Florida Panthers: Evaluating the Goaltending Position this Past Season

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SUNRISE, FL – FEBRUARY 6: Goaltender Harri Sateri /

Harri Sateri is yet another goalie that the Panthers never expected to be part of their team this year. When they signed him in the offseason, his purpose was simply to stay in the AHL and man the net in Springfield. Instead, Sateri played a pivotal role for the Cats this season, and could even be credited for resurrecting the season for the Florida Panthers.

When both Luongo and Reimer went down, all eyes turned to Sateri. It was his chance to prove that he could be an NHL goaltender. It was rough at first for Harri, but before being sent back to Springfield, he was the one who started the resurrection of the Florida Panthers. In his first three starts, Sateri allowed a total of 14 goals, and the Panthers lost all three of those games. The Panthers were already one of the worst teams in the NHL, and it looked like it was only going to get worse.

Suddenly, Sateri decided that he was going to carry the team on his back, and win four straight games. In those four games, he only allowed 6 goals. This small run not only gave life to the Panthers, but it also set them up perfectly for the return of Reimer and Luongo who would take the reigns from there.

Harri Sateri had a very successful first season in the NHL, and he proved to everyone that he is an NHL caliber goaltender.

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