Post by Florida Panthers on Mar 24, 2017 12:00:50 GMT -5
Last year the Florida Panthers organization finished in last place for the 2nd year in a row, and for the 2nd year in a row they did not win the 1st overall pick in the lottery. However, this year the Panthers finally did win something and that is the OGSHL Presidents Trophy.
"Obviously it was a rough 2 years to the start of the league and morale was low the past 2 seasons. However once we started trading for established players and some of our prospects started making the transition to being impact players you could sense we were headed into the right direction going into the year. Picking up superstars like Stamkos and Bergeron last year started to set that transition heading into this season. Things were looking up and that we were on the right path. Then we had our huge off-season that really let the league know that the Panthers were done waiting and were ready to make that push for the cup. We picked up our backend with Burns and McDonagh and then added that last piece we needed up front with Pavelski." It was tough figuring out lines for sure at the beginning of the year as when you have so many skilled players up front it is hard to find who meshes well with who, which playstyles benefit each other. We finally found that about halfway through the season and were finally able to claim 1st place in the league. Ever since then we haven't looked back and really kicked it into high gear. Winning the Presidents Trophy is a great accomplishment and we will cherish the moment for now, but come playoffs nobody in this locker room is going to care about that. We have one goal in mind and that is to lift the Stanley Cup."
Going into the playoffs the Panthers look to be a heavy favorite but with a very strong team in the east like the New York Islanders it is going to be a tough quest. However, lately taking the league by storm the Tampa Bay Lightning look to poise a threat to the Panthers as well in order just to reach the cup. Take a look at the Western conference and there is plenty of good teams there as well. You have the reigning Champions @arizonacoyotes , the team that always seems to be in the mix and might end up winning the 1st seed in the west the @nashvillepredators and the new kids on the block @sweetlou who look to claim the 1 seed as well lead by Ovie. Don't sleep on the Winnipeg Jets though they have a very solid team and seem to be on the upswing after having a very poor first half of the season, this team can pose a threat and make a deep run at the cup. What was once thought to be the potential Stanley Cup showdown of the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers at the beginning of the year seems to just be a fantasy that will one day hopefully occur.
For now though, the Panthers will enjoy the Presidents Trophy as it is a great achievement and shows that hard work does pay off. There is a lot more hard work to go. Look for the Panthers to rest many of their star players to close the season to avoid any injury. The record for most points in a season has been broken by the Panthers at 120 on the year so far as the @shammy held the record from last year, which goes to show that just because you win the Presidents Trophy doesn't mean you will walk away with the grand prize.
"Obviously it was a rough 2 years to the start of the league and morale was low the past 2 seasons. However once we started trading for established players and some of our prospects started making the transition to being impact players you could sense we were headed into the right direction going into the year. Picking up superstars like Stamkos and Bergeron last year started to set that transition heading into this season. Things were looking up and that we were on the right path. Then we had our huge off-season that really let the league know that the Panthers were done waiting and were ready to make that push for the cup. We picked up our backend with Burns and McDonagh and then added that last piece we needed up front with Pavelski." It was tough figuring out lines for sure at the beginning of the year as when you have so many skilled players up front it is hard to find who meshes well with who, which playstyles benefit each other. We finally found that about halfway through the season and were finally able to claim 1st place in the league. Ever since then we haven't looked back and really kicked it into high gear. Winning the Presidents Trophy is a great accomplishment and we will cherish the moment for now, but come playoffs nobody in this locker room is going to care about that. We have one goal in mind and that is to lift the Stanley Cup."
Going into the playoffs the Panthers look to be a heavy favorite but with a very strong team in the east like the New York Islanders it is going to be a tough quest. However, lately taking the league by storm the Tampa Bay Lightning look to poise a threat to the Panthers as well in order just to reach the cup. Take a look at the Western conference and there is plenty of good teams there as well. You have the reigning Champions @arizonacoyotes , the team that always seems to be in the mix and might end up winning the 1st seed in the west the @nashvillepredators and the new kids on the block @sweetlou who look to claim the 1 seed as well lead by Ovie. Don't sleep on the Winnipeg Jets though they have a very solid team and seem to be on the upswing after having a very poor first half of the season, this team can pose a threat and make a deep run at the cup. What was once thought to be the potential Stanley Cup showdown of the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers at the beginning of the year seems to just be a fantasy that will one day hopefully occur.
For now though, the Panthers will enjoy the Presidents Trophy as it is a great achievement and shows that hard work does pay off. There is a lot more hard work to go. Look for the Panthers to rest many of their star players to close the season to avoid any injury. The record for most points in a season has been broken by the Panthers at 120 on the year so far as the @shammy held the record from last year, which goes to show that just because you win the Presidents Trophy doesn't mean you will walk away with the grand prize.
