from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

Disappointment in Florida

It did not help the Panthers that Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, and Nick Bjugstad were among the players who missed big chunks of time this season because of injuries. Still, injuries do not excuse a collective step back for a team that looked like it was going to sprint the other way. Aaron Ekblad was among the bigger disappointments, losing some of the blue-line presence and consistency that he showed in his first two NHL seasons. Ekblad was not done any favors by his coach, however, who acknowledged rushing the defenseman back from a concussion. Tom Rowe, who doubles as the GM, is considered an interim coach. The Panthers will be on the hunt for a permanent replacement behind the bench.

Quickening the pace

When it comes to game flow, one area that seems easy to target is post-icing play. Coaches encourage their players to try every trick in the book — feign confusion over who was on the ice, skate slowly to the other end, fidget with their equipment — to gain a few additional seconds to catch their breath. As soon as the linesmen are ready to drop the puck, they should do so, regardless of whether the icing team is set. Uncontested faceoffs and subsequent scoring chances would get every coach’s attention.

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