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Florida Panthers: Best moments from 2017 in Pantherland

By Cal Friedman

SUNRISE, FL - OCTOBER 30: Jonathan Huberdeau
SUNRISE, FL - OCTOBER 30: Jonathan Huberdeau /
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October 7th: Bob Boughner’s First Win

(Tampa Bay Lightning 4-5 Florida Panthers)

Florida Panthers new coach Bob Boughner, center, with GM Gale Tallon and CEO Matthew Caldwell as the team holds a press conference to annouce the new coach at the BB&T Center.
Florida Panthers new coach Bob Boughner, center, with GM Gale Tallon and CEO Matthew Caldwell as the team holds a press conference to annouce the new coach at the BB&T Center. /

Bob Boughner’s first win came in our home opener this season in a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay. The game prior was a defeat in Tampa by a final score of 5-3, so revenge was in the mind of the Panthers’ organization from players to fans.

The game couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov struck inside the first five minutes to make it 2-0. Under Tom Rowe, the Panthers were awful at responding to adversity, the morale was always low under him, and a lot of me felt that the Panthers were done for.

The Cats did the exact opposite of what my head thought. They turned on the style and pulled a goal back before the end of the first through Evgenii Dadonov on a rebound at the end of the first, then equalized after Dadonov turned provider to Nick Bjugstad with a pinpoint pass.

Despite Brayden Point’s shot that got through Reimer, the Panthers were so dominant that I was confident we would win. Colton Sceviour, Jared McCann, and Vincent Trocheck chipped in with goals in quick file, and despite a consolation goal from Tyler Johnson, the Cats held on for their first win, and in term, Bob Boughner’s first win as an NHL head coach.

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