The last time the Florida Panthers met the St. Louis Blues it was a much more meaningful matchup. February 20th they would take their fifth win in a row a 2-1 thriller, who knew then where we’d be right now? Things have been disappointing since to say the least as the Cats have gone 5-16-1 since then, going from third in the division to just about the bottom.
A night where Ian McCoshen made his NHL debut, the Panthers just could not grab the elusive win they’ve been looking for. Early in the first the chances were there for but as has been the story of much of the season the Cats would fail to convert.
.@goldieonice chats with @FlaPanthers defenseman Ian McCoshen, who will be making his NHL debut tonight in front of his family. #NHL pic.twitter.com/agffXPEhEY
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) April 6, 2017
Ryan Reaves would open the scoring putting the Blues up 1-0 after a slight mishap by Ian McCoshen, but he gets a pass for that one. In the second period Vincent Trocheck would answer back. Scoring his first goal since February 28th and tying the game at 1. McCoshen would get his first NHL point on this goal a secondary assist with Jaromir Jagr on the primary, what a memory that will be for the young defenseman.
Trocheck goal pic.twitter.com/0h2Nh0jjKh
— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) April 7, 2017
One of the best goal scorers in the league however would not go down quietly. Shortly after Trochecks goal, Vladimir Tarasenko would regain the lead for the Blues. A wicked wrister that would ping off the crossbar into James Reimers back and right in the net, tough.
Just 55 seconds into the third, Michael Matheson would speed into the Blues zone and tuck a wrap around attempt home. Knotting things up at 2 and we had ourselves a hockey game, well at least at that moment we did. David Perron however had other plans, on a valiant single hand effort he would beat Reimer to make it 3-2.
Alt. view of Matheson goal: pic.twitter.com/wJHbtmgFLZ
— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) April 7, 2017
The tic for tac would continue, just minutes after the Perron goal Denis Malgin would net a sweet one timer and things were back even once again. However to much of our disappointment the tic for tac would end there. The Panthers would be buried by 2 power play goals scored by the Blues just 3 minutes apart from each other, tack on the empty netter and you have your final 6-3 score.
Malgin goal pic.twitter.com/3vBBuBXdny
— Cats On The Prowl (@Cats0ntheprowl) April 7, 2017
Losing sucks, we all hate it but at this point we’re all numb to it, right? The good take away from this game is that Ian McCoshen is for real. His chances of making the roster next October will only get better as the time approaches. Barring the few mistakes that happened and will happen with a young defenseman, he shows lots of promise as someone who could be an everyday NHL D man.
The Panthers play their last home game on Saturday and I will be in attendance. Hoping for a good one and maybe a Gordie Howe hat trick for the retiring Shawn Thornton cause why not? That would be really cool!