Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Five-game road trip could decide playoff chances
SUNRISE — After a fiveday break, the streaking Panthers went into Thursday’s game at the BB&T Center rested and with a renewed resolve to go on a successful playoff run.
However, they exited the abysmal 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings into a closed-door locker-room meeting. Inside, interim coach Tom Rowe let them have an earful before telling his frustrated charges to develop a quick case of amnesia before embarking on what could be a make-orbreak 10-day, five-game trip.
“Every game is huge; we’ve got 29 of them left,” Rowe said. “We start in Nashville, who’s playing great, and then we go to San Jose. They don’t exactly get easy, that’s for sure. We’ll forget about it. We talked to the guys [about Thursday’s loss] already. It’s done.”
On the bright side, the Panthers have gone 4-2-3 in their last nine road games, but the last four ended in losses, albeit two in overtime (0-2-2). Also, the competition on this is stiff journey, which begins in Music City, heads West to San Jose, Anaheim and on to a rematch with Los Angeles before ending in St. Louis.
“It would have been nice to get two points before we go on the road and play some tough games,” Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie said. “I thought we had things rolling in the right direction, but certainly [wasn’t] good enough.
“I personally think this is huge and the season is on the line. If we could get Scouting report: The Panthers ended their four-game, 15-day homestand with a thud in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. Both goaltenders, James Reimer and Roberto Luongo, were pulled at one point after allowing three goals apiece, several of the soft variety. Still, Florida is 3-1-1 in its past five games, despite going 0-for-12 on the power play in the last three. They start this critical five-game trip with the Predators, who they defeated 2-1 on Jan. 6 in Sunrise on Jonathan Marchessault’s third-period goal, as Reimer notched 28 saves. The visiting Predators scored two power-play goals but blew a 2-0 lead in a 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Friday and are 3-3 in their last six games. Led by F James Neal’s 17 goals, the Predators boast five players with double-digit goals, while C Ryan Johansen leads with 40 points, including 31 assists. Watch party: There will be a Panthers watch party at Bokampers (1280 S. Pine Island Road, Plantation). through this road trip, I think it, obviously, puts us in a decent position, but also makes a statement that we could play with some of the best in their barns. Our backs have been up against the wall all year, so this is no different.”
All five Western Conference opponents currently occupy a playoff berth, while the Panthers begin the trek four points out of wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.
Rowe is hoping the Panthers have a carryover effect after relocating their legs in the third period in which they got late goals from Jonathan Marchessault and Aleksander Barkov while outscoring the Kings 2-0.
“That’s why we kept putting them out there and kept them on the power play, to get back their rhythm,” Rowe said.
The Panthers haven’t lost two consecutive games in regulation since dropping three straight from Oct. 25-29, and they’re hoping that trend continues.