Florida Panthers Television and Color Analyst Randy Moller joins the show to talk Florida Panthers ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final tonight. Moller describes how this year's matchup differs from one a few years back. We highlight the addition of Brad Marchand to the 3rd line that has found success. Randy praises Bill Zito for the mid season pick ups he's made this year.
00:00The great Randy Moeller on the Toyota of Hollywood guest line.
00:02Shout out over 2,000 Toyotas on sale at one location.
00:05Toyota of Hollywood on 441 between Hollywood and Sheridan.
00:09And toyotafollywood.com.
00:11Randy Moeller, kind enough to join us there.
00:12Hello, Randy. Thanks for joining us.
00:14Hi, guys. Yep. It's going to be an exciting night tonight.
00:18I'm looking forward to it. Quick turnaround.
00:21Panthers winning Game 7 in Toronto.
00:23Go right to Carolina and get ready, hopefully, to blitz the Hurricanes.
00:28And see if they can win this first game of this seven-game series.
00:34Randy, how much do you think, like having that knowledge of facing them a couple years ago,
00:39obviously little pieces change, but, you know, the Panthers, a lot of the core is still there.
00:43Kachuk had an awesome series a couple years ago.
00:45How much of that matters, do you think, going into this one as far as just having any mental edge?
00:50Does any of that stuff carry over?
00:52I don't think so, guys.
00:54You know, there's changes on both teams.
00:58Yeah, the cores are there, but, you know, you just can't compare, you know, from last year or even the year before.
01:09And that Carolina is a strong club.
01:12They're fast. They're physical.
01:13There's a lot of similarities between the Panthers and Carolina.
01:16They play a fast game, a physical game.
01:18They both have great special teams.
01:22So that's going to be an interesting side note on this series, who's going to win the special teams.
01:28Because a lot of times that can determine the outcome of the game.
01:32Panthers obviously have the edge, if you go historically, of the goaltending with Sergei Vabraski as being all-world right now and a future Hall of Famer.
01:42But Freddie Anderson, their number one goaltender, the big question with them is if he can stay healthy.
01:47He's had health issues over the last number of years.
01:50But he's played extremely well for Carolina, and one of the big reasons why they've only played 10 games in the first two rounds and that.
01:57So both teams seem like they're healthy.
02:00They're fresh.
02:01They're ready to go.
02:02I just give the edge to the Florida Panthers here.
02:05Because of the production that they're getting on all four lines, when you've got a third line, the Lundell line, which so-called third line, they'd be a top line or no less than a second line on 30 other teams in the NHL.
02:20So when you get in production, what, 11 goals over 33 points from that third line so far in the playoffs with Lundell, Marchand, and Lois Duranen.
02:28Lois Duranen's leading all players with even strength points in the playoffs so far.
02:35And teams just can't stack up to that.
02:38When you're running out, you know, the Carolina Hurricanes, they're a big line with Sebastian Aho and obviously Jarvis and Shvechnikov, who's got, what, eight goals so far.
02:51So he's really blazing hot.
02:53But then you get the Barkov line.
02:55Then it's the Bennett line.
02:57Then it's the Lundell line.
02:59And the fourth line with Gajevic and Greer and Nosek.
03:03I mean, they chipped in a few goals and have played very physical.
03:05It's very difficult for teams to stack up.
03:09And over a long series, a seven-game series, the way the Panthers play, they're relentless.
03:15They just keep coming.
03:17The physicality eventually wears out the opposition's defense.
03:22We saw that against Tampa.
03:23We saw it against Toronto in a seven-game series.
03:27It's very tough if the Panthers keep that energy level up, the physicality up, and they spread out the offense.
03:33And it seems like, guys, every game so far in the playoffs, if the Panthers have won, there's been a different hero on this team.
03:40That just shows the depth and the balance that they have.
03:42It's been amazing.
03:43That third line with Marchand coming in, is it Etu and Anton?
03:49Do they just have a style that can blend with anybody, Randy?
03:52Like, why did that chemistry sink so well without that much time with each other?
03:58Yeah.
03:58And we saw it, you know, we saw it a couple years ago when, remember, Reinhardt played with Lundell and Lois Dranen.
04:05And they had quite a bit of success as well.
04:09That's the reason why.
04:11And it raised a lot of eyebrows around the NHL guys.
04:14And we all saw it, and we were all surprised.
04:16There was nobody that thought they saw this coming with the Panthers when they had an opportunity to get a Brad Marchand,
04:24who's been an arch enemy of the Florida Panthers and every team in the NHL for that fact.
04:30When they get an opportunity, they knew exactly what they were getting.
04:34They knew exactly where they wanted him to play.
04:37And it's the same thing with Seth Jones.
04:39Look how well he has played.
04:41They saw a player that was unhappy in a situation.
04:45They knew the talent.
04:47They felt they were very confident in their homework, both with Marchand and with Seth Jones,
04:53that these players would come in and fit into the culture of the Florida Panthers
04:59and what they built here in that locker room.
05:02And I thought it was interesting.
05:03Nate Schmidt had that comment yesterday or the day before when asked about, you know,
05:09the culture of the team and that.
05:11He said it was like a preseason game number two, and I tried to do something in the neutral zone or whatever,
05:18and had Barkoff and Reinhardt basically coming up to him and saying, we don't do that here.
05:24We don't do that on this team.
05:25So there is a culture that's been built here, guys, and for the players, hats off to Bill Zito and his hockey operations staff to recognize
05:35and to have the cojones to go out and pay a price and get a Seth Jones and go out and pay a price to get a Brad Marchand.
05:45But they're exactly what the Panthers were looking for, to give them even more juice.
05:53This is all about winning Stanley Cups, guys.
05:55It's not about making playoffs and having a so-so year and that kind of stuff.
06:00This team is geared now.
06:02They want to win.
06:03They know that the window is not big, but they're in the wheelhouse right now.
06:09Most of their players are in their late 20s, the core players, late 20s, 30 years old.
06:15So they've got a window here.
06:16If they continue to build and add the assets, they can do it.
06:20It's not just you and I, us three talking about the Florida Panthers.
06:25It's all around the league, the accolades that they get for how they build this team and what the culture is like and how they play.
06:33And they're just so resistant of ups and downs and that.
06:38If they play the way they can and they have that energy and what they've shown the first two rounds, obviously the experts have picked them to be the favorites in this series.
06:52And I agree.
06:52Randy, as a new guy, newcomer to hockey, I've watched hockey but never really gotten into it.
07:02When you see the depth on this team, I try to think of other sports and in other sports, the stars have to shine, right?
07:14On this team, it seems like the stars just need to play their part and take advantage of the opportunities or whatever.
07:23But have you ever seen a team?
07:25And I can think about any sport.
07:27Like we said, the Boston Celtics were deep.
07:29They're at home right now.
07:31Right?
07:32I've never seen a team in any sport that's this deep where you don't have a problem with any line that's in the game at that given time.
07:43I can't – have you seen another hockey team like this?
07:46Because I can't think of one.
07:49And because I haven't been in hockey, I can't say it.
07:52I've never seen it.
07:53Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's – you've got to go back a number of years to see or experience a team that is so solid.
08:03And I think it gets overlooked, guys, as well, the Panthers, whether it's the Barkoff, Bennett, Lundell, or the fourth line, which is interchangeable.
08:14We've seen that already, and that's what shows you that you have strong depth is when you can – you know, Evan Rodriguez goes out.
08:20They put in Boquist on the top line, he scores a goal, and helps the Panthers win.
08:25We see this – they play the same way.
08:30That's the point I was trying to make.
08:32It's the same system, same four-check.
08:36It's a mix of skill and physicality.
08:40They all finish their checks.
08:42You don't have two what you call fancy-dancy lines out there, all offense.
08:49And not caring about defense at all.
08:52All four lines can score.
08:54All four lines can check.
08:56When you've got Barkoff and Reinhardt on the same line, and both are selfie nominees as the best defensive forwards, that's saying a lot.
09:04The NHL has never seen that before.
09:06So the way they built this team, and I just – you just knock on wood, guys, that the team stays healthy.
09:14It's a grind.
09:15There's nothing like NHL hockey.
09:17It's the longest, grueling tournament in all of sports.
09:23And the demands that's put on their body and the emotional ups and downs and that.
09:28The Panthers have experience now of being in the finals.
09:32You know, going back – they've been to the finals twice, and they expect to be in the finals again.
09:38They've got the experience, the little hiccups that happen along the way, and we've seen it where, you know, maybe the offense kind of goes south or the power play and that.
09:47They just muscle their way through it, and they turn that adversity into, you know, a little bit of motivation.
09:53And all of a sudden, the next game, they come out just flying again.
09:56They're going to have an off game.
09:58There's nobody's going to sweep.
09:59I don't think there's going to be anybody sweeping this series and that.
10:03They're going to have some – face some adversities and maybe a hot goaltender along the way here and that.
10:09But that's what makes the game and what makes it so special on this Panthers team, as we've just been talking about.
10:15They're built to handle that adversity, the little bits of ups and downs.
10:20And Paul Maurice and his coaching staff, you guys listen to him, his post-game press conferences and off-day press conference.
10:26Whether the team wins or loses, it's a process.
10:30They don't get too high.
10:31They don't get too low.
10:33It's very low-keyed and workman-like attitude.
10:38They trust each other.
10:39They trust the system, the team, and they just go out there and try and execute and basically beat the wheels off of the teams physically.
10:48And it just takes a toll in game six and game seven.
10:51Yeah, my favorite guy, Randy, with that has become – and I've referred to him as a polar bear on skates –
10:56is Nico Mikola.
10:58He's so terrifying, Randy.
10:59I don't understand why anybody would want to go up against him.
11:02What is the art that he has of just pinning somebody up against the boards?
11:06Because it feels like when he wants to do that to you or even just control the puck to kill time, no one's going to mess with him.
11:13You can't teach size and strength.
11:16That is pretty well a God-given attribute.
11:21And then you can add the skill and the confidence and that.
11:25And that's, I think, a big thing is the Panthers play with quite a bit of swagger.
11:31They're confident in each other.
11:35They're confident in their individual skill sets.
11:39And it's all about what you can bring to the team.
11:42Don't try and be – do everything.
11:45And a perfect example, guys, you talk about Mikola.
11:49But like Seth Jones.
11:50Seth Jones came from an organization in Chicago, which is rebuilding.
11:54I mean, they were losing, you know, six out of every seven games.
11:57And he was asked to do everything.
12:00Play Superman on defense.
12:02Be Superman on offense.
12:04Lead the rush.
12:05Quarterback the power play.
12:07Do this.
12:07Play 35 minutes a night.
12:09He doesn't have to do that here.
12:11And it took him a little bit of while, a little adjustment.
12:15It's okay just to have a normal shift.
12:17Move the puck.
12:18Come up the ice.
12:20Make a good defensive play.
12:21And then change.
12:22He doesn't have to be the Superman.
12:24On this team.
12:25There's enough depth.
12:25You've got the Ekblads and the Forslings.
12:28And as you mentioned, you know, Mikola and Kulikov.
12:32I mean, they're so solid back on the fence that you're seeing right now.
12:37Like Gustav Forsling.
12:38His minutes are down as well because they have the confidence of playing six defense against any line.
12:44The other thing that stands out as well, historically, you talk about series.
12:50And you talk about, oh, the Panthers are, you know, they don't have the last change in Carolina the first two games because they're the visiting team.
13:00They don't have, oh, about matching lines.
13:02Paul Maurice doesn't care about matching lines.
13:04You can throw out any line.
13:05You want to play the Ajo line against the Lundell line?
13:07That's fine.
13:08You want to play it against the Bennett line?
13:09That's fine.
13:10You want to play against the Parcoss line?
13:11That's fine.
13:12And that is the swagger and the confidence that this team has in each other and each doing, playing well and being responsible with and without the puck.
13:22So, having said all that, you know, it's all about execution and it's the mindset and that.
13:28And you just hope that the Panthers are ready to go.
13:31It is, might be the toughest building to play in is in Carolina.
13:37The way that rink is set up and their fans and they tailgate two hours before they open up the doors so they're well greased up is what I'm talking about.
13:47When they get in there, and that's why Carolina, they've won every home game in the playoffs.
13:55It is so tough to win there.
13:57And the Panthers have experienced that.
13:59Even though they won the two games in Carolina the last time they met in the playoffs, they were one-goal games.
14:06And it was, you know, I mean, if it could check with the two overtime winners and that, it's going to be a tough sled.
14:14The first couple of games, the emotions, Carolina will be ready.
14:17Their fans will be ready.
14:18And it's up to the Panthers to use that experience and that poise to make sure that they're ready to go.
14:24So, he's Randy Moeller.
14:26Catch him.
14:26Steve Goldstein, the whole crew on Scripps Sports Night at 7.30.
14:29You go, and we'll, of course, also listen to that game right here on 560 WQM.
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