Panthers, Amerks Fall to Champs

Both the Panthers and the Amerks lost tough games tonight, each against the defending league champs.

In Florida, the Cats battled back from a 2-0 deficit against the Detroit Red Wings only to come up short when they were unable to apply the same pressure that had helped them through the first forty minutes -- especially during a stretch in the second period where the pace was just phenomenal at both ends.

After a Cullimore holding penalty, the Wings made it 3-2, and with only six shots on goal in the third, the Panthers fell by that same 3-2 score.

I thought, despite a few mistakes, that Michael Frolik played arguably his strongest NHL game to date. He's getting more confident with the puck, but he also managed to stay on his feet. Early on this season, Frolik has looked to be extremely easy to knock down and take out of the play. He's improved there quite a bit since the season started.

Craig Anderson was pulled after only two goals, the first of which was just a terrible goal to let in. Vokoun played well, and the team scored their two goals after the switch had lit the fire; first by Richard Zednik and the second by Stephen Weiss -- from Richard Zednik.

The loss doesn't help the Panthers in the standings, though. Despite having more wins than the Lightning (who just fired Barry Melrose.. seriously, already?) are a point behind, one point above the Islanders -- worst in the league.

Now, moving north, the Amerks played last year's AHL champions, the Chicago Wolves. Unfortunately, the eventual outcome was the same. But, the Amerks took it to a shootout.

Apparently Rochester had scored a goal in the first, which replays seemed to confirm, and referee Chris Brown signaled that it was, in fact, a goal. After the goal was contested by the Wolves' bench, Brown conferred with a linesman who was away from the play, and overturned the decision. Why? I have no idea.

In the second, the Amerks tied the game at one, this time without having the goal overturned, and it came on the power play off the stick of Michal Repik (Garrison and Sprukts with assists). Rochester peppered Wolves' goaltender Dan Turple with 18 shots in the period, but a potential backbreaker came with 22 seconds left in the second when Chicago reclaimed the lead.

With less than five minutes to play in the third and with Rochester on another power play, Stefan Meyer delivered the second game-tying goal (assisted by Janis Sprukts and Rory Fitzpatrick), and helped the Amerks send a game they may well have been winning, into overtime, ultimately to a shootout, which they lost 1-0. Repik, Meyer, Sprukts, Larman and Matthias were the shooters for the Amerks.

This was probably the Amerks' best game of the year, and they just can't catch any breaks. It's a shame. The players are working hard every night, and they deserve better.

Moving on, I read a rumour that a certain NHL team is in danger of not making payroll this week. From what I've heard, one station in New York speculated that it was the Florida Panthers, but the second, citing 'several sources' points to the Tampa Bay Lightning. And right now with the mess that they've got with Melrose getting fired and everything that has been going on, I guess it's possible. Don't know if there's anything there or not, so I guess we'll see.

As for Tyler Plante, he never did end up dressing for the Panthers. Vokoun, obviously, was good to go, so he was on the bench (and eventually in the game) tonight. Plante should be back in Dayton by now.

One last note, and it's not a good one, is an injury to New Hampshire goaltender Brian Foster. He hurt his ankle and is out 'indefinitely'. The Wildcats played without Foster against UMass-Lowell tonight and lost, badly. The final score favored Lowell, 8-3.

I'll write about the Panthers/Puck Daddy contest and what I got sometime tomorrow.