Panthers Goes To Hockeytown

The Panthers head to Detroit to take on the Red Wings. The Red Wings are 2-1 (4 points) on the year after losing to the Canadiens and beating the Maple Leafs in back-to-back games. The Panthers are 3-1 (6 points) with a win over the Blackhawks, Flyers, and Senators, and a loss to the Flyers.

Period One

No scoring happened in the first period. Detroit played Florida tough, showing the NHL Champions they will not back down, and that's something to respect. The defensive approach the Red Wings are playing with is really causing fits for the Panthers in their offensive zone. Cam Talbot made some nice saves in the first period, giving Detroit the ability to stay competitive and not play from behind. The same can be said about Bob; the dude is definitely a clutch goalie and has proven it with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Nothing else really happens in the rest of the period. Florida 0, Detroit 0.

Period Two

Didn't get a chance to see much of the beginning of the second period. Still, Detroit came out with a goal from Mason Appleton at the 2:09 mark in the second period, and Florida got on the power play. Still, an Aaron Ekblad cross-check on Dylan Larkin killed off the power play for the Panthers, which led to a Patrick Kane goal at the 9:36 mark. Brad Marchand scored on a reach-around goal at the 14:05 mark to cut the Red Wings' lead down to one. Overall, I expect every team to play the Panthers tough, and that's precisely what Detroit is doing. I am a Detroit supporter, but I'm not so sure about the Red Wings facing Florida or Miami, depending on the matchup. I really want to see them return to the dominant team they were for the 20-something years when they consistently made the playoffs. I expect the Panthers to come out strong right from the start, and let's see how Detroit responds. Panthers 1, Detroit 2. 

   Period Three

 Detroit really played well tonight. You always want to win, but in the fifth game of an 82-game season, you'll bounce back. Mason Appleton and Michael Rasmussen both had empty-netters, where you had to pull Bob to get back into the game and see if you could get the equalizer. You could tell throughout the match that the boys were sluggish, but again, it's a long season. Florida 1, Detroit 4.

Finals Thoughts

I'm not mad about the game, as I mentioned, since it's only the fifth game of the season. Detroit fans have every right to be excited about the season, as they can see this team potentially making the playoffs. Florida needs to regroup, as they're in for a tough outing against Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils. Until next time. Vamos Gatos.