The Circus Continues

The Foreigner, useless.

Clemmensen calls out his teammates.

Coach thinks the goalie needs to look in the mirror.

WTF is going on?  Is it a mutiny?  Have we derailed?  Or is it just business as usual?

The circus known as the Florida Panthers appears to be unraveling with players and coaches venting.  What to make of it you say?  Well let’s start with goaltender Scott Clemmensen who for most of his career has been a backup goaltender.  Clemmensen had a career year last year with the New Jersey Devils filling in quite nicely for the injured Martin Brodeur winning 25 games.  Clemmensen became a free agent after last season and was signed quickly after the free agent frenzy began this season by the Panthers after learning that they could not sign Craig Anderson.

Click below to see the post game comments by Clemmensen about the Panthers defence, his play and his thoughts about the game.

http://capitals.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-5&id=50907

Now I have to ask.  Is he right or wrong by making these comments?  My personal opinion is that you need to take these comments at face value for what they are and nothing more.  He thinks the defence could have played better.  He’s not blasting anyone and he’s not speaking as though he’s pissed off.  He’s just telling it like it is and in his opinion feeling that the defence in front of him should be better.

I agree.  Although while some of the goals appeared soft, and his play of late hasn’t been that superb either, you have to admit that the Panthers defence is chaotic, and unpredictable.  You never know what you’ll get.  Clemmensen may be used to a better than average unit in front of him, but when he admits that things need to worked on in practice that says alot.

Coach Peter DeBoer comments that Clemmensen needs to look at himself throughout all this and that comment makes me question the accountability that he was promising to instill in these players.  There is nothing wrong with admiting that your goalie might be right, even if he is the backup.  There’s noting wrong with agreeing that yes, this defence needs work and we better get on it, or there will be changes.  Nothing wrong with that.  You’re not pointing out a specific player, and you’re not saying anything that isn’t true.

Look, last year in November after getting completely embarrased by the San Jose Sharks, Mike Keenan then the coach of the Calgary Flames cancelled a 3 day team vacation out west and the players went home to work on the defence.  What followed was significantly better play for most of the rest of the season.  Forget the injuries and cap issues that came about for them  and their first round exit.  The point is that organizations that actually want to win, actually do something about it.

It’s time that this organEYEzation starts doing the right things and not the popular things.

The Foreigner has been declared-USELESS by the coach?!  Well, not exactly.  However when coach DeBoer was asked about Ville Koistinenenenen‘s ice time (2 shifts) in Saturday night’s game DeBoer said ” He couldn’t help us”.  Now there’s a comment that you can really get some mileage out of.  Are these two truly on different pages, or are they not even reading the same book?  How long before The Foreigner get’s himself out of here?

I’m thinking of changing his nickname from The Foreigner to The Stripper….You know like big bust!

So here we are after 15 games with players grumbling, coaches snipping, and fans deteriorating.  Life as usual for the Florida Panthers.  How do we survive?  I don’t know.  How about watch the games in a drunken stupor?  Why not since that’s how it seems the players are playing!

NOTE:   Listening to Hockey Night In Canada Radio on the way home last night.  Get this.  There are 117 injured players this year!  Yikes!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers