Post by Florida Panthers on May 1, 2024 15:52:20 GMT -6
After an 82-game season full of hope, it took just one playoff game for the Panthers to relive their worst nightmare.
Florida GM Jay Seo's blockbuster trade had a simple logic: he hoped that Leon Draisaitl's consistency, playoff experience, and value as a center would outweigh the loss of a superstar goalie and winger. But the plan unraveled when the ex-Florida dynamic duo of Kucherov -- who opened the series with a hat-trick and 5 points -- and Andrei Vasilevskiy led Detroit to a 7-5 win, while Juuse Saros crumbled in net for Florida. The Panthers were haunted by the memory of their first-round loss to Columbus last season, which also kicked off with a Game 1 loss and a meltdown by a newly-acquired Florida goaltender in Semyon Varlamov. Adding to the pressure, SimonT and his army of sim gods had conspired to create the only possible set of final-day results that led to a Florida-Detroit first-round matchup, which included a shock Detroit loss to the floundering Toronto Maple Leafs. In that context, Kucherov and Vasilevskiy teaming up to end their former team's season after being gifted to Detroit at the deadline seemed like the only possible conclusion; all the ingredients were there for an all-time PFHL choke.
"Jay, are you nervous about Game 2?" Flyers GM Gary Gosal asked in casual conversation.
"No, I'm not nervous, I can't really do anything else." Seo replied nonchalantly. Oh, if only Gary could have seen the twenty cases of Depends diapers that Seo had actually bought to prepare for a Game 2 loss and series sweep. A picture of calm, the GM was not.
And then the tide started to turn, first in Game 2 when Draisaitl rewrote Florida's playoff storybook in a 4-3 overtime win. Meanwhile, Saros redeemed himself by putting up a 48-save goaltending clinic in a 3-2 Game 3 victory despite being outshot 50-26. Then, in Game 4, backup goalie Adin Hill and a new shutdown line of Tomas Hertl, Jakub Voracek, and Zach Hyman led Florida to a comfortable 6-1 win. This boost in confidence helped them close out the series in Game 5, despite Vasilevskiy's miraculous 57-save performance in relief of Thomas Greiss.
For GM Seo, this series win was one of huge, palpable relief, validating his risky, all-in strategy that had raised plenty of justified skepticism throughout his three seasons in the league. Could this be the spark that inspires this team to a long playoff run? For now, that question can wait -- Seo just wants to breathe and watch a relaxing Boston-Buffalo series, beer and popcorn in hand, to see who they’ll face in the next round.
"I'm just happy for this team and organization," Seo said. "These are the kinds of series and results that make hockey fun to play. I'm having fun and enjoying the ride."
