from George Richards of On Frozen Pond,

Panthers coach Gerard Gallant stirred up a little controversy Friday when in explaining why Sean Bergenheim was scratched -- again -- he questioned the veteran winger's effort.

When asked if Bergenheim gave him 100 percent effort, Gallant stared straight ahead. Then he answered: "If he gave me 100 percent, he would be playing. That's fair. But there's a few guys who didn't give 100 percent last night. You just have to make a decision."

Gallant has been steadfast in defending the veteran players (Bergenheim, Tomas Kopecky, Scottie Upshall) he's had to put on the bench lately.

He did so again on Friday, saying he had nothing against Bergenheim. "I'm trying to win,'' Gallant said. "When I made my decision with my coaches, it was only who gives us the best chance to win.''

Bergenheim said Friday he requested a trade from the Panthers earlier this month when he was a healthy scratch in three straight games. He said Gallant never came to him with questions about his effort -- and he disagreed with that assessment.

continued