Banner Night

The Florida Panthers hockey team returns tonight, unveiling their Back-to-Back Stanley Cup Banner as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks, and they look to threepeat, as Champions that haven't been done since the Islanders teams of the 1980s. Bummed that Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk couldn't be out there playing, but injuries suck, and I get it. However, we have an intense team and a fantastic goalie.

Period One

Florida bounced back after allowing a goal to Chicago, with goals by AJ Greer and Carter Verhaeghe. We also got to see a fight between Greer and Nic Foligno, which ended in a draw. With the way the game is going, the score should at least be 3-1 or 4-1, and Spencer Knight (the Panthers' former goalie before trading him last year for Seth Jones) is playing his hardest out there. Chicago is playing Florida really tough, and if you're a Blackhawks fan, I would be really excited to see, yes, it's the first game, but use it as momentum for the season going forward. The energy is really fast-paced for being the first game of the season, which is understandable since it's Banner Night in Sunrise. Conor Bedard had a near goal on Bobrovsky, and it had some nice zip to it. You can see him take the next step this season, after having a sophomore slump - it's time for the second period.

Period Two

Bob had a nice block, but let one in. Chicago is battling hard, like I said in the first period summary, and going into the third, and if I were in Chicago, I'd feel very confident in winning this game. You can definitely tell this is going to be a challenging season for the Panthers, with three straight years of not making the Stanley Cup and having Barkov and Tkachuk out of the lineup, it's going to be a challenge for them. I am confident in them, and it's only the first game of the season, and I know Paul Maurice will figure things out with the squad. The Panthers need to play their style of hockey in the third period, grind it out, and take the lead, suffocating the Blackhawks—it's time for the third period.

Period Three

PANTHERS WIN! Jesper Bovqist got the game winner, and it was definitely a tight one. Hats off to the Blackhawks. It is nice to open the season with a win, but there will be some growing pains as the season progresses, and getting Tkachuk back will help cover the loss of Barkov. Now, back to the game element: we had some highs and some lows, but it's our first time with new lines, so it will take time for all of them to gel with each other. Bob played solid with some big stops, but he let some easy ones get through; it's all part of the game. The Panthers are a playoff-style team, so there will be moments when they are very lacking, but they will float enough to sneak back into the playoffs. When they get there, they will be the Panthers everyone knows and hates (that's not a Panthers fan).

Post Game Recap

I'm happy to have hockey back. It's going to be a long grind, and we're going to see a lot of injuries, just like we did tonight. Luckily, Sam Reinhart, AJ Greer, Evan Rodrigues, and Anton Lundell were able to avoid them. However, this is what happens with the grind and the physical toll of the NHL. However, we won on the night when we raised our second Stanley Cup banner. See you guys next Wednesday as the Panthers take on the Red Wings in Detroit. Vamos Gatos.