The regular season home opener is, arguably, one of the most anticipated games of the season for any fan of any sport. Each October in the NHL, fans of all 30 teams experience this as soon as they walk into their team’s arena or get out of their car. The giddiness is all around you in the atmosphere as it is the first home game of 41 regular season games. You can hear the sounds of the skates hitting the ice, players getting checked into the boards, and the goal horn going off with the home crowd roaring. Whether your team is expected to be a contender for the Stanley Cup or the Draft Lottery this season, Opening Night is unlike any other game on the schedule.
For the Florida Panthers, their season starts in Tampa Bay on Thursday, October 9th and play their first home game at the BB&T Center two nights later on Saturday October 11th against the New Jersey Devils. Historically, fans should have a great reason to be excited about Opening Night as the Panthers have gone 11-5-2-2 in their history and have not lost since 2009. Last season, the Panthers went 1-1-1 against the Devils and many fans are familiar with their roster from the first round of the 2012 playoffs. For Panthers' fans sake, they do not have to be reminded that the Devils beat the Panthers in Game 7 of that series in double overtime and the Devils went onto losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the only meeting at the BB&T Center last season against New Jersey, the Panthers got their lone win in the series by a score of 5-3. Forward Brad Boyes scored a goal and got an assist, forward Scottie Upshall lit the lamp, and forward Jonathan Huberdeau got two assists. Goaltender Roberto Luongo had 28 saves. However, the Devils bested the Panthers in the next and final matchup of the season in New Jersey 6-3.
This is a rare season that many Panthers fans are truly expecting to be impressed, as they should make a jump in the standings compared to last season's 15th in the Eastern Conference and 29th in the NHL. The blueprint that Dale Tallon started building after taking over as the team's general manager in May 2010 is finally starting to come into place. Some analysts around the league are not counting the Panthers out when it comes to the postseason as they could squeak into one of the Eastern Conference's Wild Card spots. While there were some positives last season from specific players such as rookie forwards Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad, quite a few other players had disappointing seasons and will need to rebound for the team overall to reach that playoff goal.
Young players such as defenseman Erik Gudbranson and forward Jonathan Huberdeau are pieces to the Panthers core that they would like to keep long-term, but must produce better this season. Both were selected by Tallon 3rd overall in their respective NHL Drafts with Gudbranson in 2010 and Huberdeau in 2011. Gudbranson will be starting his fourth season in Florida, but only has 21 career points and unfortunately has become a target by referees for taking careless penalties. Huberdeau had a fantastic first season in the NHL with 31 points in 48 games that earned him the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year. However, last season, he came off of off-season hip surgery which shortened his conditioning prior to the season. He ended up only scoring 28 points in 69 games and seemed uncomfortable on the ice throughout most of the season.
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is another name that should be mentioned as a player that needs to play his role better for overall team succession. He is entering his sixth season with the Panthers after being drafted 14th overall in 2009. Throughout his career so far, there have been flashes of greatness at times. On the other side, there are also too many instances of poor decisions and with the puck and him taking unnecessary penalties. He had a career high of 28 points in the 2011-2012 season, but management is looking for him to surpass that and show the play that has amazed them consistently.
Veteran forward Tomas Fleischmann had two very good seasons with the Panthers with 61 points in 82 games in 2011-2012 and 35 points in 48 games in 2013. However, he regressed tremendously last season with 22 points in 80 games. Similarly to Fleischmann, veteran forward Tomas Kopecky surprised the team in 2013 with 27 points in 47 games, but did not get close last season with just 12 points in 49 games that included plagued injuries. Defenseman Brian Campbell did not disappoint nearly as much as Fleischmann and Kopecky, but did lower his point total to 37 points in 82 games when he had 53 points in 82 games in 2011-2012 and 27 points in 48 games in 2013 in Florida.
If those young players mentioned can reach or surpass their expectations along with the veterans named to return to their previous scoring totals, that can help the Panthers easily rise up in the standings and out of the league's basement. Tallon also was very busy this summer in costless agency to assist with veteran presence on and off the ice.
Possibly the biggest signing was defenseman Willie Mitchell, whom recently won his second Stanley Cup last season with the Los Angeles Kings. At age 37, he signed a 2-year deal and should be a huge asset for rookie defenseman Aaron Ekblad, whom was the first overall pick in last summer's draft. Another key signing was forward Jussi Jokinen, whom should fit in nicely in the Top 6 with 57 points last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forward Dave Bolland will ideally fit the third line center role. If he can stay healthy, the Panthers hope he can go back to a 35-50 point pace that he had a few years ago with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also won two Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2010 and 2013.
Forward Shawn Thornton is not expected to do much on the score sheet, but was signed to fill the agitator role on the fourth line that was left behind last season by former Panther Krys Barch. Thornton was a large part in the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 and did and also won one with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Forward Derek MacKenzie was signed after playing last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He should play as the fourth line center to make the Panthers very strong at the center position. Last, but not least, after being disappointed in the play of Dan Ellis towards the end of last season, Tallon signed goaltender Al Montoya, whom has had a career as a very respectable backup. He played the last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, but at age 29 should provide a good goaltender combination with starter Roberto Luongo.
Speaking of goaltender Roberto Luongo, he will also have to be a huge part of the team's success throughout the season. At age 35, he was traded back to Florida towards the second half of last season. While his statistics are not as good as they were in the prime of his career, the Panthers should have a dependable starter in him for at least a few more years. If the defense does not give up nearly as many shots as in the last two seasons, it should make Luongo's job even easier.
With all that being said, on paper and through character, this Panthers roster looks much better than the past two seasons with the mix of developing young players and experienced veterans. If certain elements can all come together, Opening Night is just the start to what could be a very exciting season for Panthers fans. This season should just be the beginning to many more positive ones to come with a plethora of young highly-skilled prospects still in the minor hockey leagues or in college. Get ready to buckle up, Panthers fans. Prepare to finally start enjoying the ride to hopefully watching a contender.