfinals
Each series in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs is full of star power and skilled players, so it is difficult sometimes to choose just one to focus on. Luckily for all of our followers we are here to assist with that problem. Below is one player from each of the 16 teams participating in this year’s National Hockey League playoffs that we feel should garner some extra attention.
Eastern Conference
Marian Gaborik VS Craig Anderson
Gaborik: The success of the New York Rangers had a lot to do with the fact that Marian Gaborik recorded 41 goals and 76 points this season. The right winger was clutch for the majority of the year and the Rangers are going to need him to continue performing the same way if they want to make a long run in this year’s playoffs. There are concerns over Gaborik’s post-season play, especially since he hasn’t recorded more than 5 points in the playoffs since 2003 when he was a member of the Minnesota Wild. Will the New York forward help the Rangers reach their goal of winning the Stanley Cup or will he continue struggling when it matters?
Anderson: The Ottawa netminder was having a good season until he lost a fight with a piece of chicken and a kitchen knife, causing him to miss four weeks. Everyone in Canada’s capital worried that the loss of Anderson would cause the Senators to miss the playoffs all together. Luckily for the Sens, and their fans, Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner stepped in and did an admirable job at holding the fort until “Andy” was ready to return. Now that the freak injury is out of the way the pressure of the playoffs now sits atop the starting goaltenders shoulders. Anderson has only been involved in one playoff series when he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche and things did not turn out so well, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. Will a more offensively powered team help the Ottawa goaltender win his first playoff series or will the Rangers prove to be too tough of an opponent?
Tim Thomas VS Braden Holtby
Thomas: We might as well warn everyone now that this article is going to be full of goalies, and the next one that should be watched is Tim Thomas. The Boston netminder had a good regular season, posting 35 wins, a 2.36 GAA, and a .920 save percentage. While his numbers look good #30 definitely had his struggles during the year, especially after the White House incident. There was even one point when Tuukka Rask stole the starting job from Thomas until the Finnish goaltender went down with injury, putting Timmy back in the starting role and forcing Boston to sign Marty Turco. Tim Thomas played well down the stretch but there has to be questions surrounding his play and even his focus, especially since the Bruins will be in President Obama’s backyard when they play the Capitals at the Verizon Center during the quarterfinals.
Holtby: The Washington Capitals had a lot of issues during the 2011-2012 NHL season but none were worse than their problems in net. Their goaltenders, much like their entire team, struggled for the majority of the season until the last month or so, but then the injury bug hit. First Tomas Vokoun went down with a groin injury on March 28th, forcing Michal Neuvirth into the starting role. The young netminder played well until he was injured in the game against the Florida Panthers on April 5th after Marco Sturm accidentally fell on his leg. With both of Washington’s starting goalies out it is now up to youngster Braden Holtby to step in and stay strong until one of the two injured goaltenders return. There is no telling when that might be so it is up to Holtby, who has played in only 21 NHL regular season games, to stay strong in net and help the Capitals advance to the semifinals, which is no easy task against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.
Stephen Weiss VS Zach Parise
Weiss: It has been 12 long year’s since the Florida Panthers last made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, and Stephen Weiss has been around almost the entire time. The now 29 year old center began his career with the Panthers during the 2001-2002 season, two years after Florida was swept by, guess who, the New Jersey Devils. #9 has seen many of his friends and former teammates move on from the Cats and find success in the post-season, including Nathan Horton and Greg Campbell, who both won the Stanley Cup last year with the Boston Bruins. Weiss always stayed loyal to the Panthers, even when GM Dale Tallon gave him the option to leave if he wanted to. The Toronto, Ontario native told Tallon that he wanted to see this thing through and have success in Florida. He didn’t have to wait long. Stephen Weiss will finally get his first taste of the post-season and many fans have one major question on their minds; can Stephen play to the level required to win in the Stanley Cup playoffs?
Parise: There is little doubt that Zach Parise knows how to perform in clutch situations. If anyone needs evidence just go look up his tying goal in the gold medal game against team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics. The reason Parise is a player to watch in the series against the Florida Panthers is because no one else in the media has talked about him. It seems all of the knowledgeable hockey analysts only want to talk about Kovalchuk, Elias, and Brodeur. Nobody can fool us because we know that the New Jersey left winger can be more dangerous than anyone else on the team when he is on his game. If Parise plays to the level he is capable of the Devils will definitely give the Panthers trouble in the quarterfinals.
Sidney Crosby VS Ilya Bryzgalov
Crosby: We are just as tired of hearing about Sidney Crosby as everyone else but he is a player that needs to be watched in this years Stanley Cup playoffs. It has been two years since #87 has played in the post-season because of concussion issues but he finally seems healthy and ready to lead the Penguins through a long playoff run. That’s only if he can survive a first round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. There is so much bad blood between these two clubs that we honestly would not be surprised if the Flyers took a couple of runs at Sid the kid during the best of seven series. If that happens expect Crosby and the Penguins to get frustrated and retaliate, which is exactly what Philadelphia wants. Will the Pittsburgh center be able to keep his cool against a tough Flyers team or will the broad street bullies get inside Sidney’s head?
Bryzgalov: The master of the universe definitely had a problem being the master of his crease for the majority of the season, but thankfully for the Flyers going silent with the media and focusing on his game changed all that. Bryzgalov’s play was nothing short of outstanding during the last two months of the regular season, especially in March when he broke the Flyers franchise record for the longest shutout streak. The one thing fans in Philadelphia need to worry about now is the fact that the Russian goaltender has never really been that good in the playoffs. Does that have to do with the teams that played in front of him or is Ilya just a good regular season goalie? We will have the answer to that question soon enough.
Western Conference
Roberto Luongo VS Jeff Carter
Loungo: If the Canucks make it to the finals again and lose who would be surprised if their fans broke into the locker room and personally kicked Roberto Luongo out of Vancouver? Here is a better question, should the Nucks start Cory Schneider? Well it seems the organization does not think so since they already announced that Luongo will be the #1 goaltender for at least the first game against the LA Kings. We would have to imagine that the Canucks have “Lu” on a very short leash and if he struggles early they will not think twice about sticking Schneider between the pipes. How great would it personally be though for the 6 foot 3 goaltender to shut down the Kings and silence his critics. We will all just have to watch and see if that happens, or see if Cory Schneider can steal Luongo’s spotlight.
Carter: Poor Jeff Carter. First he is traded out of Philadelphia for partying too hard, then he is shipped out of Columbus because that relationship didn’t work, and now he is stuck on a playoff team in Los Angeles with his drinking buddy Mike Richards. Life must suck for the former 30 goal scorer. In all seriousness the Kings went out and picked up Carter to help out their struggling, underachieving offense. In 16 games with LA the big center from London, Ontario registered just 6 goals before going down with a bone bruise in his right foot. Carter claims he is ready to go when the puck drops on game one against the Canucks tonight at 10:30 PM EST. Is #77 really 100% or is he rushing back into the lineup because it’s the playoffs?
Brian Elliott VS Patrick Marleau
Elliott: If anyone predicted that Brian Elliott, the Ottawa outcast, would finish the season with the best goals against average and save percentage in the league they should win an award. Elliott’s play helped the St. Louis Blues earn the second best record in the Western Conference and their first Central Division championship since 2000. Jaroslav Halak will be getting the start in game one though because the Canadian born goaltender went down with a “very minor” injury on April 5th. We expect to see Elliott before the conclusion of the Blues/Sharks series so that is why he is one of our players to watch.
Marleau: It seems like Marleau is targeted every year during the regular season and the playoffs, and why not? There is nothing wrong with expecting one of the longest tendered Sharks to elevate his play and help lead his team on a long playoff run. The San Jose left winger played well during the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, leading his team to the Western Conference finals, but it just was not enough. Patrick Marleau is once again being called upon by his team to produce but in a different situation. San Jose will begin the post-season in 7th place in the West without home ice advantage for the first time since 2007. Can number 12 answer the call or will St. Louis force the Sharks to make a quick exit from the 2012 NHL playoffs?
Mike Smith VS Patrick Kane
Smith: Hey look, it’s another goaltender! When the Phoenix Coyotes announced that Mike Smith would be the #1 goalie many believed that their post-season days were numbered. Smith silenced the critics by putting together a fantastic season and leading Phoenix to their first ever divisional championship. The issue with the Kingston, Ontario born netminder is that he has only played a total of three playoff games when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smith will have to prove to his teammates, critics, and fans that he can carry his excellent regular season play into the post-season.
Kane: For the majority of the regular season Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville did not know what position to stick Patrick Kane at. Number 88 played on the wing, then center, went back to the wing, and finished the season in the middle. The reason for all the positional change? Coach Quenneville wanted to get the 2007 1st overall draft choice to play to the level he did in the 2009-2010 season. While Kane finished with the lowest point total in his young career the Hawks are hopeful that the playoffs will help wake him up. Quite frankly Chicago needs Pat Kane to play like he has in the past if they want to have the same success they did in 2010 when they won Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Shea Weber VS Nicklas Lidstrom
Weber: The Nashville Predators have gone all in for the 2012 Stanley Cup finals, and a big reason for that is Shea Weber. The Predators captain is on his way to becoming a restricted free agent on July 1st and Nashville wants to do everything in their power to persuade him to stay. The 6’4″ defenseman is not the only important player on the roster that is heading to the free agent market. Ryan Suter, the Preds other top D-man, will become a UFA on the first day of July. As the captain of the Predators it is up to Weber to keep his fellow teammates calm and lead them to their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup. Can Shea Weber help his club live up to the expectations created by those in the hockey world or will Nashville fail to make a long post-season run and look drastically different next season?
Lidstrom: The captain on the other side of this series is one of the best defensemen to ever play in the National Hockey League. Nicklas Lidstrom has played in 20 consecutive year’s of playoff hockey, all with the Detroit Red Wings, and has won four Stanley Cups. The future hall of famer is a key part to the Wings success in the post-season, which makes him an obvious player to watch during the quarterfinals and beyond (if Detroit can get by the Predators). There is a very real possibility that this is the final year Nicklas Lidstrom plays in the NHL, so he will want to do everything he can to help the Red Wings win the Cup.
Once the quarterfinals are finished we will select more players to watch from the clubs that advance to round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Please keep checking back with Sunshine State Hockey for full coverage of the 2012 National Hockey League post-season.
