Panthers stay focused with series lead ahead of Game 2 against the Leafs

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TORONTO — The Florida Panthers are in a position that they haven’t been in for years, decades actually. For the first time since 1997, Florida leads a playoff series 1-0. They are also doing that while being on the road. 

 

For years the Panthers have been chasing teams in a series and for years it didn’t amount to any success. Before last year against the Washington Capitals, Florida hadn’t advanced past the first-round since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. They also had to chase the Caps in that series after dropping Game 1 at home. 

 

This year’s first-round was similar to that of 2022. Florida dropped Game 1 in Boston, and ended up in a 3-1 series hole before taking three straight from the Bruins to knock out the Presidents’ Trophy winners. 

 

On Tuesday night in Toronto, Florida walked out of the arena in a position this roster hasn’t been in before – they led the series after Game 1.


Panthers’ defenseman Gustav Forsling has made the playoffs in all of three seasons with the team. While Forsling and the Cats lead early in the series, they still go into Game 2 with the same mentality that they’ve had all playoffs. 

 

“We want to have the same mindset always, but we are still hunting here,” said Forsling on Thursday. “We want to get two wins here and go home to Florida.”

 

Road teams have dominated so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Florida is no different. The Panthers won four of their five games on the road entering Thursday night, with those four coming consecutively.

 

“We like it, we like to be the underdogs and starting on the road is not a bad thing for us, it seems like,” Forsling added. 

 

Ever since the Panthers started their miraculous turnaround in Toronto last month to sneak into the playoffs, the team has been playing freely and it’s probably because nobody thought they’d be in this position. 

 

“You look at a year like last year, [it was] so easy for so long, then you look at a year like this year, [we were] really trying for so long,  I think we’ve grown a lot,” said Sam Reinhart. “The pressure isn’t really there for us, we’re just showing up and playing and we’re loving doing it beside one another.”

 

“Every night’s a Game 7 for us and it really has been that for a while.”

 

Every game being a Game 7 has been echoed throughout the Panthers room, at least to the media, since they were down 3-1 to Boston. The players and the coaching staff have been saying that a lot, even with the Panthers holding an early series lead in Toronto. 

 

“We’re trying to get to Game 7 in every series we can,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said in Toronto on Thursday. “This isn’t a marathon for us, we’re not here for two months, we’re here for tonight.” 

 

The Panthers will try to take a 2-0 series lead tonight in Toronto before they head back to Sunrise for their home stand for Games 3&4. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. ET.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Knicks Defeat Heat in Game 2 Without Jimmy Butler

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Referee ineptitude, late mistakes, and Julius Randle’s return helped even the Knicks-Heat series at 1-1. While Miami was without Jimmy Butler, it still contended with New York until the last minute. As the hosts took a late lead in the fourth quarter, Carmelo Anthony and John Starks celebrated like they had the winning lottery numbers.

Caleb Martin had not started since Feb. 15. But he filled in for Butler as the group’s source of offense until Gabe Vincent almost set MSG ablaze in the second half. For as long as it could, the Heat made the game as muddy as the Delta Blues.

The Heat got started by putting Mitchell Robinson in foul trouble. He picked up two penalties in fewer than three minutes defending Bam Adebayo. Isaiah Hartenstein was summoned for the rest of the first quarter, significantly reducing the protection around the rim.

RJ Barrett and Randle fuelled New York’s barren attack in the first half, combining for 12 of the team’s 16 makes. In the second quarter, Miami flashed its 2-3 zone, and the hosts turned into mainly jump shooters, converting just 20% of deep tries. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau looked repulsed as his unit ignored shattering the coverage by attacking the middle.

Through 24 minutes, Martin had a dozen, Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo logged eight points apiece, and Max Strus and Duncan Robinson each had six.

The Knicks routinely blitzed ball handlers turning past screens. Vincent and Kyle Lowry dissected these doubles by locating the closest snipers on the perimeter.

In the second half, Brunson erupted for 23 points. He darted past defenders for layups, and splashed deep jumpers in front of switches or when left open. His first step also put defenders on his back hip as he gored the lane.

On the other side, Miami’s lead guard, Vincent, countered with 18 points in quarters three and four. He isolated Randle on the wing for a triple and went one-on-one with Barrett for a long baseline jumper. His next two baskets were top of the key trifectas in front of Quentin Grimes and Hartenstein. His last couple of buckets were layups blowing past Barrett and some ballet around Robinson.

In the fourth quarter, the refs blew multiple calls. On one with 5:29 left, Lowry was boxed out by Randle, waiting for a miss to trickle down, but he got flattened like a pancake and was called for the foul. With three minutes left, the Heat was called for a shot clock violation when Vincent recovered Martin’s miss. The ball kissed the rim as the buzzer horned, but Miami never got 14 seconds back. Coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game it was unchallengeable.

The Heat made two significant mistakes in the fourth quarter. Adebayo rammed through Hartenstein’s pindown for Brunson, resulting in a four-point play, and Hart was left open in the corner because of miscommunication.

In the middle of the last frame, New York went on a 14-6 run to take a three-point lead. It climbed to eight, the host’s largest of the night, and Miami had to play the free throw game with seconds left. A quick layup, an inbound turnover by Randle, and a D. Robinson right-side triple cut the deficit to three with 22 seconds remaining.

The Heat failed to get the steal on the following inbound and burned too many seconds before fouling Hart. The Knicks won 111-105.

At the postgame presser, Spo said, “I think we did everything we needed to do to give ourselves a chance to win on the road. But you do have to credit New York. When it becomes those moments of truth, you have to make plays. We did make some plays, but they made more ball in the air, ball on the floor plays that really ended up deciding the game. Those offensive rebounds and extra possessions…”

With the series heading to Miami for Games 3 and 4, the Heat accomplished its objective by splitting the series on the road. Winning Tuesday would have put the Heatles in a commanding position, but the effort the group gave without Butler, the V-12 engine of the squad, is admirable. In his absence, the group still personified his identity.

The next match isn’t until Saturday, giving Butler three days of recovery in between. When he comes back, the Knicks are in danger.

There’s something different about the Heat. They don’t look like a team that had senioritis during the regular season or lost in the first play-in game. Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt his back 11 minutes into round one.  Then the White and Red’s confidence spiked higher than radiation levels in Chernobyl.

Dare I say it? It’s starting to feel like a bubble run.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Take First Blood in Madison Square Garden

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Through the first 12 minutes, the Heat found itself in an 11-point hole because of snipers misfiring on the perimeter and the Knicks having unrestricted access to the lane.

It appeared as if the Heat’s long-range shooting had reverted to its regular season median of being the fourth worst of 30 teams. Yet, in round one against Milwaukee, Miami was #1 of 16 playoff groups in 3-point efficiency. The guests at Madison Square Garden wouldn’t find its deep touch until the second half, assisting in outscoring the hosts by 12 through the period.

This is why it’s important not to overreact.

On New York’s first possession, Mitchell Robinson flung a weak pass intended for Jalen Brunson on the wing, but Jimmy Butler intercepted it and sped off. Gabe Vincent trailed JB on the right side and hit a catch-and-release trifecta to give the Heat a 5-0 lead.

Vincent was the only visitor to record more than one field goal in the first quarter. Butler didn’t get on the scoreboard until midway through the period. While #22 was in the dunker spot, Kevin Love threw a pass over Josh Hart from the key, and Butler jumped higher, came down, and back up for a left-handed layup.

The Heat’s initial problem was RJ Barrett. He maneuvered to his spots for layups and jumpers, totaling 11 points on five of six shots to start. Aside from Star-J’s scoring, Miami had to contend with his ball distribution on rim attacks. He registered three dimes; one while getting iced after turning past a screen and getting doubled, sending the lob up the middle for Robinson to jam; the second and third were connections to Obi Toppin.

The Knicks didn’t miss its All-Star through the first half. In the hour leading to tip-off, the Knicks ruled out Julius Randle and had Toppin start in his place. New York’s third-year forward contributed 12 opening minutes and logged seven points on three of four shots. He slammed two lobs, one on the break, another in the half-court, plus he canned a triple in the left corner.

In the second quarter, the Heat’s offense began to percolate. Butler was rolling to the basket after screens like a big man, converting three shots in the restricted area. Vincent tallied six more points, but three at the line courtesy of Immanuel Quickley swiping at his head on a 3-point attempt.

On the other side, Brunson hit five shots in a row after breaking down Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin with his dribble.

At halftime, the Heat was down 50-55. New York’s vain hoists from behind the arc didn’t allow it to capitalize on Miami’s powerless artillery strikes. Forty of the Knicks’ points through two quarters were inflicted in the paint, and the Heat’s defensive rating was 117, equal to the 26th worst squad in the category for the regular season.

In the third quarter, Miami’s paint protection and Love’s precise outlet passing swung the pendulum of control to the visitors. It was fitting that on primetime TV, he burned the team that carbonized his old crew. Assuredly, some Cavaliers honcho must have remembered then that every time Love makes the Playoffs, his team goes to the Finals.

Aside from two fastbreak dunks, Butler curled into the paint for a turnaround hook and pulled up on the baseline for two points over Hart in quarter three. Max Strus supplied two long-range bangers when swinging the ball on the wings unfastened New York’s defense.

Entering the last frame, Miami was up six points. Bam Adebayo and Lowry combined for 17 of the Heat’s 27 on the scorecard. #13 demanded the ball when Duncan Robinson beat Quickley and drew the attention of Isaiah Hartenstein for a dunk. Lowry’s deceptive tricks fooled the refs into calling a foul on Quentin Grimes.  It was New York’s third penalty in four minutes.

When “crunch time” started, the Heat’s lead was 95-92. Butler drove to the paint, but upon making contact, Hart flopped into his ankle, rolling it. For a moment, JB lay face down, laboring.

When his vigor was restored, he walked to the line and buried two.

Butler limped up and down the court until there were 23 seconds left. As he performed impaired, the Knicks chose not to attack him and, in the last five minutes, went on a stretch missing seven consecutive tries.

On a three-on-two break, Miami had the numbers as Butler picked up Quickley, the trailing marksman. Barrett barrelled into the lane for a layup, but it was spiked away by Martin to initiate another boat race.

The Heat struck first blood 108-101, but the present concern is Butler’s status. He slogged to the finish line because adrenaline raced through his veins. But he’ll likely need around-the-clock treatment to lower swelling and diminish the pain.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said he has no idea what is the severity of Butler’s ankle injury.

“I don’t know if we’ll even know more by tomorrow,” Spo said. “We’ll just have to see. It will be a waiting game, but he did not want to come out of the game so we left him in there.”

Game 2 is on Tuesday, so Butler won’t have much time to recover. If he misses work, Adebayo must turn into the focal point without lowering his RPMs on defense.

Heat Getting Playoff Production From Unlikely Sources

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Precisely twelve days ago – or 288 hours to be exact – the Miami Heat were fighting for their season. Squaring off against the Chicago Bulls in a play-in game, the winner would be awarded the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. But a win was no gift. It meant having to face the 58-24 Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, a team predicated on size, talent, and shooting. Lots of shooting. In every way, the Bucks are the antithesis of Miami. A win against the Bulls and an invitation to the playoff ultimately wouldn’t mean much. Or at least we thought.

 

Fast forward to the present, and the Heat finds themselves up 3-1 against the top-seeded “juggernaut”, with an opportunity to send them packing on Wednesday.

 

But how?

 

How can a team so inconsistent and beset by problems find themselves in this position?

 

Two words: Playoff Jimmy.

 

Jimmy Butler’s performance in Game 4 on Monday night was otherworldly. It was the greatest individual performance in Heat playoff history. And that’s saying something when you consider which players have dawned a Heat jersey over the years.

 

His final tally was video-game-like: 56 points and nine rebounds on 78% true shooting. In doing so, he became just the 3rd player in NBA playoff history to score at least 55 points on 75% true shooting or better. Elite stuff.

 

While Butler has single-handedly carried Miami through four games, it would be remiss to recognize a few players who have stepped up in this series. And odds are if not for their level of play, it’s likely Miami isn’t in a position to close this out on Wednesday. Here are a few noteworthy performances that have helped the Heat take command of this series.

 

Kyle Lowry Is Taking And Making Shots

 

Lowry has been the proverbial punching bag among Heat fans for much of this season, and rightfully so. The man is earning $28 million this season and has essentially been unplayable for much of the season. While his production still doesn’t quite match his expensive price tag, he’s making shots and doing all of the little stuff that annoys opposing teams.

 

Through 6 playoff games (two play-in games included), Lowry is hitting nearly 64% of his two’s while shooting 45% from three. More importantly, he’s playing aggressively on offense.

 

Per Cleaning The Glass, he’s taken 43% of his field goal attempts from the mid-range. This was a spot Lowry took advantage of earlier in his career. He was an assassin pulling up around a screen, killing defenses playing drop. This was a big frustration during the regular season, as he only took 21% of his shots from the mid-range.

Now utilizing the mid-range more aggressively, his 43% frequency across six games is a career-high by more than 3%.

 

Lowry’s aggressiveness is uber important to Miami’s offensive flow as Milwaukee is among one of the most drop-heavy teams in the league. And with Bam Adebayo still earning his wings as a shooting threat, Lowry’s willingness to take and make the mid-range pull-up has put Milwaukee’s defense on their heels at times.

 

On top of his offensive aggression, Lowry has continued to do all of the little things that make him annoying to play against. His six deflections rank eighth among players with less than 100 minutes this postseason.

 

He still may not be performing as advertised when Miami inked him to a large deal last offseason, but his play has impacted winning this postseason.

 

Caleb Martin Isn’t Afraid Of The Big Stage

 

If not for Martin, Miami is likely going back to Milwaukee with the series tied. The story of Monday’s fourth quarter was obviously Butler, but Martin gave Miami huge minutes. There was a two-minute span with under five minutes left where Martin had a stretch of the following:

 

Rebound – Drawn Foul – Two Free Throws – Offensive Rebound – Two-Point Jumper (with a DeShawn Stevenson palm-in-face celebration directed at Giannis Antetokounmpo) – Three-Point Jumper

 

All of this occurred from the 4:18 mark down to 2:43 left.

 

Simply put, Miami doesn’t close this game out if it weren’t for Martin. The man literally looked at Giannis in the witching hour of a playoff game and hit him with the DeShawn Stevenson celebration. Do you know how much confidence you have to have to pull that off?

 

This stretch summed up who Martin is as a player. We’re talking about a guy who was on a two-way contract last season contributing to winning basketball in the playoffs. If that’s not the quintessential Miami Heat player, then I don’t know what is.

 

Through six postseason games, he has an eFG of 72% and is hitting 47% of his attempts from three (8-17). Much to the tune of Butler, he is elevating his game when it matters most. All in all, he is outplaying the 3-year, $20 million contract he signed this offseason.

 

Miami Runs On Duncan

 

Arguably the biggest story through the first four games of this series has been the play of Duncan Robinson. Labeled as one of the league’s worst contracts, Robinson has been unplayable for most of the season, with memories of his blazing-hot 2020 breakout season seeming far away.

 

When Tyler Herro broke his hand in the first half of Game 1, Erik Spoelstra was left with no choice. Robinson had to play.

 

Since the moment he checked into Game 1, he’s shot 76% from three. Seventy-six percent. 13-17 from downtown.

 

Not only has this given Miami a jolt in the points department, but the Bucks now need to fear him when he’s on the court. His presence on the floor is a weapon again, just as it was in 2020.

 

Robinson didn’t attempt a single shot in the second half of Game 4. Why? Because a Bucks defender was glued to his hip. As a result, Miami had more driving lanes and opportunities to attack the basket.

 

This is the Robinson that Miami signed to a $90M contract a couple of seasons ago. If he can continue to shoot with this much confidence, Miami’s lackluster offense could quickly turn into a daunting task for teams to slow down.

 

Honorable Mention: Haywood Highsmith Gaining Confidence

 

With injuries to Victor Oladipo and the aforementioned Tyler Herro, Spoelstra has had no choice but to dig deep into his bag of rotations. This included giving Highsmith meaningful minutes in Game 4, along with a big-time task: Slow down Giannis.

 

I mean, the guy was literally playing basketball at a Division II school two years ago and is now guarding a former MVP in the playoffs.

 

So, how did he do?

 

According to NBA.com’s matchup tracker, Highsmith defended Giannis for 13 possessions, held him to 2-6 shooting (33%), and forced one turnover.

 

While it is a small sample size, Highsmith’s length allows him to bother opposing players. That, along with his high motor, should give Spoelstra more trust in deploying him on Giannis for small stretches going forward.

 

You’re never going to shut down a player of Giannis’ caliber, but you can never have enough capable and rested bodies to throw at him. Highsmith is proving to be capable.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler Carves Name in NBA History

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Monday morning, it was reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo would return to the Bucks’ lineup for Game 4 in Miami. He hurt his back in the first match and was pulled out 11 minutes in, following multiple check-ups in the locker room.

Antetokounmpo picked up where he left off, piercing the lane with zero regard for obstacles. In quarter one, he logged nine points and four assists. During the first timeout, he walked around his team’s space so his back wouldn’t tighten up.

Six minutes into the game, the Heat was down 20-10. Two quick fouls on Bam Adebayo earned him an early spot on the bench. But then Jimmy Butler went nuclear, scoring 22 points in the frame.

Butler was unguardable while defended in single coverage. He entered the paint at will, taking guys off the dribble for a shot past or over them. On his second attempt of the night, JB isolated Khris Middleton for a runway to the cup. Antetokounmpo tracked the drive and met him at the summit, but Butler slammed it with two hands over his head. On the next try, he buried a 25-foot jumper while draped by Middleton on the right wing.

Through the first half, Butler recorded 24 of Miami’s 50 points. The Heat was down 50-57, and aside from #22, no one had broken past single digits on their scorecard. The team’s next-best offensive option was prolific benchwarmer Duncan Robinson and his nine points. Miami’s disregarded sniper canned two triples against drop coverage and splacked another 3-pointer in transition on the left wing.

Twenty seconds into the third quarter, Middleton intercepted Max Strus’ pass to Adebayo in the paint and raced down the court for a step-back left-wing triple over Gabe Vincent. Miami was again on its back foot. Butler stayed in every play of the period to stop the bleeding inflicted by Milwaukee’s front court, plus Jrue Holiday.

The Greek Freak hammered a putback dunk, finished a fastbreak layup, and maneuvered around Cody Zeller in the drop for a layup in quarter three. In this stretch, the visitors converted 32 points on 52.2% field goal efficiency.

JB responded with a step-back jumper over Grayson Allen in the mid-post, a pivot past Holiday and Brook Lopez at the cup, and a pull-up in front of Antetokounmpo in drop coverage for scores in the third. His evening output reached 35 points, and then Coach Erik Spoelstra gave him a breather for nearly four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee started the last period ahead by 11 points. The Bucks converted four out of 11 attempts before Butler checked back in for the last time. He finished the game scoring an additional 21 points in the last frame, the most by any Heat player ever in the fourth quarter or overtime in the Playoffs, per Stathead, ending the night with 56.

The Heat was down 12 points in crunch time. Inspired by Butler, Miami went on a 13-0 run to reclaim the lead. Milwaukee took the advantage back twice as the time ticked away, but Butler logged 12 points in the last two minutes, seven of which were free throws. Miami won the game 119-114.

At his post-game sideline interview with TNT, Butler shot down the inquiry of what it felt like to hear MVP chants. He said that honor should go to Joel Embiid. Before stepping away, he answered on going back to Milwaukee for Game 5. “To play basketball in Milwaukee, in front of their crowd, and to be together on the road, that’s where championships are won, and we got a shot.”

JB’s 56 points tied Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan for the fourth-highest individual scoring output by a player in the postseason. MJ, Elgin Baylor and Donovan Mitchell have the highest playoff game point totals in league history at 63, 61 and 57. Their marks were safe because of Spo’s habitual habit of resting Butler between four and six minutes in closing intervals.

Butler’s Homeric eruption pushed the Heat to a 3-1 lead over the one-seed in round one. Miami still has to win another, but these types of deficits are almost insurmountable. Only 13 outfits have come out alive.

As Bob Seger sang, “Some men go just where they want… some men never go.”

Butler is the former because fortune favors the bold. I’m lucky enough to have seen some of the best that wore White Hot, and in the Playoffs, there’s no right or wrong answer as to who is best fit to lead a squad.

Like Dwyane Wade at this time of year or Batman when Gotham is in danger, Butler raises his game when it matters most. He’s the beast of the east, and he comes out of hibernation in April.

 

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Five Takeaways from Panthers Game 4 loss to Bruins

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SUNRISE – Playoff hockey came early today in Sunrise, with the Panthers and Bruins facing off in an afternoon Game 4.

 

The Bruins had their way for a second straight game at FLA Live Arena in a 6-2 win, taking both of their road games.

 

Boston now leads the series 3-1, with a chance to close it out Wednesday night at home.

 

Takeaways:

Bruins Power Play was dangerous

Boston’s power play this series has been more than a step ahead of the Panthers. 

 

The opening minutes of the game was flat out dominated by Florida – with the shots at one point being 10-0 in favor of the home team. 

 

At 9:11 into the first, Colin White called for interference, putting the Bruins on the man-advantage. 

 

Boston got some juice being a man up and eventually opened the scoring. 

 

After two huge saves by Sergei Bobrovsky, Brad Marchand poked in a loose puck, putting the Bruins up 1-0.

 

The Bruins started the second period on the power play after Matthew Tkachuk got called for cross-checking Garnet Hathaway behind the net following the conclusion of the period.

 

With just eight seconds remaining on the Tkachuk penalty, a great zone entry by the Bruins led to Jake DeBrusk’s second goal of the series. 

 

Paul Maurice made multiple lineup changes in Game 4

Panthers head coach Paul Mauric kept everyone out of the loop pre-game when he had his media availability. 

 

We didn’t know who would be the starting goalie, who would be in the lineup and who would be out. 

The most we got was that either Bobrovsky or Alex Lyon would be in net… obviously.

 

When the teams came out for warmups, Aaron Ekblad was not on the ice. The Panthers’ defenseman was injured in Game 3. Despite skating yesterday in Florida’s optional practice, the former first-overall pick was absent for tonight’s game.

 

Casey Fitzgerald filled in for Ekblad tonight on the blueline. 

 

The bigger surprise omission from the Cats lineup tonight was Anthony Duclair. Duclair took warmups tonight and was part of the normal line rushes – so it seemed like he would definitely be in the lineup… that wasn’t the case.

 

Duclair, who is pointless in the series, was scratched tonight. He was replaced by Zac Dalpe, who spent the majority of the season in AHL Charlotte. Dalpe has been with the team all postseason, but he didn’t play in a game before tonight. 

 

And finally, Sergei Bobrovsky made his first start of the playoffs tonight. Alex Lyon got the nod in games 1-3. After a short relief appearance in game 3, Bobrovsky got his first full game of the series tonight. 

 

Taylor Hall with a big four-point game

The Bruins forward may not be the same player he was when he won the Hart Trophy a few years back with New Jersey, but he definitely played close to that level tonight. 

 

Hall finished the game with two goals and four points, while icing the game with Boston’s fifth goal off a nice move in front of Sergei Bobrovsky.

 

Hall has seven points through four games in this series, which is the most on the team this postseason.

 

Florida drops both at home 

Coming into the arena on Friday night, the Panthers were in pretty good shape. 

 

Riding off a dominating win in Boston, Florida had the chance to shift the series in their favor at home. They didn’t.

 

Now onto Sunday, Florida once again could have made this series interesting by tying it up ahead of Game 5. They didn’t.

 

The Panthers dropped both of their home games and now have to play with their season on the line in Boston against a team that only lost seven times in their building throughout the regular season. 

 

Bennett, Tkachuk, Montour and that’s about it

The three best skaters in this series, offensively at least – have been Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour and Matthew Tkachuk.

 

The offense tonight was almost all on them again. 

 

Bennett had a good showing with his power play goal, which is the first one the Panthers scored all series. 

 

Tkachuk did what he’s done all season – get points in the score sheet. He scored the first Panthers goal of the game off a between-the-legs shot to cut the Bruins lead to 2-1. He picked up a helper on the Bennett goal.

 

Montour grabbed his third point of the series and had six shots on goal, which led the Panthers blue line. 

 

The Panthers captain looked about as aggressive as he has all series, getting seven shots on net, but we are through four games of this series and he has yet to score a goal. 

 

Florida had chances around Linus Ullmark’s net, both too many loose pucks were left unfinished by the Panthers as the Bruins’ goalie turned away 41 of Florida’s 43 shots.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Lose Victor Oladipo in Game 3 Win over Bucks

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The Heat was up 24 points with fewer than four minutes left when Victor Oladipo’s leg gave out. He drove into the lane from the top of the key, but when he had Bobby Portis on his back hip, he elevated off his left leg, yet he didn’t take off completely, landing on his backside.

Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson walked over to their hurt teammate first. Before they helped Oladipo stand up, he looked past Martin and shook his head. It confirmed to everyone watching on TV and in attendance that his season was likely over after all his diligent work to recover.

In the blink of an eye, his body betrayed him again, but this setback was the hardest to watch Oladipo face. The past four seasons were littered with injuries that defrauded Vic of his talents, but in some spurts of the Heat’s campaign, he was logging his most productive minutes in a White-Hot jersey.

During Game 3 against the Bucks, Oladipo played 19 minutes, converting four out of six field goals. In the second half, Vic dropped three in a row by dribbling past Portis in the paint for a fadeaway jumper, and he zipped down the court for a pair of fastbreak layups.

Oladipo limped to the locker room with the help of the trainers. The Heat finished garbage time and took a 2-1 lead in the series, but the atmosphere in the Kaseya Center was thick with anxiety and sorrow.

At the postgame presser, the win seemed meaningless to coach Erik Spoelstra. He said an evaluation of Oladipo’s injury would happen Sunday and that it was difficult to watch.

“It’s a great win, but when you see a player go down like that, and particularly a player like Vic who’s gone through so much in the last three years…It’s not a good feeling to see Vic on the floor like that.”

Spo also added that when Oladipo saw a stretcher come out for him, he refused it.

The Heat can worry about how losing Oladipo affects the group in the series. What concerns me is the frustration likely clouding his mind. By all accounts, Vic worked tirelessly after each mishap since Jan. 23, 2019, to get back on the floor and contribute.

He was never going to get back into All-Star form, but like a good soldier, he performed well in his role as a reserve. He was still capable of putting pressure on the rim and defending quick perimeter players. But after his knee buckled in Game 3, I’m not sure if Oladipo wants to keep this going after his contract is up. He has a player option for 2023/2024 that I expect he’ll opt in to, but following that, who knows?

If the end of his pro career is near, the version of Oladipo in White Hot won’t be what I remember him for. I’ll reminisce about the Black Panther in Indiana.

In 118 combined games between 2018 and 2019, regular season and Playoffs included, Vic was one of the league’s ascending two-way stars. He had an explosive burst off the dribble and was unafraid to catch a body in the paint. On defense, he had excellent timing when invading the passing lanes for a steal and was effective in stopping the ball outside.

During seven games of round 1 in the 2018 Playoffs, Oladipo went toe-to-toe with LeBron James, then a Cavalier. In Game 6, to hold off elimination, Oladipo snapped and logged a 28-point triple-double to send the series back to Cleveland. He got in the paint whenever he wanted and could detonate for a two-handed jam standing under the rim.

In Game 7 in Cleveland, Oladipo went out, dropping 30 points with 12 rebounds in a four-point loss.

Before the injuries mounted on, Oladipo spent every minute as a Pacer validating his status as the second pick of the 2013 Draft. He was honored with two All-Star selections, an All-NBA + All-Defensive Team spot and the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2018.

What I admired most about his game was the rage that he attacked the basket with. Like Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose and Yao Ming, when I think about Oladipo, I’ll wonder what he was really capable of.

 

Five Takeaways from Panthers’ Game 3 loss to Bruins

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SUNRISE – The Panthers-Bruins series shifted to South Florida for Game 3 on Friday night. 

 

After a 6-3 loss at home on Wednesday, Boston returned the favor tonight at FLA Live Arena, taking down Florida in a 4-2 win.

 

Here’s the takeaways.

Florida fell asleep in the second period

After a fairly even opening frame, The Panthers trailed by a goal entering the second period thanks to a Taylor Hall shot that cleanly beat Alex Lyon.

 

It was a one shot game going into the second frame – however the Panthers only got four.

 

Florida’s best scoring period of the regular season was the second. They found the back of the net 101 times in the middle frame.

 

The Panthers came out of the break flat. They couldn’t generate any momentum going forward while the Bruins controlled the tempo.

 

Boston doubled their lead in the period off of Charlie Coyle’s first goal of the playoffs.

 

Florida was lucky to only be down by two entering the third.

 

Alex Lyon’s night ends early – Sergei Bobrovsky makes 2023 playoff debut

Florida’s goaltender Alex Lyon didn’t have the best of starts to his night. Just 2:26 into the first, a quick shot by Taylor Hall beat Lyon up high, giving Boston an early lead on the road.

 

Lyon was able to shake off the early goal against and get back into a rhythm with multiple cross crease stops on the Bruins. 

 

Florida’s offense was non-existent until the last five minutes of the game, while Boston kept piling on the chances. Lyon kept the came close for as long as he could, but after David Pastrnak beat him cleanly 8:32 into the third, Lyon’s night would come to an end.

 

“He’s played heavy pressure games and a lot of them,” Maurice said. “It was not a critique of Alex’s game (pulling him), it was if we are going to come back in this game it’s not because our goalie’s going to bail us out, it’s going to be because we are going to get a lot more action then we had, so what the hell.”

 

Paul Maurice switched to Sergei Bobrovsky, who started the majority of Florida’s games this season, but has not seen the ice this postseason. 

 

Bobrovsky finished the game with a goal against and eight saves. 

 

Florida still can’t score on the power play

In what is becoming a repeat of last season’s first round, Florida is three games into the playoffs without a power play goal.

 

Dating back to last season, Florida has scored just one power play goal in the playoffs, and have not scored a first round power play goal since 2021.

 

Florida went 0/2 tonight on the power play – pushing them to 0/7 in the series.

 

Sasha Barkov quiet offensively 

The Panthers captain has been quiet this series, too quiet for the skill he has.

 

Entering Game 3 he had just one assist and one shot on goal. 

 

Tonight it was much of the same story for him in the first 50 minutes of the game.

 

All of the Panthers lacked the drive that they showed Wednesday night in Boston for the majority of the game.

 

But it was clear that Barkov wasn’t making the impact you’d expect him to make.

 

Barkov didn’t get his shots towards the net until late in the game and he didn’t get on the score sheet until Florida’s last goal of the game with the goalie pulled. 

 

“It’ll be a five man game always, find the right combinations,” Maurice said about getting Barkov going. “I’m not worried about how many shots he gets there. When you’re not generating offense you’re looking for those kinds of players. Coach has to find the right combination.”

 

Through the first three games, Barkov has two assists, four shots and is a -1.

 

Boston came out hard

It was no surprise to see the Bruins come out of the gates strong after their performance in Game 2. 

 

After getting completely dominated by Florida in the third the previous game, the Bruins looked like the Presidents’ Trophy winners. 

 

They scored all of their four goals tonight even strength while outshooting the Panthers 35-31.

 

Until the last five minutes of the third, which had Florida throw everything towards Linus Ullmark in a last ditch effort to get back in the game, Boston didn’t look phased all night.

 

The Bruins played well defensively in front of their goalie, had another outstanding night on the penalty kill and followed their defensive efforts with offensive results.

 

Boston was clearly the better team tonight. Florida needs to respond on Sunday — otherwise they will be facing a 3-1 series deficit at the TD Garden.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s Poor Defense Leads to Blowout in Game 2 in Milwaukee

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Without the Greek Freak after 11 minutes in Game 1, Miami’s offense was as potent as a medical-grade tranquilizer. In Wednesday’s match without Antetokounmpo, the attack held up, but production on the other side crashed like the Hindenburg.

The Heat is a mess. Losing on the road to a team without the best player in the world can be forgiven. But what can’t be is how hard it was thumped. The visitors hung around for a quarter before the herd of stags trampled them and ripped away at the paint.

Brook Lopez exploited Miami’s guards for six close-range finishes to start when Bam Adebayo matched up with Bobby Portis. Jimmy Butler responded on the other side with 13 points. He attacked the drop coverage when zipping past a screen and took Lopez off the dribble from the top to the cup for a layup.

In the opening period, the Heatles, aside from Butler, converted five of 16 attempts. The Bucks contested well on pick-and-pop plays and when snipers curled around screens. On top of that, Miami was down on the glass again, giving up seven additional boards that turned into eight shots for Milwaukee.

In quarter one of Game 1, the Heat uncommonly operated at 15.24 pace-points higher than its season average (112) and generated four more shots on goal. The start of Game 2 was the opposite. Miami was slow getting down the court and didn’t get many opportunities to score without the defense set.

At the end of the second quarter, the host’s lead swelled to 31 points, but the Heat cut it to 26 at intermission. There wasn’t much hope for a comeback. By this point, Milwaukee doubled Miami’s inside action (40-20) and held its rivals to 29.4% shooting behind the arc.

Butler and Co. opened the third frame on an 11-5 run, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the eight straight buckets the Bucks logged or its nine of 14 trifectas.

This play can sum up what kind of night it was for the Heat: Khris Middleton recovered a defensive rebound and his mouthpiece off the floor. Next, he dribbled up court to blow by Vincent for an 11-foot jumper.

Duncan Robinson started the match out of necessity, with Tyler Herro absent with two broken fingers. He was the lone player from the initial five-man unit to record a minute of the fourth quarter. Coach Erik Spoelstra waved his white flag before the last period started.

At the postgame presser, Spo referred to Milwaukee’s showing as an avalanche.

“They had some good, clean, easy looks in the beginning,” Spo said. “Once they got on a roll, they were hitting some tough step-backs… Anytime there was a momentum shift, they seemed to knock down a big one. You have to credit them with that. We had an idea that they were going to shoot 50 plus and they answered the bell on that and then some.”

When it was Butler’s turn in front of reporters, he cited Milwaukee’s inside finishes and 3-point shots as the reason for the blowout.

“I feel like we were not protecting the paint,” Butler said. “Whoever was getting in there and getting layups…It’s all about putting body on body, not slipping in space, being more physical, and whenever they kick it out to the three, close out, run them off the line and do it all over again.”

The Heat will not practice on Thursday.

 

 

Five Takeaways from Panthers’ Game 2 win over Bruins

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Trailing 1-0 in the series, the Florida Panthers returned to the TD Garden in an attempt to even things up before they make their return to Sunrise. 

 

The return of Sam Bennett was instrumental for the Panthers tonight as they were able to bolster the forward depth and comfortably take down the Bruins tonight in a 6-3 win, evening up the series at 1-1.

 

Here’s tonight’s takeaways.

Playoff Sam Bennett is back

Sam Bennett last played March 20 in Detroit – almost a month to the day. 

 

The Panthers received great news today when it was announced that Bennett would be in the lineup.

 

The 26-year-old forward has had quite the success in his playoff career, putting up 27 points in 45 career playoff games ahead of this one. 

 

Bennett’s game is made for the playoffs and it was on full display tonight.

He was one of, if not the most noticeable Panther on the forecheck. He didn’t miss the opportunity to land a hit or put pressure on the Bruins defenders.

Bennett’s tenacity eventually led to the first goal of the game, where he slipped the puck, and himself, past Linus Ullmark to give Florida a 1-0 lead.

 

He once again fit perfectly alongside Matthew Tkachuk on line 2, and the old Calgary pals made sure to fill in the stat sheet tonight. 

 

Brandon Montour scores… twice

Enough can’t be said about Brandon Montour’s record-breaking offensive season.

 

Florida’s top point-producing defenseman showed NHL fans tonight why he had 73 points this season.

 

Montour broke the 2-2 tie early into the third period, rifling a shot past Ullmark to give Florida the lead.

 

12 minutes later, Montour put a stamp on the game with his second goal, putting Florida up 5-2 with under 10 minutes to play in regulation.

 

Montour finished the night with two goals in 22 minutes of ice time.

 

Still no power play luck

Florida got out of this game with another empty night on the power play. The team went 0/3 tonight on the PP, making that 0/5 on the series.

 

To make matters worse they gave up a shorthanded goal while leading 1-0 in the first period.

 

The Panthers have scored just one goal on the power play dating back to last year’s playoffs – that goal came in the second round against Tampa. 

 

The goose egg on the power play didn’t end up hurting them tonight,  but they’ll need to find the back of the net during this series on the man-advantage.

 

Florida was able to play their game

Playoffs are a different animal from that of the regular season.

 

When you see team’s get into a dominant groove during the 82 game year, it doesn’t necessarily translate to the postseason.

 

Tonight the game was an entertaining back and forth battle for the first 40 minutes of play. Both teams played each other pretty tight and didn’t give each other much breathing room to breakaway.

 

That all changed when the final period began. 

 

Florida was able to jump out to the early lead because of Brandon Montour’s first goal. Boston was still keeping it pretty close up until Carter Verhaeghe gave Florida a two goal cushion. 

 

After Florida got the breathing room, they began to control the game. 

 

The team was locked into their brand of hockey; controlling the puck and activating the blueline in the offensive zone. 

 

For the first time really all series, Florida looked to be the clearly dominant team in the late stages of the game.

 

Not having to play catch up calmed the Panthers down tonight. It opened up their game and possibly their confidence against the Bruins.

 

Alex Lyon’s tale continues

Another game, another win for the Lyon King.

 

Alex Lyon was locked in from the jump – as seen on NHL network’s pregame show where he was staring down the camera. 

 

The Panthers’ goalie got the nod again tonight from Paul Maurice after he lost Game 1.

 

Lyon took the crease again for the tenth straight game and second of the playoffs. 

 

He was able to stop 34 of the 37 shots he faced, giving up a short handed goal, a power play goal and a late five-hole squeaker as the game was 6-2. 

 

It’s safe to say that Lyon’s job as the starter will live to see another day after two impressive starts in Boston. 

 

Games 3 & 4 will be at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.