The Party is Over for Florida Panthers: Time to Focus on Old Friends the Devils

From George Richards' On Frozen Pond

At first glance, the Panthers are facing a well-known foe when the playoffs open up this week.

The New Jersey Devils were the last team to face the Panthers in the postseason with Martin Brodeur picking up four wins as the Devils swept Florida in the 2000 opening round. Florida center John Madden was part of that Devils team and admits he is still friends with a number of former teammates on that team. Scott Clemmensen played for New Jersey as recently as 2009.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer, well, we all know that story.

Aside from those connections, however, and the Panthers and Devils don't know much about each other. Both teams have two wins in the season series, one that ended way back on Feb. 11. When the Devils come south, it will be their first visit to Florida since December 13.

Florida plays host to the Devils in the opening game on Friday with Game 2 on Sunday. Florida visits New Jersey on April 17 and 19. Game 5, if necessary, will be in South Florida on April 21. All games will be televised locally on FS Florida.

“We’ve got a lot of homework to do over the next couple of days,'' coach Kevin Dineen said. “We’ll be very busy as a staff to give our players the right amount of information on New Jersey. I have tremendous amount of respect for that organization. Lou Lamoriello has a level of stability there and Pete’s done a wonderful job this year.

“They’ve got some really entertaining players, and I’m not blowing smoke. That’s a good team we’re going to play. So we’re going to need to be at the top of our game in the playoffs to have success in Round 1.”

Even though the Panthers are the third seed in the Eastern Conference, they are the definite underdog in the opening round. The Devils finished the regular season with a flourish, winning six straight with three of those wins coming against playoff-bound teams.

The Devils also earned eight more points (with 10 more wins) in the regular season than Florida did, finishing fourth in the Atlantic division behind the Rangers.

Florida, meanwhile, snapped a five-game winless streak by beating visiting Carolina 4-1 on Saturday night. That win brought the team its first division championship in franchise history and the third seed in the east.

Madden resumed his hockey career with the Panthers after signing as a free agent in January, making his season debut Jan. 6 against his former teammates in Newark. Madden, who scored his third goal of the season on Saturday, said the Devils are a different bunch than the one he left behind in 2009.

“I still know a lot of the guys and take vacation over the summer with some of them,'' Madden said. “It's business as usual. This is playoff hockey, but you look back to see how you played them, see how you match up. I'm sure they feel they match up with well against us. It's going to be a good series.''

The key to the Devils – as has been the case since the mid-90s – is Brodeur. The three-time Stanley Cup champion turns 40 next month and hasn't taken the Devils out of the second round since 2003. Brodeur is 1-2 against the Panthers this season, but his 37 wins against the Panthers are most by a single goalie all-time. In 2000, Brodeur gave up just six goals in the four-game sweep of the Panthers.

Clemmensen spent parts of five seasons backing up the future first-ballot Hall of Famer and filled in admirably when Brodeur was injured and missed most of the 2008-09 season. Clemmensen's success as a fill-in starter led to a three-year deal from the Panthers the following summer.

Clemmensen could be tabbed as Florida's starter at least for the time being. Clemmensen stopped 34 of 35 shots on Saturday and has given up just five goals in his past four starts. Clemmensen is also 4-0 against the Devils over the course of his career.

“I feel good about my game right now,'' Clemmensen said. “Whether I start [Game 1] or not, I'm going to be ready to play. It could be Game 2 or whatever. I'll be ready. I don't know who is going to start. You do the best you can and you want to play every game.

"I've had four starts in four weeks and I played the hand I was dealt. You make the most of it, put the decision in their hands.''

There is still plenty of support for Jose Theodore in the locker room, especially since a good number of players give Theodore credit for helping the Panthers get where they are today. “Clemmensen made a real statement with his game [Saturday], as well as in the last month,'' Dineen said.

Said Ed Jovanovski: “Theodore has played the majority of the games this season and has been our MVP. That's how I feel about it. We know we have two great goaltenders.''

--Not long after Dineen was hired by the Panthers as coach, DeBoer gave him a call not only to offer his congratulations but to talk about the position. DeBoer coached the Panthers for three seasons before being fired the day after Florida's win over Washington in the 2010-11 season finale.

DeBoer, who had a season left on his contract with the Panthers, was hired by the Devils in July.

No one could have guessed the two coaches would be facing each other in the opening round of the playoffs.

“We never know how those things play out,'' Dineen said. “It’s a tight circle, the hockey world. There’s always a level of respect. The coaching community is always tight. Pete has done a heck of job over there this year and he knows our players well, he’s got a little bit of an advantage on that front.”

--The Panthers will hold practices from Monday through Thursday at the Saveology.com Iceplex in Coral Springs. Practice, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 10:30 each morning.

Gameday, Panthers vs. Hurricanes, W (4-1, Clemmensen in Goal) SE Division Champs!

He didn't play tonight, but he's a HUGE part of this SE Division title. And here's his beautiful smile. (Courtesy of George Richards)

I'm not happy with this decision. I understand the Panthers haven't won with José in goal for a few games, but after the great play he gave them this season, this seems like a slap in the face. I know it's a very important game, SE division title on the line, but I feel like Dineen is punishing José for the recent losses, even though they are team losses. Yet José is the one that got the team to this position.

But that's an emotional response from a José fan, so take it for what it's worth. Maybe I could look at it as giving José a rest before the playoffs begin. Of course, if Clemmensen starts the first game of the playoffs, then I'll know that's not the case...

What bothers me the most are Dineen's comments from last post-game. This is from George Richards' On Frozen Pond:

It will be interesting to see whom coach Kevin Dineen starts against Carolina. Dineen reiterated that Jose Theodore is Florida's starting goalie, yet he wasn't happy with Theodore's past two performances. Florida could have clinched the division with a win Tuesday against Winnipeg yet coughed up a 3-0 lead and lost 5-4 in overtime.

On Thursday, Dineen pulled Theodore after Washington jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second. Theodore took a break on the bench before returning less than two minutes later.

“He's not getting off the hook,'' Dineen said. “He's been my go-to guy and he needs to get it done. He has to make sure his game is in order. He's been around a while and we have a strong relationship. He knows my expectations.''

Gameday, Panthers @ Capitals, L (2-4) But they clinched a playoff spot!!

After the first period, the Panthers trail the Capitals 0-1. José stopped 7 of 8 shots on goal. The one that got through was a flukey deflection goal. I'm more concerned with the fact that the Panthers had a power play and didn't get one shot on goal during the two minutes. :(

We need the offense to show up...soon!

The Panthers trail 1-3 after the 2nd period. José was pulled temporarily after the 3rd goal, but was back in not long after. Seemed to be more of a "breather" rather than using a timeout. None of those goals were soft, it's just unfortunate that this had to happen against Washington, in Washington. The fans were not kind to him.

Ok, so I would've much rather won tonight to clinch the playoff spot, but however it happened, it happened. Buffalo lost tonight, so both the Caps and Panthers clinched playoff spots. The Panthers can still clinch the division with a win on Saturday, last game of the season. They're trying to make it as exciting as possible, I guess? ~sigh~

I am extremely proud of José for sticking it out, not losing his cool after the 3 goals, and after being temporarily pulled in the 2nd. He hung in there and gave them a chance to win. The Panthers just couldn't convert on many opportunities.

Gameday, Panthers vs. Jets, 4-5 (OT)

This could prove to be a HUGE game tonight. Since the Capitals lost in regulation last night, the Panthers could CLINCH THE SE DIVISION with a win tonight!!! That is so exciting I could scream. This is going to be the longest day ever waiting for the game.
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After one period the Panthers lead 2-0!! That feels good. I'm not counting on anything yet, but at least we have a little breathing room. The Panthers are outshooting the Jets 12-5.

José saved all 5 shots he faced. He wasn't tested too much, but one of those was a difficult save, and he came through with flying colors.

Well, things got a little hairy there in the 2nd half of the 2nd period. The Jets scored 2 and cut the Panthers lead to 3-2. The Jets poured it on with 13 shots on goal, and José stopped 11 of them. The 2nd goal that was scored was after he made 3 initial saves. Big period coming up. The Panthers can't sit back.

There is less than 9:00 left in the 3rd period and the Panthers now trail 3-4. Just know if they end up losing, I won't be updating this entry for a while. So if there isn't an update, you'll know why.

Ok, the Panthers lost 4-5 in OT. José stopped 25 of 30 shots on the night.

I'll just say that the Panthers wouldn't even be close to the position they are in if it wasn't for him, so if he let in a soft goal tonight, then I could point fingers at a whole lot of other games where he stood on his head. The rest of the team could've stepped up, and they didn't. And that's all I'll say about that.

They only need 1 point to clinch the division still. They have 2 games left, one in Washington on Thursday, and then at home vs. Carolina on Saturday. They will get that point, and they will clinch the division. It's just going to be a little longer for it to happen.

José Theodore is still the MVP of this team, as far as I'm concerned, and I honestly don't care what anyone else says.

Do you follow this page on Facebook?

If not, you might want to pop over there and consider following. It's José Theodore, NHL Goalie.

I typically post the same type stuff here, but if you'd like to see it on your FB wall, you might like it there. Just wanted to let you know about that in case you didn't already.

My main point of this post is that a follower over there has posted some really neat photos the past couple days. She's a fan of his from back in his Montreal days, so she has some older photos that I had never seen before. It seems most are from magazines and newspapers. Her name is Marielle, and I'm not sure if she visits here, but if so I wanted to say thanks again, Marielle!!

Enjoy!!

My all-time favorite has become this one. I've been hoping for a nice quality childhood photo, and here it is. Little José playing for Richelieu Riverains. I can't get over the adorableness of this.

This was from the night of José and Stephanie's first "official" date. It was the opening of Planet Hollywood in Montreal in July 1998. It was the first time they were out in public in full view of cameras, etc. And he had said in an article once (thanks to Val for the info) that the Planet Hollywood opening was their first or second date. She had just turned 21 and he was not quite 22 yet.

These were both from 2000.

2001

Then these were all from 2002

The inset here includes Stephanie (being hugged), her sister Véronique Cloutier and her husband Louis Morissette. I asked what the photo was from, and Véro actually responded that it was from the 2002 playoffs against Boston!

And we all know what this is from!

Thanks again, Marielle!

Florida Panthers Being Carried by their Goalies ... Jose Theodore, Scott Clemmensen Standing Tall for Cats

By Christina DiNicola at On Frozen Pond

If the Panthers hope to party like it’s the 1999-2000 season -- the last time they reached the playoffs -- they’ll continue to ride their goaltending duo.

Starter Jose Theodore (22-5-10) holds a 2.38 goals-against-average with a .920 save percentage in 49 games. Backup Scott Clemmensen (13-6-6) made 31 saves in Sunday’s shootout loss to Detroit, but moved to 2-0-1 in his last three games with a .959 save percentage.

Over the past few weeks, Clemmensen started two other games, winning in both Philadelphia and Montreal.

“Our goaltending’s just been really reliable, it’s been solid, it’s been a difference maker,” coach Kevin Dineen said.

“They are two guys that really mesh well together. There’s chemistry between them. I think Clem understands that he’s not always getting the start two, three times a week.

“And I haven’t given him easy games. He’s really done a fabulous job for us. That is not an easy thing to do. And I think that helps keep Jose sharp as well. So it’s really been a good balance for us this year.”

Following Sunday’s game against the Red Wings, Clemmensen said that now is the time of the year to be playing one’s best hockey.

“The whole team’s into it, such a fun time to be playing right now,” Clemmensen said. “Everyone’s expecting to make the playoffs, you want to be there and contributing as opposed to years past when we were out of it and playing for pride or yourself. It’s always fun to be a part of what’s going on right now in South Florida and the team.”

And through it all, the pair has had to be at top form of late. Over the past seven games, the Panthers have scored just 10 goals.

Despite this span, Florida earned at least one point for the 11th time in its last 13 games (6-2-5) in Sunday’s shootout loss to Detroit, allowing two (non-shootout) goals or less in all but three of those contests.

“It’s been huge for us all year,” defenseman Ed Jovanovski said of the goaltending. “I said it in Montreal, I think Jose has been our MVP this year, and when Clemmy has the opportunity to come in, he’s played great for us. We’re going to need them on most nights to be our best players, and on most nights they have.”

Added forward Stephen Weiss after Sunday’s game: “We’ve definitely got to score. Our goalies are too good and playing too well for us not to be scoring some goals. We’re going to win a lot more games.”

Florida (37-25-17) hosts Winnipeg Tuesday night and a victory would clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time in 10 years, which is an NHL record. If that happens and Washington loses to Tampa Bay on Monday, the Panthers would also have their first division title in franchise history.

On the season, Florida has been in first place for 122 days, including 37 straight.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, this is the latest the Panthers have ever been in first place in their division, previously sitting in the top spot through 68 games on March 10, 2000.

Going into Monday, the Panthers hold a three-point lead over Washington in the Southeast Division with three games left.

Florida visits Washington on Thursday and doesn't own a tiebreaker against the Capitals.

“It’s always a big responsibility as a goalie, and the last month has been really important for everybody to really play their best hockey because if you look at the standings, it was really close and we were able to get some big points,” Theodore said.

“At this time of year, every save is big. You’re not going to win games 6-0 or 6-1, and right now every save could be early in the first period or the third, but every save is big because it’s going to be those 1-1, 2-1 games. As a goalie you have to make sure you make those key saves at the right time to give your team a chance to win, and that’s what we’ve been doing lately showing character and getting points.”

Last year as a member of the Minnesota Wild, Theodore said he and his teammates were out of contention with 10 to 15 games left in the season.

But GM Dale Tallon brought in new guys such as Theodore and Jovanovski over the offseason. Still, many didn’t forecast the Panthers to be in the position they find themselves in.

“We were and are on a mission since day one, and we’ve got one big week ahead of us,” Theodore said.

“You play the game to be in the playoffs, and this year was a good chance for a lot of players and me too to be part of something. Be a leader on this team, and a lot of guys stepped up. We didn’t clinch anything yet, we’re on the right track, obviously, and it feels good to be part of something.”

Gameday, Panthers @ Red Wings, L, 1-2 (SO)

Clemmensen led the team onto the ice for warm-ups, so he's in goal. I'm just hoping for a win today, no matter who is in goal. The Panthers could use this win so badly!!! They only have a 2 point lead in the SE over Washington. The last 3 playoff spots in the East are coming down to Florida, Washington, Ottawa and Buffalo. Who will be the odd team out? Please, not Florida, please!! If they can just win 2 of 4 games, they'll be in. More for the division title, of course. But it's just about survival right now. They haven't played well enough lately to worry about the division title. They just need to make it to the playoffs, the title would be icing on the cake.

The Panthers took another game into a shootout and the Red Wings ended up winning. Wolski was the first shooter again, and I saw him going to the end of the bench and trying to talk to José again before his shot. So I think he asked advice again, so I give José another assist, because he made it! He is 2-2 since asking José's advice.

The Panthers moved one point closer to a playoff spot. If they win and get 2 points against Winnipeg on Tuesday, then they will clinch a playoff spot!