Just a few thoughts before I dive into some of your questions…
The Panthers are officially in the playoffs. We knew they'd get the "X" by their name in the standings at some point, but it's a great feeling to actually see it. As Joel Quenneville said following Tuesday's playoff-clinching victory, this was a goal of the team's from the outset, and the experiences the players are about to have during this playoff push and into the playoffs will go a long way. Bill Lindsay and I will be co-hosting a playoff preview special on 560 WQAM "The Joe" next week (More info to come), and if you want to get fired up for the playoffs, tune in. Hearing Billy talk about the playoffs gets me fired up.
Doug Plagens' Panthers Mailbag Volume Twelve
South Florida, meet Sam Bennett. Wow, what an impact he's making on the Panthers since his arrival just under three weeks ago. With the overtime winner last night in Chicago to secure the Panthers 4-3 victory, Bennett now has points in seven of the eight games he has played for the team. The Panthers are 6-2-0 since his arrival. He has also delivered 26 hits over those eight games; some of which have been thunderous. He mentioned in an interview on Bally Sports Florida this week that he's having the most fun of his career, and it's impossible to measure the intensity he's bringing every night. The style that he plays - the style that's making him successful and a great fit with the Panthers - is the same style that has made him a consistent playoff point producer in his career.
Spencer Knight has played three games in the National Hockey League, and hasn't been 20 years old for two full weeks, but he looks like he's played at the highest level for years. I haven't seen many athletes in major league sports- not just hockey- who have exhibited such a calmness, composure and confidence at such a young age. Watching his continued development is going to be an absolute treat.
Aleksander Barkov had 11 goals and 15 points in 15 April games. Jonathan Huberdeau posted 17 points over 16 games played in April. That's a combined 32 points in 31 games for a pair of players who, outside of special teams, usually play on different lines. To say they're creating matchup problems for the opposition most nights is an understatement. This has been such a fun season. Thanks everyone for being on board! The most fun is still to come!
Now, your questions…
@DaleJH66: Does Huby's ENG, awarded because a penalty was called, count as a SOG? It doesn't look like it from the box score. Saros had 55 save attempts and the Panthers had 55 SOG. That would mean a player could score a goal w/out having a SOG?? Great trivia question.
This references Jonathan Huberdeau's automatic empty-net goal on Tuesday night, and thanks for bringing this up! It's always fun to dive into the rule book. There was no shot on goal on the play you're referencing. I've taken the passage below from the Official NHL Rule Book:
"Rule 25 - Awarded Goals/25.1 Awarded Goal - A goal will be awarded to the attacking team when the opposing team has taken their goalkeeper off the ice and an attacking player has possession and control of the puck (or would have gained possession and control) in the neutral or attacking zone, without a defending player between himself and the opposing goal, and he is prevented from scoring as a result of an infraction committed by the defending team."
It's an "awarded goal", and there is no shot on goal on the play. Between this definition of the rule, the numbers you've brought up from Tuesday night's box score (Which haven't been changed in any way since Tuesday night), and also the fact that a shot toward an empty net blocked by a defender does not count as a shot on goal, Jonathan Huberdeau did indeed score a goal on Tuesday night without registering a shot on goal on the play! The "Awarded Goal" or "automatic goal" is a pretty rare occurrence. In 970 professional games (I added them up) that I've called at the NHL, AHL, and ECHL levels, I believe I've seen it happen three times. And as you said, Tuesday's box score has the Panthers down for 55 shots on goal, and it says Juuse Saros faced 55 shots. One other note: the Panthers shot total was being monitored closely as the game took place, and after the game in the event of a stat revision, because the 55 shots on goal tied a Panthers team record. One more shot would have been a 56th, and would have been a new single-game franchise record for shots on goal.
On a similar note, there wouldn't be a shot on goal if a player on the defending team- the team with the empty net- inadvertently played a puck into his own goal. Yes, it is possible to score a goal without registering a shot on net!
@yodiwan1: Players are known to be superstitious. Do you have any superstitions before calling a game or in general?
Hmmmmm… I don't really have any superstitions, but I will say that I can be superstitious. What do I mean by that?!
I'm not superstitious day-to-day, but if something seems to work and be a precursor to success, I'll keep going back to it. For example, I was an intern for the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League in the '07-08 season. My friend Nate and I were the broadcasting interns. Before a Saturday night game, we stopped and grabbed Burger King- Double Whoppers and fries- on the way to the arena, and the Crunch won. The next game, we didn't go to Burger King, and the Crunch lost badly. The remedy? Before the next game, a trip to Burger King was in order.
The Crunch proceeded to win 15 straight games, and we ate a lot of Burger King. The game plan was working, and we couldn't deviate from the plan. We couldn't disrupt the mojo!
Basically, if something goes well, and I want a repeat of that outcome, I'll try to recreate the formula that led to the positive outcome. When the positive outcome stops happening, I'll start over! I guess that makes me a bit superstitious. Or, as Michael Scott said in The Office… "I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious."
@big5hole25: Is it harder calling the games off of the feed than live?
There's no question that calling games off a monitor, especially in a sport as fast as hockey, is different from calling a game in-person. Whether it's a technical obstacle, or just the mere fact that the feed on the monitor is limited to the action happening within the camera view at a given time, there have been occasional challenges, but we make it all work. That's a key element of this season across the board: the ability to adapt on the fly and make things work. The NHL Broadcasting Department deserves a ton of credit for making sure that the feeds we're getting are the best they can possibly be, and that the natural sound from the road arenas comes over clearly enough that it sounds good over the air; that it sounds like "we're there"!
Our communications department at the Panthers has done an outstanding job in making sure that we get as much access, interviews, and soundbites as possible. I'm very proud of everyone on our radio crew this season because I believe that we've been able to really get into a rhythm with this unique setup, and that we haven't let an ounce of quality slip. Most of all, thanks to all of you for listening! It truly means the world to us.
Thanks so much everyone, as always, for the questions. If you didn't see yours, it may appear in a future mailbag!
