Panthers In Last Place In NHL
SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The Florida Panthers came into the lockout-shortened 2013 season hoping to duplicate last season's successful playoff run. But through six games of the season, the only thing colder than the ice the Panthers skate on has been the Panthers' scoring.
The Panthers started out with a 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Since then, the Panthers have lost five straight games and been outscored over those games by a margin of 23-5. Overall, Florida has scored a total of 10 goals this season.
The losses have led the Panthers to not only the cellar in the Southeast Division, but also in the entire NHL. The Panthers have just two points on the season thanks to the opening night victory over Carolina.
"Our record is fairly accurate of how we've played the past games here," Panthers Kevin Dineen told CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald. "I hate to say it, but we deserve to be where we are right now. I like the idea we have people here who, for a lot of us, this is foreign territory. We have to decide how to deal with it — and we will."
According to the Herald, a number of Western Conference scouts attended the Panthers' game in Tampa Tuesday night. The scouts were in town taking a look at the Panthers' roster in case general manager Dale Tallon decides to pull the trigger and start trading players.
Florida doesn't have any time to lick its wounds though. The Panthers are back on the ice on Thursday night against division rival the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg is currently second in the division with seven points and is 3-2-1 over their first six games.
The schedule gets even tougher the first full week of February. Florida will be on the road to play four games in seven days against the Buffalo Sabres, the Jets, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Washington Capitals.
The Panthers are still alive, but if the losses continue to pile up, it won't be a surprise to see the team begin to trade assets. According to the Herald, the Panthers haven't lost six in a row since dropping seven straight near the end of the 1998-99 season.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Miami Herald contributed to this report.)
