Steve Martin

They're just a machine. They could beat you however you want. You want to open it up and score goals. They can do that. You want to grind it out one, nothing and have a tight game right to the end. They do not change the way they play. They know their identity and they got a lot of guys that buy in. Basically everybody buys in and they're even willing to sacrifice their own game to get wins.

And then obviously we all know that's what it takes to win in sports.

And then obviously we all know that's what it takes to win in sports.

Well, Roy, you know you're at Amarant Bank Arena all the time, so you watched the Panthers play the last couple of months. Now, you knew Matthew Kachuk was out. Marshan was out for those three weeks in March. Then he just started coming back, getting his game going. Ekblad was out of the lineup. You know, you don't take all those guys out of the lineup and have you be exactly the same.

Well, Roy, you know you're at Amarant Bank Arena all the time, so you watched the Panthers play the last couple of months. Now, you knew Matthew Kachuk was out. Marshan was out for those three weeks in March. Then he just started coming back, getting his game going. Ekblad was out of the lineup. You know, you don't take all those guys out of the lineup and have you be exactly the same.

Then Bennett missed a few games. Hulikov missed a few games. So the Panthers were kind of maybe not intentionally, but they were playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. And that wasn't the team we knew we were going to see when the lights went on in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They get to game one against Tampa Bay.

Then Bennett missed a few games. Hulikov missed a few games. So the Panthers were kind of maybe not intentionally, but they were playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. And that wasn't the team we knew we were going to see when the lights went on in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They get to game one against Tampa Bay.

Matthew Kachuk had never played a game with Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, like ever. So it It was just a different team. And you had Paul Maurice kind of spreading out that ice time because you can't do what they've done. 209 games the last couple of years. Best four checking team in the league. Intense physical hockey.

Matthew Kachuk had never played a game with Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, like ever. So it It was just a different team. And you had Paul Maurice kind of spreading out that ice time because you can't do what they've done. 209 games the last couple of years. Best four checking team in the league. Intense physical hockey.

You physically cannot do that for 82 games and have enough left in the tank for a couple of months. And I just think, as you mentioned, the media, a lot of people just bought into it and said, well, the Panthers aren't quite that good, but they didn't look underlying. Without the reasons the last six weeks, they weren't quite playing at their optimal level.

You physically cannot do that for 82 games and have enough left in the tank for a couple of months. And I just think, as you mentioned, the media, a lot of people just bought into it and said, well, the Panthers aren't quite that good, but they didn't look underlying. Without the reasons the last six weeks, they weren't quite playing at their optimal level.

Obviously, everybody's swinging a miss on picking Tampa Bay, and it's amazing the series wasn't even close. I'm looking at you, Bob, with shoes and lightning and seven.

Obviously, everybody's swinging a miss on picking Tampa Bay, and it's amazing the series wasn't even close. I'm looking at you, Bob, with shoes and lightning and seven.

know i've been wrestling with that stew you know yeah you can it's amazing because you win a championship how can you be better right until you actually win the championship again yeah but when you look at brad marshan on a third line this guy's future hall of famer those two young fins they're all of a sudden scoring goals like sam reinhardt is because of brad marshan and then you look at the defense

know i've been wrestling with that stew you know yeah you can it's amazing because you win a championship how can you be better right until you actually win the championship again yeah but when you look at brad marshan on a third line this guy's future hall of famer those two young fins they're all of a sudden scoring goals like sam reinhardt is because of brad marshan and then you look at the defense

where you took Ekblad out of the lineup and you really never missed a beat, you really can make the case that overall they're a better team. Plus, you have another year of experience. So if they get to a game seven, which by the way, through the Eastern Conference playoffs the last two years, they never do. They beat everybody in five or six.

where you took Ekblad out of the lineup and you really never missed a beat, you really can make the case that overall they're a better team. Plus, you have another year of experience. So if they get to a game seven, which by the way, through the Eastern Conference playoffs the last two years, they never do. They beat everybody in five or six.

But if it does come down to it, let's say against Toronto, and there's a game seven coming up in two weeks, they know what it takes to win a game seven because they've already been there and done that. So on a lot of levels, yes, you can make that case that they're better than they were a year ago.

But if it does come down to it, let's say against Toronto, and there's a game seven coming up in two weeks, they know what it takes to win a game seven because they've already been there and done that. So on a lot of levels, yes, you can make that case that they're better than they were a year ago.

Cody, what scares me about Toronto is eating the shawarma in the street off one of those carts. Dangerous. You know, by Union Station. I'm not sure I'm going to go there. As far as the hockey... Look, they've gotten a more tighter defensive system with Craig Berube. It's very ironic. Anthony Stolarz, who was the Panthers' backup last year, will be the goaltender against Bobrovsky.