SB Nation - Rostislav Olesz

Panthers in Christmas video?

Whale4ever — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:10:36 -0000

See if you can spot Rhino and Soup (it's rather easy) among a plethora of other high profile NHLers in this new video from Diana and Alyonka Larionov (daughters of former Red Wing Igor) benefitting Hockey Fights Cancer.

Thanks, Puck Daddy.

Panthers forwards: is this it?

Whale4ever — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:16:29 -0000

A quick peek at the NHL Stats Page is all a Cats fan requires to sink into a further funk, even on the heels of a well-executed game in Pittsburgh Saturday night. Of course, the result was all too familiar...

Individually, some Panthers are finally producing what's been expected of them for some time: as has been widely reported, forwards Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton - whipping boys of the highest order in Sunrise - have 20 and 19 points in the same number of games played, respectively. Who among the faithful are anything less than giddy over what these two have done to reverse their sagging fortunes? There are a lot of beaming Fantasy Hockey owners who gambled in their drafts...and won big.

Beyond those two, the year has been an offensive washout: Michael Frolik's two goals on Friday (his first since November 30th) give him nine on the season. Much-heralded "second-line center" (the organization's words) Steven Reinprecht has scored once in twelve games. Radek Dvorak (who has indeed wratcheted up the intensity this season) hasn't seen the back of a net in nine.

Who else among the forwards have any true offensive expectations on the shoulders? Rostislav Olesz and his 14 points? Teased year after year, we know better. Gregory Campbell or Kamil Kreps, who are a combined -13? "Suitcase" Shawn Matthias? Or perhaps faceoff whizz Dominic Moore, who - by no fault of his own - has an unfortunate habit of getting hurt. A lot.

"But Whale! But Whale! What of David Booth and Cory Stillman? Where would the Cats be with them in the lineup?"

Undoubtedly leading the Eastern Conference in every major category.

What's it matter? They're not here now and probably won't be for some time. Based upon the little we've heard through the Panthers grapevine, it's entirely conceivable Booth won't return at all this season. Concussions tend to be nasty and unpredictable, and this one - his first - is no different. At least we know whom to hate when the postseason fires up.

Stillman is shooting for a late-December rollout, but realistically let's guess mid-January. I love and miss Stiller's hustle, leadership, and contributions as much as the next fan, but if you're hanging Florida's playoff fortunes on the return of a winger who celebrates his 36th birthday in a week, I've got some ProSet hockey cards from 1992 up for sale that are due to explode in value soon. Soon.

What to do, what to do?

Florida Panthers Played 60 Minutes, Defeated a New Jersey Devils Team Who Did Not, 4-2

John Fischer — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:11:51 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

This is what the Devils fans felt like after the Frolik goal too. Have to do better next time, Devils. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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What did I say in my preview for this game?

The Goal: 60 minutes will get you two points.

Ah, I was proven right tonight. The Florida Panthers played for the whole 60 minutes, the New Jersey Devils did not. There's your summary. Here's a link to the NHL.com recap complete with all your stats. For the Florida take, check out Litter Box Cats where the Panthers fans should be grinning from ear to ear for what they saw tonight. Credit the Panthers, they played far better than what their recent form and team stats indicated. The four game winning streak by the Devils is over, thanks for reading, and good night.

...

OK, OK, I'll put in more of a complete effort - something the home team did not do. Read on for my further thoughts.

Let's start with the highlights of the game, there's plenty to point out here from this NHL.com embedded video:

Let's review:

The first goal against came from a pass (of sorts) to the high slot where Jordan Leopold had the time, space, and position to fire a shot home.
The second and third goals against came from deflections - both by gliding Panthers right in front of Martin Brodeur, first by Michel Frolik and then later by Shawn Mattias. Ultimately, 24 minutes was all it took for the Panthers to score enough to win.
The Devils' goals included one well placed hard shot courtesy of Brian Rolston on a 3-on-2 and one unfortunate deflection by Keith Ballard that gave Dean McAmmond his first goal and Peter R of Silver Seven a reason to go "Whooooooo." So that's one shot off the rush and one fluke.
Michel Frolik snuck behind an aggressive Andy Greene (not that you could have faulted him, the Devils were pressing on offense and had the momentum), received a fantastic outlet pass from Nathan Horton, made one move, and finished it off cleanly.

I don't know about you, but I'd say the first three goals against weren't the fault of Martin Brodeur nor do I think they would have been stopped if Yann Danis had been playing. I'm just saying. I'd also say that Florida scored twice on high quality chances (Leopold and Frolik's second goal) and scored the other two off of being at the right place and with the right deflection (Frolik's first and Mattias).

In contrast, the Devils tried to create those chances, but they failed to do so. They had opportunities. They had plenty of odd man rushes. They attempted many passes across ice to get Scott Clemmensen to do what he's awkward at - lateral movement. Thanks to the Florida defenders playing right on the blueline (and doing well at it), Devils attempted shots from the wings - one went in and many went wide. They attempted longer shots through traffic. And for what? Not much. Especially late in the third period, but I'll devote a whole separate paragraph to that mess.

This yielded more shots than the Panthers, but the Devils wasted a lot of these opportunities. Officially, the Devils had 15 blocked shots, 11 misses - I'd say they were blocked by their own players at least 3 or 4 times in the third period alone, but I'm quibbling. My point is that the Devils weren't accurate or efficient with their shooting and as a result, the

But what bothers me - and most of the fans at the Rock, who were quite lively and loud tonight - was that it took a 3 goal deficit before the Devils decided to turn up the intensity. Honestly, the first period wasn't so bad. Despite Florida trying to use a neutral zone trap (don't say otherwise, I saw 5 in the neutral zone on a few breakouts), the Devils got 9 shots on net and had the better run of play. They looked a bit inconsistent on offense, but with some more hustle and just a little more focus, I thought at the time that the Devils could do what they have done many times and equalize with a 1 goal deficit. That I thought that at all meant that the Devils weren't quite all "there," a bit unfocused.

Then they just fell flat on their faces for the first 5 minutes of the second period, which threw the Devils' chances down the proverbial stairs. Seriously, 60 minutes means 60 - there aren't any 5 minute breaks! Bryce Salvador took a justifiable, if a bit soft, hooking call as Rostislav Olesz tried to pounce on a rebound. The Devils PK struggled to do much and Mike Mottau had no issue allowing Michel Frolik to waltz through the slot. Mottau and White both looked on as the Panthers cycled down low and as Mattias went to the net, where he was rewarded with a goal. In general, Mottau and White struggled throughout points in the game; but the Devils in general didn't look like a team that was ready to play. The first period may have felt a little sleepy, but the beginning of the second period looked Florida was just practicing out there. Terrible and the Devils ultimately didn't recover from this.

I don't want to think that the Devils needed a 3 goal deficit to "wake up," but that's what happened. Rolston gave the team a lifeline, the Devils upped their offensive aggression to give Scott Clemmensen some serious work to do, but what shouldn't be ignored was how well Florida was performing. They were calm in their own end in breaking up passes, making passes out of the zone, and getting the puck in deep on offense and put a few on Brodeur. The Panthers ended up outshooting the Devils 13-11 in that period, despite Rolston pulling a lot of momentum back in New Jersey's way with his goal and despite two Devils power plays (which looked OK, but the Devils were shooting better after them, for some reason).

The Panthers then sat back a bit after Frolik's goal. After all, the Devils were down by 2, the defense was pretty solid for Florida, so the Panthers didn't have to be so aggressive on the attack. Here, the defense only made one mistake and that was critical - Andy Greene got caught on the point with Frolik well behind him. Horton's pass to him was perfect and the then 3-2 game quickly became a 4-2 deficit.

The game also became nightmare as the Devils just got worse and worse going forward. If there was a way the Devils could screw up a pass or a shot, they found it in the next 17 minutes or so. Here's an extended sample of what was seen at the Rock: Miscommunications, firing shots directly into a Panther or a Devil, flinging shots wide when the right thing to do was to put it on Clemmensen, passes hitting skates where they should have been on the stick, giveaways on long outlet passes on the breakout, Devil forwards attempting to skate through 2 or 3 Panthers, odd man rushes consistently leading with passes instead of shots so Clemmensen and the Panthers defenders knew how to read them, rebounds and loose pucks caught in between skates, and easy dumps to the corner. Did Florida press hard to attack? No, and they didn't need to with the way the Devils offense was going. The passing and shooting was garbage in the third period, and that's especially bad since both aspects needed improvement for the Devils to truly have a shot at coming back from 2 down.

Who on the Devils looked good? Well, would you believe it would be the fourth line of Rod Pelley, Dean McAmmond, and Ilkka Pikkarainen? Pikkarainen had an assist, 4 shots, and had 2 official hits; Pelley had 2 shots and 3 big official hits and by my estimate 7 actual big hits; and McAmmond got a goal. They were hustling and hitting; they were the most consistent. Brian Rolston somehow managed 6 shots on net and a goal, but somehow only got 14:38 of ice time.

Well, Lemaire wanted the top forwards out there and, well, they didn't have a good night, really. Zach Parise had an excellent scoring chance late in the second, but overall only managed 3 shots in 20:27 (missed 1, blocked twice), while he showed a lot of spirit, it didn't translate to good puck movement. Travis Zajac didn't have a good game - 1 shot, 3 blocked, 2 missed, and 6 for 15 at faceoffs in 19:22 of work. They are both very talented, but they weren't effective tonight. In retrospect, I'd like to think Lemaire would have given more time to Elias and Rolston if only because, hey, they got a goal in the game.

Nevertheless, the Devils simply didn't play a complete game and that was the source of the loss. Their passing was progressively miserable, their shooting was wasteful, and they weren't focused in those first 25 minutes which allowed Florida to dig a big enough hole for the Devils to sit in. The Panthers played a complete game and succeeded to the surprise of no one. Good for them, bad for the team we support.

After a few wins with not-so-great performances (Buffalo excepted), the Devils put out a not-so-great performance and lost. Honestly, I'd rather have the win; but such as it is. While we can dwell on it, the Devils can't as they have Philadelphia coming tomorrow. Thanks for reading and leave your comments and complaints about tonight's game in the comments.

Thursday Caterwaul - Open Forum

Whale4ever — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:10:19 -0000

More photos » by Jay LaPrete - AP

7 days ago: Columbus Blue Jackets' Steve Mason, right, makes a save against Florida Panthers' Steven Reinprecht during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets defeated the Panthers 3-0. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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Allow me to cheer ya'll up: The Panthers lost 3-0 on Wednesday evening, bringing their record over the past ten games to 1-5-4. Everyone else in the division lost as well, making it the perfect night to gain some ground, especially against a previously-reeling Columbus squad. Shots were tied at the end of the game at 32, and leader-by-example Radek Dvorak, who played his 1,000th NHL game Monday, led the club with four SOG. Not Rostislav Olesz, not Steven Reinprecht, not Nathan Horton.

The shutout loss counts toward a grand total of 4 goals-for and 12 goals-against in their last four. Have a nice day!

Game 30 Preview: Jackets face Panthers in Columbus

Mike MacLean — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:56:59 -0000

More photos » by Jay LaPrete - AP

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The Jackets have had some time-three full days in fact-to regoup and, as I've said here many times before, right the ship. The team is coming off of two bad losses to the Leafs and Avalanche, two teams the Jackets need to beat. Tonight the Panthers come to town, and this being an out-of-conference matchup it is important to pick up these points. The Jackets have historically played well against the East, and that needs to continue this evening.

Dorsett makes his return to the lineup tonight-the team has missed his energy and forechecking badly. He brings a spark to the team that was obviously missing while he was out with a concussion. This is Murray's second game of the season, and I look for him to have a strong game. The lines have been adjusted quite significantly outside of the top line, with Umby sliding back to center with Jake and Chimmer. Chimmer has been playing very well lately, and I'm hopeful he can build on that given the chance to play with some skilled linemates.

Mase returns to the net, he simply must focus on the game and avoid letting in bad goals. The defense as a whole needs to continue to impove, and if the team continues to avoid playing the style the coaching staff is preaching, the ugly losses will continue to mount. If a team tries to play a skill game, without having the necessary skill to back it up, that's when you can kiss the season good-bye.

The Panthers have some skilled forwards and a decent defense, not to mention Vokoun is a fantastic goaltender. This will be a tough matchup, but one the Jackets can defeat. As far as I'm concerned, this is a must-win. In fact, you can say that about all of the games remaining this month. If they can go on a decent winning streak, they are right back in it.

Fearless Prediction: Victory?

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats

Game Page: Panthers vs Blue Jackets Coverage

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Rule of thumb: He who forechecks, wins. The Blue Jackets have struggled against speedy forechecks this season, and they haven't established much of one lately, either. All that's left for the Panthers from three blockbuster trades (Roberto Luongo, Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester) are defensemen Keith Ballard, Jordan Leopold and Bryan Allen.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
Jason Chimera	R.J. Umberger	Jakub Voracek
Andrew Murray	Samuel Pahlsson	Jared Boll
Raffi Torres	Derick Brassard	Derek Dorsett

Fedor Tyutin	Marc Methot
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Anton Stralman

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Mike Blunden, Mathieu Roy, Derek MacKenzie

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Rostislav Klesla

Florida Panthers

Steven Reinprecht	Stephen Weiss	Nathan Horton
Rostislav Olesz	Dominc Moore	Michael Frolik
Shawn Matthias	Jeff Taffe	Radek Dvorak
Victor Oreskovich	Kamil Kreps	Mike Duco

Bryan McCabe	Keith Ballard
Jordan Leopold	Dennis Seidenberg
Bryan Allen	Dmitry Kulikov

Tomas Vokoun

Scott Clemmensen

Panthers gain point in 3-2 SO loss to Oilers

Whale4ever — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:04:07 -0000

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

9 days ago: Edmonton Oilers' Shawn Horcoff (10) scores the game-winning goal against Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun in a shootout in an NHL hockey game in Sunrise, Fla., Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

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No one said it would be simple. Or non-repetitive.

The Panthers continued the puck-attacking, aggressive play which has been a staple of recent games, yet fell to a hot Edmonton club who's enjoyed the road of late. A 3-2 final goes out to the masses, but there was a lot to like about Florida's final appearance on home ice for a spell. And that's likely a positive.

Regardless of almost non-existent success at home (unless blown-lead, one-point gains are considered "successful"), the examples we've seen lately have been far more hopeful considering the future. And for the record, Tomas Vokoun looked good.

Stephen Weiss' goal streak was shut down and Nathan Horton garnered zippo on the scoresheet, but for the first time in a long while, secondary scoring ruled the day as Dominic Moore banged home two to keep the game within reach.

And from a Florida perspective, a 35 to 28 shot advantage is most definitely a plus.

Yep...it's still a loss - the seventh in their past eight games - but in that time the club has turned over a new attitude which was obvious from the start. They were physical and quick to defend their zone. It wasn't perfect, but far superior to what was witnessed even four weeks ago.

And how about this: Rostislav Olesz scored in the shootout. Don't know what type of compromising photos Rusty must be in possession of with regard to his coaching staff, but he came through when called upon...with the very same backhand-to-the-right play we've all grown so accustomed to.

Anyway, it was Moore for the Cats (with assists from Kulikov and 1,000 game-dude Dvorak), while Shawn Horcoff and Lubomir Visnovsky gained goals from Robert Nilsson and Ladislav Smid. Horcoff gained the game-winner in the shootout as well.

Not a terrible showing by any stretch for the home team, but a road trip is probably very welcome among the troops.

Notes: Michael Frolik (0 points) had nine SOG. Weiss and Bryan McCabe led all skaters with 24:39 TOI (see Weiss play. See Weiss grow). Edmonton's Visnovsky led the visitors with 2 points.

Next up: BJ action from Columbus on Wednesday.

Thrashers show up late, bury Panthers 2-1 in SO

Whale4ever — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:37:57 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

11 days ago: Florida Panthers left wing Rostislav Olesz (85), of the Czech Republic, collides with Atlanta Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg, of Sweden, center, in the second period during an NHL hockey game in Sunrise, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. At right is Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Anssi Salmela, of Finland. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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The good stuff first: Florida played a game tonight; came out shooting hard and often against Johan Hedberg and his suddenly-revived career, blasting the veteran netminder with 12 quality shots in the first period. The guy simply channeled The Force from start to finish. End of story.

The bad: whether legitimate or otherwise, the Cats found themselves on the hind end of far too many odd-man opportunities, including fighting off a five-minute major and game misconduct assessed to Michael Frolik for - presumably - boarding and "intent to injure" in the second frame. Yep, Frolik. He of 22 penalty minutes in 2008-09. Whatever...the Panthers stayed loose and confident throughout, and kept the net clean for another two minutes thanks to a Bryan McCabe "elbowing" call.

Penalties aside, the Panthers and Thrashers put on a production of "Playoff What-if", with each goaltender almost literally standing on his head, Tomas Vokoun stopping 36 shots and Hedberg laying a brick wall on 30. Both sides threw out their big guns; this was not a snoozefest. And Florida's Stephen Weiss was the go-to dood once more, banging home his 13th at 2:36 of the third period.

As has become customary news in recent days for Florida fans, the probable outcome - Atlanta scoring in the final minute of regulation to tie it - thankfully never materialized.

Instead, Ilya Kovalchuk scored four seconds prior to the final minute of regulation, thereby providing far less drama than games of late.

Overtime came and went as it has so many times this year. On to the shootout. Kovalchuk does the expected and places the Cats in an early hole. Weiss is stopped. Horton hit a post. Reinprecht scored. Then came everyone's favorite choice - opponents included - for shootout duty: Rusty Olesz. Does "backhand at the right-side of the net" sound familiar?

It did to Hedberg, who read it like a cheap novel. Up comes our new friend Rich Peverley, whose shot Vokoun had no chance on, put the game away. It's a point gained, and considering the past few weeks, a welcome point. But a point given to another Southeastern team.

Personal view: As stated, the Panthers showed up. Don't wish to drive up hopes of division championships with that statement, but they were there, and quite probably put a scare into the Thrashers, if only for 58+ minutes. Vokoun was rock-solid, the lines were well-managed, and there was no question a lot of work went into prepping for this one. A game-breaking forward - looking beyond David Booth here - would likely have made all the difference. Again. Whatever...they got to overtime, and with Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Washington all victorious this evening, Florida gained a point on, um, Toronto.

Thrashers tease Panthers, get it done with seconds left; 4-3 in regulation

Whale4ever — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:56:52 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

16 days ago: Atlanta Thrashers' Ilya Kovalchuk, right, gets up after scoring a goal on Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun (25) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 30, 2009. Vokoun was taken off the ice on a stretcher after he was accidentally hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard, rear. Ballard swung his stick at the net, inadvertantly striking Vokoun on the head. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The effort was there on this night, in stark contrast to what played out Saturday in Nashville, but the result remained depressing.

Atlanta's Maxim Afinogenov - left for dead by Buffalo last season (and who could blame them?) - scored at 19:54 of the third period at Philips Arena to seal it for the home boys. Florida showed heart by erasing three deficits to keep it close throughout the evening, with goals by Michael Frolik, Stephen Weiss, and Rostislav Olesz. Wasn't enough.

The Big Story was obviously Keith Ballard's inadvertent hit on Tomas Vokoun. "Tvo" is being described as "alert and responsive" while receiving treatment at an Atlanta hospital. Godspeed, Tomas.

It was a stick swung out of frustration, and a complete accident. The story here is that there really isn't one; a freakish incident.

Notes: The Thrashers led in SOG 35-28. Nathan Horton (1a) paced the Panthers in TOI with 22:54, which was second among both clubs (ATL defenseman Zach Bogosian had a scant three additional seconds). Where's Stevie Mac? FLA's resident pugilist left the bench for all of 1:33. Vokoun left the game after 3 saves on 5 shots. Gregory Campbell did not wind up with PP time. Every Panther was either "even" or minus-1. Frolik led his club with six SOG. Scott Clemmensen finished with 28 saves on 30 shots, while Johan Hedberg stopped 25 of 28. Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 15th goal of the season.

Our best to Tvo for a quick recovery.

Predators, Ellis rip Panthers 4-1

Whale4ever — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:55:41 -0000

Jordan Leopold scored Florida's only goal. Not Nathan Horton. Not Stephen Weiss. Not Rostislav Olesz. Not Michael Frolik. Not...you get the point.

Nashville positively owned the Original Cats, leading in SOG (29-24) and just plain solid effort to get back in the win column. Goaltender Dan Ellis was superb when called upon - and that wasn't often - and given support with goals by Dan Hamhuis, David Legwand, Joel Ward, and JP Dumont.

Remember goal support? Neither do I, but it certainly sounds like a winning strategy. Works for Florida's opponents.

Another evening of chasing the plays and allowing the opposition to dictate terms. Sounds like U.S. foreign policy.

Why wasn't Clemmer in net for Toronto on Friday, paving the way for Tomas Vokoun to start this one, against a club he played eight seasons with.

Why was Kenndal McArdle allowed to risk injury - a second time - in another fight with Jordin Tootoo when Steve MacIntyre was standing by with zippo on his schedule?

Why - OH WHY - did defenseman Bryan McCabe lead his team in SOG? Where were the forwards? Oh, here they are: Horton: zero shots. Weiss: two. Frolik: two. Congratulations, Rusty Olesz...you led the forwards with three shots on goal. And a belated thanks to defenseman Bryan Allen and his three attempts.

Another complete and utter waste of time and cash by the Panthers (what does it cost to transport and house these guys for a night?).

A sick and terribly lacking performance.

Quick, Kings drop Panthers 4-3 in SO

Whale4ever — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:33:05 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

about 1 month ago: Hockey fans urge Florida Panthers' Kenndal McArdle (71) and Los Angeles Kings' Wayne Simmonds (17) during NHL second period hockey action in Sunrise, Fla. Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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A spirited night (announced attendance: 12,500) at the BankAtlantic Center saw the Florida Panthers - under the eyes of new managing partners Stuart Siegel and Cliff Viner - fall to 4-2 in shootouts as opportunistic Los Angeles made good use of their growing wealth of talent.

The Cats, who led 2-0 at the midway point on markers by Nathan Horton and Cory Stillman, couldn't hold the advantage, allowing the Kings to bang home three goals (2 on the PP) to turn the tables. Florida rookie Victor Oreskovich - playing in his seventh NHL contest - scored his first career goal in the Bigs to pull the Cats into a three-all tie, setting the stage for yet another overtime.

One shot was all either club could muster in the extra frame, so on to the now-familiar shootout, where the Panthers have been surprisingly successful in recent weeks. SOG heading into the skills-competition: 34-29, L.A.

Bottom line on the final result: Jack Johnson, who scored an earlier PP goal to get the Kings rolling in the second period, was the only shooter to find the net, scoring on Tomas Vokoun after a strangely quiet Anze Kopitar (1 assist while leading the NHL in goals) was unable to convert.

Rostislav Olesz (4 shots), Steven Reinprecht (1 assist), and Stillman (1 goal, 1 assist) were all turned away by Jonathan Quick.

Hey...though disappointing, it's one more point.

Next up: Cats travel to Buffalo for a Wednesday meeting with the Sabres. Open Thread goes live at 6pm.