February 9, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Jose Theodore (60) sits on the bench during the third period after he was pulled from the game against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center. The Capitals won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The play of the Panthers’ goaltenders this season is not THE reason for the teams 6-9-5 record but it is A reason, and a very big reason at that. All the numbers bear out the opinion that the Panthers have had terrible goalie play this season. The Florida Panthers rank last in the NHL in goals allowed per game allowing 3.60 per game, but only ranks 24th in shots allowed per game with 31.3.

Individually the Panthers goalies do not look any better. Jose Theodore ranks 39th in the NHL in GAA (3.30) and 35th in SV% (.892). Scott Clemmensen ranks 42nd in GAA (3.98) and 41st in SV% (.865). Clemmensen’s ranks are last and second to last in GAA and SV% respectively out of qualifying NHL goaltenders.

Lets compare Florida’s keepers to some other to see what were dealing with. Chicago Blackhawk Corey Crawford leads the NHL in GAA with 1.46 while ex-Panther Craig Anderson is second with a 1.49 GAA for the Senators. These two flip-flop in SV% with Anderson in the top spot (.952) followed by Crawford (.943).

It doesn’t take a genius realize the Panthers do not have top NHL goaltenders so lets look at some average goaltenders. With a GAA of 2.69, the Flyers’ Ilya Bryzgalov ranks 21st out of 42 goalies. Thats .61 goals per game better than Theo and 1.29 better than Clemmensen. Sergei Bobrovskyof the Columbus Blue Jackets is not an elite goalie by any measure but his GAA 2.90 and SV% of .899 are far better than Theo and Clemmer.

February 21, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen (30) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at the Wells Fargo Center. The Panthers defeated the Flyers, 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

So yes the Panthers goalies have not played well this year, but what can the team do about it? As far as I can tell, the team has two options: A) ride out the storm and hope their current duo improves as the season goes on or B) call up Jacob Markstrom for good and trade either Theodore or Clemmensen. I thought the team was going in the direction of option B when Markstrom was called up last week to face the Penguins and the Bruins. Markstrom played well in those two games stopping 71 of 77 shots faced for a SV% of .915 and a GAA of 3.05. Despite losing in both of his starts, Markstrom looked good and I think he looked like an NHL ready goaltender.

Markstrom was sent down following Florida’s 4-1 loss to Boston on Sunday making it seem like the Panthers are going to try to win with the goalies they have in Theodore and Clemmensen. In the two games following Markstrom being sent down, the Panthers have been forced to make a goalie change mid-game. Theodore was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots in two periods Tuesday against the Penguins and Clemmensen was pulled in the first period of last nights 4-3 SO loss to the Sabres after allowing three goals on ten shots.

Feb 24, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom (35) before a game against the Boston Bruins at the BB

I do not necessarily think the Panthers made the wrong move sending Markstrom back to the San Antonio Rampage. The 23 year old Swede is only in his third year playing in the American professional leagues. If the organization feels he needs more seasoning in the minors than so be it. Markstrom is pegged as the goalie of the future for the Panthers and it is clear that the future is not quite here yet. It would be a shame to rush Markstrom along to play for a team that quite frankly does not look like a playoff team no matter who is between the pipes.

That being said, it is painful to watch Theodore and Clemmensen night in and night out knowing that Markstrom is waiting in the wings. Its like when you hear a song on the radio you like but still scan the stations because their could be a song playing on another station that you like even more.

I think Florida should give Theo and Clemmensen a little bit more time and see what happens if they turn things around and the Panthers make a playoff push, there will be no reason to call up Markstrom. If they tank and the Panthers playoff hopes fly out the window than I could see Florida brining Markstrom up to play the last quarter season or so to get some low stress NHL game experience.

Will we ever see the Panthers this season?? 

Today was the day the Panthers were set to open their 2012-2013 road schedule. They were to face off against the Washington Capitals, a team they mightily struggled against but beat out for the division crown last season. Obviously, we know this isn’t happening thanks to the lockout but why not look at what was sure to be a good series this season?

Last season, the Capitals took the series four games to two. However, the Panthers won two of three at the former Bank Atlantic Center (now BB&T Center). (Source: Florida Panthers) Of course, as we know both teams made the playoffs last season. The Panthers battled toe-to-toe with the New Jersey Devils in Round 1, losing only on a double overtime goal in Game 7, while the Capitals beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in that same round before losing to the New York Rangers in Round 2.

The most intriguing part of these teams battles would have to be the goaltending. The Panthers return both Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen, with Jacob Markstrom waiting in the wings ready whenever needed, while the Capitals return Michal Neuvirth with last season’s playoff hero, Braden Holtby, waiting for his turn. (Source: Florida Panthers & Washington Capitals) We also have plenty of offensive firepower in this matchup, with Alex Ovechkin and others against the likes of Kris Versteeg, Stephen Weiss and more.

Another thing that would be intriguing to watch this season, if we happen to have a season, would be seeing which team was more motivated. In other words, who wants it more? The Panthers won the Southeast Division title last season but had a losing record against the Caps. The Caps, on the other hand, were pretty good against the Panthers last season but lost the title because they struggled against some other SE Division teams.

Of course, this was sure to be a great matchup. Will it happen at all this season? That seems to be the question everyone’s asking these days. Regardless of whether it happens or not we can still show our team pride. In that case, Panther fans, why don’t you shout it out loud so everyone can hear?…WE. SEE. RED!!!!!

Nov 3, 2011: Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the BankAtlantic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The 2011-2012 season for the Panthers was a wild and crazy ride. With massive changes all around, from the front office to the blue line, they made great strides to show that hockey can survive in Florida. The “We See Red” campaign made a huge influence on the fan base in South Florida, as well as draw in more fans than before. Dale Tallon’s complete overhaul of the roster has started to pay off in leaps and bounds, ans this team may have the best chance in a while of running deep into a playoff berth. Without going crazy into the details of the last season, we will take a brief look at some of the “rookies” I feel will make a big impact in the future.

Offense: Michal Repik

The 5’10″ RW from the Czech Republic may not be considered by many as a “rookie”, seeing that he was drafted on ’07. However, he is, for the most part, a rookie as far as his NHL experience is concerned. He has been putting up good numbers in the AHL affiliate, and comes in to play when there are too many blue line injuries. He played 17 games for the Panthers last season, putting up 2 goals, 3 assist, and 5 points (Source: http://panthers.nhl.com/v2/ext/pdf/PanthersSeasonInReview-201112.pdf, pg 25). I would like to see him do better with the Panthers in the future, maybe more pro ice time is the key?

Defense: Tyson Stracthen

The Panthers have been working hard to shore up that D line that has plagued games in the past. He may not be a Panthers drafted player, but he appears to be a solid defensemen. I would keep an eye on him in the future.

Goal: Jacob Markstrom, AKA “Bigfoot”(Pictured Above)

This is the player I am most excited about, and I hope many others are as well. At 6’6″, he is tall for a goalie. However, he fills the net with little effort and can move around well for a man his height in net. He also has put up good numbers in both the NHL and AHL, recording a 0.925 Save % for the Rampage and a 0.923 Save % for the Panthers (source: http://panthers.nhl.com/v2/ext/pdf/PanthersSeasonInReview-201112.pdf, pg 25). Dale Tallon has even said that he is the future of Florida goal-tending. I hope so. I don’t believe that A) Jose Theodore is the future of the club, and B) Sadly, Clemmenson was never set up to be a starting goalie. The Panthers will bring him in to start when he is ready, and when he is, I believe that the Panthers will become an even bigger threat in the NHL.

I am excited to see what happens this season, as long as we have a season to play. However, if the lockout persist, feel free to see these guys as they play for the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL. At least they aren’t locked out.