The first half of the season went just about as poorly as possible for the Panthers. Falling to below .500, losing key players to injury time and time again, being on the receiving end of terrible bounces, missed (or bogus) calls, shoddy goaltending, seemingly non-existent defense, stifled offense… it was a recipe for disaster.
The All-Star break has come and gone, and now the Cats look to the last section of the season. Every game is a must-win if there is to be any chance at sneaking into a wildcard spot and making the playoffs. Right now, that is just a dream. Only a winning record will make that dream a reality, and it’s going to be a long, uphill climb to get there.
Can our Cats pull this off? Is there still a glimmer of hope left this season? Many fans say no–that this season is washed and done. We’re currently 3 points out of a wildcard spot, but many of the teams above us have games in hand, making that 3 points much harder to attain. It would take 7-9 points to really and truly gain ground in this race toward the post-season. We have yet to have a 3-game win streak this season, and that’s the kind of effort we will need to get back in this fight.
In positive news, Anthony Duclair should be off LTIR soon and make his season debut, and Bobrovsky will be back in net tonight after a stint on IR due to a lower body injury.
Time will tell if The Panthers have it in them this year, and it all starts tonight against our in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Let’s grit our teeth and hope for the best! It’s Time to Hunt.
Cat Scratch Fever 